Osei Kofi Tutu I was one of the founders of the Ashanti Empire, assisted by Okomfo Anokye, his chief priest and a distant relative from the town of Awukugua–Akuapem. The Asante comes from the Akan ethnic group of West Africa. Osei Tutu I led an alliance of Asante states against the regional hegemony, the Denkyira, completely defeating them. He ruled the Kwaman State between c.1680/c.1695 and 1701 and he ruled the Ashanti Empire from late 1701 to around 1717.
The Akan people are a Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and in parts of Ivory Coast and Togo in West Africa. The Akan speak dialects within the Central Tano branch of the Potou–Tano subfamily of the Niger–Congo family. Subgroups of the Akan people include: the Agona, Akuapem, Akwamu, Akyem, Anyi, Ashanti, Baoulé, Bono, Chakosi, Fante, Kwahu, Sefwi, Wassa, Ahanta, and Nzema, among others. The Akan subgroups all have cultural attributes in common; most notably the tracing of royal matrilineal descent in the inheritance of property, and for succession to high political office. All Akans are considered royals in status, but not all are in royal succession or hold titles.
Okomfo Anokye was the first priest (Okomfo) of the Ashanti Empire. Anokye is known for his participation in the expansion of the empire. He was also the codifier of the constitution and laws of the Ashanti Empire.
The diverse culture of Ivory Coast, a coastal West African country bordered by Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, is exemplified by a multitude of ethnic groups, events, festivals, music, and art.
The House of Israel is a Jewish community located in southwestern Ghana, in the towns of Sefwi Wiawso and Sefwi Sui. This group of people, of the Sefwi tribe, built a synagogue in 1998. Many of the men and children read English, but no one knows Hebrew.
Ghana is a multilingual country in which about eighty languages are spoken. Of these, English, which was inherited from the colonial era, is the official language and lingua franca. Of the languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan is the most widely spoken in the south. Dagbani, Dagare, Sisaala, Waale, and Gonja are among the most widely spoken in the northern part of the country.
Denkyira or Denkyera was a powerful nation of Akan people that existed before the 1620s, in what is now modern-day Ghana. Like all Akans, they originated from Bono state. Before 1620, Denkyira was called Agona. The ruler of the Denkyira was called Denkyirahene and the capital was Jukwaa. The first Denkyirahene was Mumunumfi.
The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem is used to describe a group of four states: Asante Akyem, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku, and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern region in south Ghana. The term is also used to describe the general area where the Akyem ethnic group clusters. The Akyem ethnic group make up between 3-4 percent of Ghana's population depending on how one defines the group and are very prominent in all aspects of Ghanaian life. The Akyem are a matrilineal people. The history of this ethnic group is that of brave warriors who managed to create a thriving often influential and relatively independent state within modern-day Ghana. When one talks of Ghanaian history, there is often mention of The Big Six. These were six individuals who played a big role in the independence of Ghana. Of the big six, people of Akyem descent made up the majority.
The Asante Empire, also known as the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast and Togo. Due to the empire's military prowess, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture, the Asante Empire has been extensively studied and has more historic records written by European, primarily British, authors than any other indigenous culture of sub-Saharan Africa.
In several Akan nations of Ghana, the Omanhene is the title of the supreme traditional ruler ('king') in a region or a larger town. The omanhene is the central figure and institution of the nation. Officially, he has no function in the current Ghanaian political setup, but, has enormous influence on the people that constitute it. Today 'Hene' can be found in titles of other rulers in Ghanaian nations. For example, the chief of the Dagomba in the north of Ghana is known as the 'Dagombahene'.
The Asante, also known as Ashanti in English, are part of the Akan ethnic group and are native to the Ashanti Region of modern-day Ghana. Asantes are the last group to emerge out of the various Akan civilisations. Twi is spoken by over nine million Asante people as their native language.
Sefwi, also known as Sefwi, Esahie, and Asahyue, is a Niger-Congo language spoken by 305,000 across southwestern Ghana, principally in the Western Region. It is a Kwa language of the Central Tano branch, closely related to Anyin, and mutually intelligible with the Sannvin dialect of Anyin; its two main dialects are Wiawso, spoken in the southern area of the Sehwi territory, and Anhwiaso, spoken in the northern area. It is the common language of the Sehwi people.
Kwawkrom is a community in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Western Region of Ghana. It is a rain forest reserve situated near the Boin Tano Nature Reserve. It is approximately 20 kilometers South West of Bibiani.
Kwaku Afriyie is a Ghanaian politician, farmer and a member of the New Patriotic Party in Ghana. He was the Western Regional minister of Ghana from 2017 to 2018. He was appointed by President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo in January 2017 and was approved by the Members of Parliament in February 2017. He is the member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiawso constituency in the Western North Region of Ghana in 7th and Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.
Joseph Ampah Kojo Essel was a Ghanaian Member of Parliament for the Dompim constituency from 1965 to 1966.
Tano (Tanoɛ), whose true name is Ta Kora and is known as Tando to the Fante is the Abosom of war and strife in Akan mythology and Abosom of Thunder and Lightning in the Asante mythology of Ghana as well as the Agni mythology of the Ivory Coast. He represents the Tano River, which is located in Ghana. He is regarded as the highest atano, or Tano abosom in Akan mythology.
Sefwi-Bibiani District is a former district council that was located in Western Region, Ghana. Originally created as an district council in 1975. However on 1988, it was split off into two new district assemblies: Sefwi-Wiawso District, Juaboso-Bia District and Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai District. The district council was located in the northern part of Western Region and had Wiawso as its capital town.
Sefwi Debiso is a town in the Bia West District in the Western North Region of Ghana. It is a central town located between three major towns: Essam, Sefwi Adabokrom and Adwuofua. Because of rapid expansion, Debiso has conurbated with the nearby Community Essam. Presently, Sefwi Debiso & Essam serve as co-capitals of the Bia West District. There are direct distant routes from Debiso to major towns such as Kumasi, Berekum, Mim Ahafo, Sefwi-Wiawso and republic of Ivory Coast. Debiso is known for producing cocoa and timber. Debiso is also noted for the Bia National Park.
Adabokrom is a town in Western North Region of Ghana. It is the capital of Bia East. Adabokrom was named the District capital after Bia East District split from Bia District in 2012. Adabokrom is about 250 km west of Kumasi. The town is noted for cocoa production.
Momome is a female cleansing ritual among some Akan groups in the present day Ghana and Ivory Coast. The ritual is aimed at cleansing the community from impending crisis. The momome ritual in the precolonial setting was held in response to wars but within the twentieth century it was increasingly evoke in moments of crisis of prominent figures of the chiefly establishment.
