Where are the Swahili people and culture found?
Q: Where are the Swahili people and culture found?
A: The Swahili are found on the East coast of Africa, mainly the coastal regions and the islands of Kenya and Tanzania, and north Mozambique.
Q: How many Swahili people are there?
A: The Swahili number is around 1,328,000.
Q: How many Swahili speakers are there?
A: The number of Swahili speakers is around 90 million people.
Q: What is the meaning of the name Swahili?
A: The name Swahili comes from the Arabic word Sawahil and means "coastal dwellers".
Q: Is Swahili an official language in Kenya and Mozambique?
A: Swahili is not an official language in Kenya and Mozambique. Swahili speakers who live elsewhere in East Africa also have to use the official languages of their respective countries: English in Kenya, Portuguese in Mozambique, and French in Comoros.
Q: Are all Swahili speakers ethnic Swahilis?
A: No, only a small part of those who use Swahili are first language speakers and even fewer are ethnic Swahilis. The term 'Swahili' can mean 'those who speak Swahili' or it can mean 'ethnic Swahili people'.
Q: How is the Swahili linguistic tradition related to the use of the term 'Swahili'?
A: The Swahili linguistic tradition in which those who speak the language are often called Swahili (Waswahili) regardless of their actual ethnic origins. In other words, the term 'Swahili' can mean 'those who speak Swahili' or it can mean 'ethnic Swahili people'.
