Ethnicity and Culture

The district is predominantly Akuapems, who are part of the Akan ethnic groups. The main dialect in the district is the Akuapem Twi. There are other ethnic groups who have migrated to settle in the district and these include Ewes, Gas and Hausas.

Traditionally, the district is under the Akuapeman Traditional Council with Akuapemhene as the Paramount Chief. The Chief of Aburi, who is the Adontenhene of Akuapem traditional area is also the traditional head of the district, with many sub-chiefs under him.

The major festival celebrated by the people of the district is the Odwira festival. It is celebrated in October every year. The matrilineal system of inheritance is practiced by the people of the Akwapim South District.

Religious Affiliation

Table 1.5 shows that the dominant religious denomination in the district is Christianity with over 95 percent of the population professing adherence to the Christian faith.

Among the Christian group, those who belong to the Pentecostal / Charismatic denomination constitute majority of 46.4 percent. Muslims form only 3.0 percent of the population.

Those who do not profess adherence to any of the religion mentioned in table 1.5 form 4.2 percent of the population while the traditionalists make up about 1.3 percent. Among the sexes, more males (6.1%) than females (2.5%) do not belong to any religion.

Tourism Development

The district is noted for its endowment of a number of important national monuments and tourist sites which contributes over 60 percent to the district’s local economy. Notable among them include:

Presidential lodge; a presidential lodge at Peduase built by Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The Aburi Botanical Gardens; situated in Aburi, and was built by the Basel Missionaries in 1890 which contains preserved rare species for biodiversity. The garden is always described as a revered national asset.

The Aburi Craft Village; a harbour for traditional artifacts and souvenirs.

Even though tourism has become one of the main sources of income and employment generation in the district, the district is yet to reap its full benefits of the tourism industry. Other sites which could be developed but currently have not seen investments are listed below.