Beginning of Essay
The name derives from an Arabic word , the plural of sahel, which means coast. The are the descendants of the Arabs who came to the East African coast and intermarried with the Local Bantu-speakers. Arab traders sailed down to the coast on the north-east monso ....

Middle of Essay
.... of interracial marriages but in this case it was the Persians who came to the coast. Shirazi is derived from the Persian word Shiraz, the capital of faz in Persia. The Swahili and Shirazi people have almost indistinguishable from each other. They are mainly traders and small businessmen. Trade was increasing. The material attractions of East Africa were ivory, rhino horn, turtle shell, and slaves. The three most important dialects of Swahili are Kiunguja, spoken on Zanzibar and in other mainland areas of Tanzania; Kimvita, spoken in Mombasa and other areas of Kenya; and Kiamu, spoken on the island of Lamu and adjoining parts of the coast. ....