The Guan people are an

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

found almost in all parts of

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

, including the

Nkonya Nkonya is a town in the Oti Region of Ghana. As a state, it consists of nine towns namely Ahenkro, Asakyiri, Betenase, Kadjebi, Ntsumuru, Ntumda, Tayi, Tepo and Wurupong. The town is known for the Nkonya Senior High School. The school is a second ...

tribe, the Gonja,

Anum Anum is an Guan community in Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region of Ghana, across from the Volta Lake. Location Anum lies about a kilometre east of the Volta Lake. The nearest town to the north is Boso, Ghana, also in the Eastern Region. F ...

Larteh Larteh is a language of southeastern Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast i ...

Nawuri Nawuri is a Guang language of Ghana. It is nearly intelligible with Kyode. The Nawuri's are part of the Guan ethnic group in Ghana and are located mainly in two regions: Northern and Oti region of Ghana. They are indigenous in this two regions of ...

and Ntsumburu. They primarily speak the Guan languages of the Niger-Congo language family. They make up 3.7% of the population of Ghana. Guans are believed to be the first settlers in the modern day Ghana that migrated from the Mossi region of modern Burkina around 1000 A.D. However, some of these Guan languages are influenced by major languages in Ghana, depending on where a particular Guan tribe is located. Guans in the Eastern region include

, Boso,

, Okere, and Kyerepong. Guans in the Oti Region include Buem, Nkonya, Likpe, Santrokofi, Akpafu etc. Guans in the Volta Region include Avatime, Logba etc. In the central region we have the Efutu, Awutu and Senya and Bawjiase areas. The Gonja people are in the north and part of Brong Ahafo, Bono and Ahafo. The Nawuri people live in parts of North and Parts of Oti Region, they mostly live at the eastern end of Salaga district; on the west bank of the Volta Lake/Oti River, some 70 kilometers north of Kete Krachi. Guans being the first settlers in Ghana, some were assimilated into the cultures of the major ethnic groups in the various regions we have today. Thus, some indigenes of Kpeshie in Greater Accra and Nzema, Sefwi, Ahanta etc. in the Western and Western Noth region may also trace their roots to Guans. The indigenes of most of the Fantes in the central region including Asebu, Edina(Elmina), Ogua(Cape Coast),Aguafo etc. as well as Agona can also trace their origins from Guans. At present it is accepted that the Guan people can be found in twelve (12) regions in Ghana: Oti, Northern, North East, Savannah, Bono, Ahafo, Central, Western North, Western, Eastern, Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions. They are very tolerant and live as commoners in their various environment. They speak the languages of the major ethnic group where they are found natively and speak their distinct languages at home.

References

Ethnic groups in Ghana {{ghana-stub