Ghana and the Ashanti Tribe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ghana and the Ashanti Tribe - Essay Example The issue of Ghana and the Ashanti tribe is one of great significance and interest, and in order to come to a better understanding on the subject matter, we must thoroughly discuss these topics, as well as any and all key related information. The aim of this paper is to do this, in order to provide a more intellectual and knowledgeable viewpoint on the subject matter at hand. This is what will be dissertated in the following. Ghana is a country in West Africa which borders the Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso in the north and Togo to the east. Ghana was "inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient kingdoms, including an island Ashanti kingdom and various Fante states along the coast." (Wikipedia, 2006). Ghana became independent in 1957, and the country's population is now 21,029,853. The name Ghana is mostly symbolic, and was chosen for the nation - a reference to the Ghana Empire of earlier centuries. Ghana comprises of over 60 ethnic groups, with fifty two major languages and hundreds of dialects which are spoken in Ghana, and English, the official language of Ghana, is spoken by many. Like most other African nations Ghana has rich traditional cultures that differ from one ethnic group or tribe to the other. Generally, Ghanaians emphasize such communal values as; family, respect for the elderly, honoring traditional rulers, and the importance of dignity and proper social conduct. "Individual conduct is seen as having an impact on an entire family, social group and community; therefore, everyone is expected to be respectful, dignified and observant in public settings and in most every aspect of life." (Wikipedia, 2006). No part of Ghana, however, is ethnically homogeneous. Urban centers generally ethnically mixed due to migration in towns and cities in search of employment; rural areas, with the exception of cocoa-producing areas that have attracted migrant labor, tend to reflect more traditional population distributions. Prior to European colonization, the Ashanti Confederacy was a major state in western Africa, particularly from 1570 to 1900. Ashanti wealth was based on the region's substantial deposits of gold. These rich deposits led to much metalworking among the Ashanti. Ashanti was one of the few African states which was able to offer serious resistance to the European imperialists. Between the years of 1826 and 1896, Britain fought four wars against the Ashanti kings (the Anglo-Ashanti wars), one of which was notable as the first conflict in which the Maxim gun was used. "In 1900, the British finally subdued the kingdom and renamed it the Gold Coast colony. A revered figure in Asante history is Yaa Asantewaa, a leader of the resistance against British colonialism in 1896." (Wikipedia, 2006). The Ashanti people are known mostly for their colorful folktales and mythology, as well as for their religion. The most important god in the pantheon of the Ashanti of Ghana is Nyame, the omniscient, omnipotent sky god. Tano is one of the most important and famous gods of Ashanti. All the other gods of Ashanti, especially the river gods in particular, are believed to be the children of Tano, and therefore the Ashanti believe that the gods are the children of Nyame and that they serve as intermediaries between humans and Nyame. The Ashanti tribe is the tribe from which nearly half of the Ghanaian population is descended, and is the largest tribe in