Animalscaretips
Bushpig, small antelope, bush-babies, monkeys and the occasional elephant make up most of the coastal mammals. Still present, but much depleted, are pblueators such as leopards and lions. A small, insect-eating rodent with a long snout, the golden-rumped elephant shrew is indigenous to the Swahili Coast.
- Who lives on the Swahili Coast?
- What plants are in the Swahili Coast?
- Why is the Swahili Coast important?
- What protects the Swahili Coast?
- What is the Swahili coast in Africa?
- Is Bantu a Swahili?
- Is Africa a desert?
- What does Swahili coast refer to?
- Where do the Swahili live in Africa?
- What was the capital of the Swahili Coast?
- What brought people to the Swahili Coast?
- When was Swahili invented?
- What are the ecosystems in Africa?
- Where is Swahili spoken?
- Why did Swahili convert to Islam?
Who lives on the Swahili Coast?
Today, the vast majority of Swahili people are Sunni Muslims. The Swahili Coast appears to have reached its zenith during the Medieval Period, from around the 11th to 15th centuries. During that time, the Swahili Coast comprised numerous city-states that traded across the Indian Ocean.
What plants are in the Swahili Coast?
Cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and clove plants can also be found. Coconut palms can be grown in the sand and broken coral can be found along the Indian Ocean. Extensive cultivation has destroyed most of the region's indigenous species, however, and only dense mangroves remain in most areas.
Why is the Swahili Coast important?
The Swahili Coast, an 1,800-mile stretch of Kenyan and Tanzanian coastline, has been the site of cultural and commercial exchanges between East Africa and the outside world - particularly the Middle East, Asia, and Europe - since at least the 2nd century A.D.
What protects the Swahili Coast?
The Swahili Coast stretches for approximately 1,000 miles along the Indian Ocean from Somalia to Mozambique. Protected by a rim of coral reefs, and several islands (the largest is Zanzibar) the coast line is generally flat and free of significant changes in elevation.
What is the Swahili coast in Africa?
The Swahili Coast is on Africa's east coast. It has a long history and fascinating culture. The coast stretches from Somalia in the north to Mozambique in the south. It sits along the Indian Ocean.
Is Bantu a Swahili?
Swahili is a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family and has a typical, complicated Bantu structure.
Is Africa a desert?
Africa - the second largest continent in the world is also home to the largest desert in the world - the Sahara. In fact there are three deserts on the continent - The Sahara, the Namib and the Kalahari. Together these three amazingly vast and diverse land masses cover a large portion of Africa.
What does Swahili coast refer to?
The Swahili coast (Arabic: الساحل السواحلي) is a coastal area of the Indian Ocean in Southeast Africa inhabited by the Swahili people. It includes Sofala (Mozambique), Mombasa, Gede, Pate Island, Lamu, Malindi, and Kilwa. ... The Swahili people and their culture formed from a distinct mix of African and Arab origins.
Where do the Swahili live in Africa?
The half-million people known as Swahili live along the coastline of East Africa from Somalia to Mozambique.
What was the capital of the Swahili Coast?
The Omanis had a presence on the Swahili Coast dating from the 17th century, and by 1730 as Zanzibar emerged as the most important Swahili city an Omani governor was appointed there. In 1840, Omani Sultan Said bin Sultan officially moved his capital to Zanzibar City.
What brought people to the Swahili Coast?
Arrival of Muslim Traders
From the 7th century, the number of traders sailing the Indian Ocean greatly expanded and included those from the Red Sea (and so Cairo in Egypt), and then Arabia and the Persian Gulf. Arab dhows with their distinctive triangular sails filled the ports of the Swahili coast.
When was Swahili invented?
It's been around for centuries
The earliest known documents of the Swahili language are letters written in Arabic script, written in 1711 in the region of Kilwa, present-day Tanzania.
What are the ecosystems in Africa?
Africa has five main kinds of ecosystems: coastal environments, deserts and semideserts, mountain environments, savanna grasslands, and forests. Each ecosystem has its typical environment and climate, and the people who live there have adapted to its conditions and learned to use its resources.
Where is Swahili spoken?
It's a national language in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and an official language of the East African Community which comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Its use is spreading to southern, western and northern Africa.
Why did Swahili convert to Islam?
Arab traders first introduced Islam to the Swahili coast in the ninth century. Appreciating its religious value, the Swahili people also recognized that adopting their neighbor's religion would help their trading relationships as well, granting them new access to trade networks.
