The Ashanti People are an Akan group located primarily in central Ghana, numbering over 10 million. They speak Twi and practice Christianity, Islam, and traditional Ashanti beliefs. In the 17th century, the Ashanti clans united under Chief Osei Tutu to form the powerful Ashanti Kingdom, with allegiance sworn to the sacred Golden Stool. Representing the soul of the Ashanti people, the Golden Stool is the foremost symbol of Ashanti nationalism and unity. The Ashanti were historically skilled farmers and traders and had a sizable military of up to 200,000 people who allowed the kingdom to expand substantially over a century.