Ghana is a country of 28.21 million people and many native groups, such as: the Akans in the centre and South of the country the Ga and Adangbe in, around and East of Accra the Guan peoples in the rain forest the Dagombas, Mamprusi and related peoples in the North the Gurunsi languages speaking peoples in the far North the Gonjas in the Northern Region English is the official language, but the indigenous Twi of the Ashantis, the Fante language, Frafra, Dangme, Ga, Dagbani, Mampruli, Gonja and Ewe also have official status and are taught in schools as indigenous (local) languages in the respective areas where they are predominant. People Akans The Akan people live in Akanland, and are one of the few matrilineal societies in West Africa. The matrilineal system of the Akan continues to be economically and politically important. Each lineage controlled the land farmed by its members, functioned as a religious unit in the veneration of its ancestors, supervised marriages, and settled internal disputes among its members. Akan kings, once renowned for their splendor and wealth, retained dignitary status after colonization. Celebration of the Akan kings lives on in the tradition of the Golden Stool. The Akan are noted for their expertise in several forms of craftwork, particularly their weaving, wood carving, ceramics, fertility dolls, metallurgy and kente cloth). Traditional kente cloth is woven outdoors, exclusively by men, in complex patterns of bright, narrow strips. The manufacturing of many Akan crafts is restricted to male specialists. Pottery-making is the only craft that is primarily a female activity; men usually fashion pots or pipes depicting anthropomorphic or zoomorphic figures. The various Akan groups speak various dialects of the Akan language, a language rich in proverbs, and the use of proverbs is considered to be a sign of wisdom. Euphemisms are also very common, especially concerning events connected with death. The coastal Akans were the first to have relations with Europeans during the "Scramble for Africa". As a result of this long association, these groups absorbed aspects of British culture and language. For example, it became customary among these peoples to adopt British surnames. The coastal Akans live predominantly in the Central Region and Western Region of Akanland. Ga-Adangbe The Ga-Adangbe people or simply Ga people (named for the common proto-Ga-Adangbe ancestral language) inhabit the Greater Accra Region. The Ga-Adangde have different but common languages, Ga, Krobo, Sh3, Osudoko,