allaboutghana
2 min readOct 27, 2015

Learn More on the Culture of Ghana

Ghana has many ethnic groups. The Akan are actually the most numerous and they consist of more than 40 percent of the population. They are then followed by the Ga, Ewe, Guan and others in the south. Their traditional settlement was a nucleated townsite which served as the chief’s or king’s administrative base and this housed the agricultural population, the occupational specialists and the political elite. The king’s palace or the chief’s palace is a bigger version of the basic household. The settlement in the north has a very different pattern of dispersed farmsteads.

The people of Ghana’s diet consist of the starchy staple that is eaten with a stew or soup. The forest crops like cassava, plantain, tropical yams, taro are abundant in the south. Also, the corn is significant particularly among the Ga and also the rice is quite popular too. The main dish is known as fufu which is pounded plantain or those tubers in combination with the cassava. The soup ingredients come with those common vegetables and also animal protein like fish and comes with hot peppers too. The peanut soups and the palm nut are also their favorite. Check this buzzghana source site.

Many of the households are raising chickens and also dwarf goats that are reserved for the special occasions like weddings, christenings, Christmas and traditional festivals. With the Akan, the main indigenous celebration is known as the odwira which is a harvest rite and the new yams are actually presented to the chief and then eaten in public as well as domestic feats. The Ga would celebrate the homowo which is also a harvest festival that is marked through eating kpekpele that is made from palm oil and mashed corn.

The stratification system of Ghana follows the precolonial and also the modern patterns. Many traditional kingdoms were divided in three hereditary classes which are slaves, commoners and royals. The royals have the exclusive rights to fill those central offices of the king and for the queen mother for the Akan groups. The incumbents would have political as well as economic privileges which is based on state control over the foreign trade. Compared to the European nobilities, a special status is given to the office-holders and not the extended families. Also, the royals would marry commoners. The slaves are being used by the state for the purpose of doing menial work like mining and porterage. For more ides, you should also go to http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4565509_people-ghana-dress.html.

Moreover, in Ghana, the clothing is also an important system of wealth and education. The luxury cars are also significantly used to symbolize social stratification.

For a related idea about the culture, see these photos of Ghana braids.