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  West Africa is home to dozens of tribes, many dating back several hundred or even thousands of years. Even tribes that live in close proximity to one another maintain their own distinct cultural practices and languages. Some West African tribes make up a large portion of the populations of the nations they inhabit.
  
  

Ashanti

• The Ashanti live in central Ghana about 186 miles from the coast. Family is extremely important to the Ashanti people, and they live in clusters and huts with extended family and other tribe members. The oldest brother in the household is referred to as the father or housefather and makes the decisions for the tribe members living in his home. Boys are taught various skills by their fathers, including the talking drum, which the Ashanti use for communication and ceremonial celebrations. The Ashanti are tolerant of polygamy and even encourage it in some cases as it is seen as a sign that the man is willing to support a large family. Many women do not meet their husbands until the marriage ceremony, and they must have their parents' permission to wed. The religious and spiritual beliefs of the tribe are varied. They believe plants and animals in nature have souls and revere a golden stool, which is said to have never touched the ground. No one has ever sat on the golden stool, and the Ashanti look at the object as a representation of respect to their ancestors.
  
  

Fulani

• The Fulani are the largest nomadic tribe in the world, and the tribe includes members from various backgrounds. The Fulani were among the first people to convert to Islam in West Africa during the holy wars, and they control several portions of West Africa. The Fulani work as herders and traders throughout trade routes along Africa's west coast. The tribe honors and prizes cattle, and owning several cows is a sign of wealth. The Fulani honor and respect beauty, and many members are heavily tattooed as an expression of beauty. The Fulani adhere to a caste system including nobility, merchants, blacksmiths and ancestors of slaves of the rich Fulani.
  
  

Ga-Adangbe

• The Ga-Adangbe tribe in West Africa is an ancient tribe that inhabits the Accra Plains. The Ga live to the west of the coastlands, while the Adangbe inhabit the eastern portion of the plains. The languages of the two sects of the tribe originate from the same language, but the modern versions are very different from each other, and people in different areas have individual dialects. Members of the Ga tribe often design fantasy coffins for deceased loved ones. The coffins represent something the person enjoyed in life, such as a fish-shaped casket for a fisherman.