Swahili coast
Pwani ya Waswahili (Swahili) | |
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| Coordinates: 6°48′41″S 39°17′04″E / 6.8113°S 39.2844°E | |
| Countries | Tanzania Kenya Mozambique Comoros |
| Major cities | Dar es Salaam (Mzizima) Malindi Mombasa Sofala Lamu Zanzibar |
| Ethnic groups | |
| • Bantu | Swahili |
The Swahili coast (Swahili: Pwani ya Waswahili) is a coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean and inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala (located in Mozambique); Mombasa, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, and Malindi (in Kenya); and Dar es Salaam and Kilwa (in Tanzania).[1] In addition, several coastal islands are included in the Swahili coast, such as Zanzibar and Comoros.
Areas of what is today considered the Swahili coast were historically known as Azania or Zingion in the Greco-Roman era, and as Zanj or Zinj in Middle Eastern, Indian, and Chinese literature from the 7th to the 14th century.[2][3] The word "Swahili" means people of the coasts in Arabic and is derived from the word sawahil ("coasts").[4]
The Swahili people and their culture formed from a distinct mix of African and Arab origins.[4] The Swahili were traders and merchants and readily absorbed influences from other cultures.[5] Historical documents including the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and works by Ibn Battuta describe the society, culture, and economy of the Swahili coast at various points in its history. The Swahili coast has a distinct culture, demography, religion, and geography, and as a result—along with other factors, including economic—has witnessed rising secessionism in the early 21st century.[6]
- ^ Kemezis, K., 2010. East African City States (1000-1500). Blackpast.org. Available at: <https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/east-african-city-states/> [Accessed 23 April 2020].
- ^ Felix A. Chami, "Kaole and the Swahili World," in Southern Africa and the Swahili World (2002), 6.
- ^ A. Lodhi (2000), Oriental influences in Swahili: a study in language and culture contacts,ISBN 978-9173463775, pp. 72-84
- ^ a b "Swahili Coast". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania, retrieved 2019-10-30
- ^ "Contagion of discontent: Muslim extremism spreads down east Africa coastline," The Economist (3 November 2012)