Ga

Ga (gä), black African ethnic group, SE Ghana. The Ga speak a Kwa language and, together with the closely related Adangme, number over 1 million. Inheritance and succession to public office are determined mostly by patrilineal descent. According to their oral traditions, the Ga came from the region of Lake Chad and migrated into present-day Ghana beginning in the 16th cent. They established Great Accra (near modern Accra) as their capital. The Ga were on friendly terms with Danish traders in the mid-17th cent. Between 1677 and 1681 they were conquered by the Akwamu state, and in 1742 the Ashanti gained control over them. In 1874 the Ga were incorporated into the British Gold Coast colony.