Bono people
A Bono dancer from Ivory Coast | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~2,800,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Bono region, Bono East region, Ahafo Region, Eastern Ivory Coast | |
| Languages | |
| Bono Twi, English, French | |
| Religion | |
| Bono Ancestral worship and spirituality, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Fante, Akwamu, Other Akan |
The Bono, also known as the Brong or Abron, are an Akan people of central Ghana and northeastern Ivory Coast. They speak the Bono Twi and form one of the largest matrilineal Akan groups. Historically, the Bono were the first Akan to develop a centralized state named Bono state with the core political centers located at Bono Manso and Begho. The Akan people trace their origin to the Bono state based on history and oral tradition. Traditionally, Bono is the hub of Akan culture as various key elements of the culture emanate from. Bono is often highlighted as the cradle of Akan civilisation.
The Bono became prosperous at Bono state through gold discovery, trade and commerce from neighbouring partners and across Africa. As part of commercial transactions, gold dust were used as currency and gold weights as a measure of value. In 1471 when the first European-Portuguese visited Gold Coast (now Ghana), Bono Manso and Begho were an urban cities in West Africa. Begho at its peak had an estimated population of 15000. Bono Manso on the other hand played a significant role in the Atlantic slave trade and as a result, Africans in Diaspora visit to learn more about their history. The Bono people are mostly located in central part of Ghana and northeastern Ivory Coast.