Ethnic Composition and Traditional Setting

The Denkyira who are part of the Akan speaking tribe are the indigenous people of the district forming about 47% of the District’s population. Twi is the major language, followed by Fanti. They have over the years co-existed with several entrenched settler groups; prominent among them are the Ashanti, Fanti, Akuapem, Ewe, Nzema, Sefwi and the people of the northern Ghana ethnic background. There exists a harmonious social relationship among these different ethnic groups as a result of inter-ethnic marriages.

Besides, share-cropping as a peculiar farming practice has also encouraged a solid bond of socio-economic co-operation among the ethnic groups. The kinship system is matrilineal among the Denkyira and others with Akan ethnic background and as such inheritance as well as succession is traditionally passed on from brothers to their sisters’ sons (uncles to nephews). The Ewe and those from northern Ghana have patrilineal kinship system with wealth transmission from fathers to sons.