Which country speaks Swahili?
With its origin in East Africa, Swahili speakers spread over more than 14 countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Comoros, and as far as Oman and Yemen in the Middle East.
What race are Swahili?
They are a Black Africa ethnic and cultural group inhabiting East Africa. Members primarily reside on the Swahili coast, in an area encompassing the Zanzibar archipelago, littoral Kenya, the Tanzania seaboard, and northern Mozambique. The name Swahili is derived from Sawāhil, lit. ‘coasts’.
Is Swahili Arabic?
Swahili is predominantly a mix of local Bantu languages and Arabic. Decades of intensive trade along the East African coast resulted in this mix of cultures. Besides Arabic and Bantu, Swahili also has English, Persian, Portuguese, German and French influences due to trade contact.
What language speaks Swahili?
Swahili is a Bantu language spoken mainly in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, and also in Burundi, Mozambique, Oman, Somalia the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa by about 98 million people. Swahili is an official language of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, and is used as a lingua franca throughout East Africa.
What religion is Swahili?
Though the main religion within the Swahili culture is Islam, many individuals consider themselves Christians. However, most of the Islam customs and holidays are honored and observed. The ability to read and write is important in the Swahili culture, as many people choose to follow the Islamic religion.
What is Swahili a mix of?
Today’s Swahili, a mixture of African and Arab ancestry, trace their origins to this trading relationship. The Swahili use a Bantu-related language laced with Arabic words, and practice Islam, but enjoy music and food that is distinctly African.
What religion do Swahili practice?
What is the oldest African language?
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian: The reason why this is thought to be the oldest vernacular of Africa is that its complete written sentence, which was discovered, dates back to 2690 BC.
What is Swahili culture known for?
It is the mixture of Perso-Arab and Bantu cultures in Kilwa that is credited for creating Swahili as a distinctive East African culture and language. The diverse history of the Swahili Coast has also resulted in multicultural influences on Swahili arts, including furniture and architecture.
Is Swahili a dead language?
When you move across the East African region, you will be shocked by the way the language is slowly dying. In Tanzania where Swahili is still comparatively strong—there are signs that the youth are more inclined to speak English.