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The People of Today
It is thought that the original
inhabitants of Zanzibar came from the African mainland around 5000 to 6000 years
ago, although no descendants of these people remain, having been completely
absorbed by later arrivals. During the first millennium AD, African peoples of
Bantu origin migrated from central Africa and settled across east and southern
Africa. On the coastal area and islands, including Zanzibar, many of these
peoples adopted some of the customs and language of the Arabs who were trading
on the coast and became known as the Swahili. From the 10th Century, groups of
immigrants from Shiraz (Persia) settled in Zanzibar and mingled with the local
people.
In the following centuries, various groups of Arab and Persian peoples
settled on the islands and continued to intermarry with the Swahili and Shirazi.
In the 18th and 19thCenturies, Omani Arabs settled on Zanzibar as rulers and
landowners, forming an elite group, while Indian settlers formed a
merchant-class.
Today, most of the people in Zanzibar are Shirazi
or Swahili, although precise definitions and clear distinctions are not always
possible. These fall into three groups the Wahadimu (mainly in the southern and
central parts of Zanzibar Island), the Watumbatu (on Tumbatu Island and in the
northern part of Zanzibar Island), and the Wapemba (on Pemba Island). There are
also groups of people of African origin who are descendants of freed slaves.
In recent times, large numbers of African people have
immigrated from mainland Tanzania, and some Arab people, who were expelled after
the 1964 revolution, have returned to Zanzibar. There are also people from Goa,
India and Pakistan, mainly involved in trade or tourism, and many European
expatriates and volunteers working as teachers, doctors and engineers.
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