1. Objectives: In this section you will:
Find out how geography has affected the development of East African cultures.
Learn how and why ideas about land ownership are changing in East Africa.

2. Key Terms
Swahili (swah HEE lee) n. an ethnic group in East Africa that resulted from the mixing of African and Arab ways more than 1,000 years ago; also a language
heritage (HEHR uh tij) n. the values, traditions, and customs handed down from one’s ancestors

3. East Africa is a large, coastal region bordering the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
Like West Africa, East Africa is a land of great cultural diversity:
mixture of traditional and modern ways of life
many languages
many religions

4. East Africa

5. East Africa’s diversity is tied to its location along the Indian Ocean.
The ocean provided a travel route, linking Africans with people living in lands to the east.
For centuries, East Africa’s port cities were centers of trade among Africans, Arabs, and people from as far away as India and China. 5

6. Contact among different cultures resulted in the exchange of customs, languages, and ideas.
Over time, this exchange changed life for people in East Africa.
For some, a new culture resulted—one that blended elements of African and Arab traditions.

7. a Bantu language containing Arabic words taught in schools
Today, the Swahilis are one of hundreds of ethnic groups found in East Africa.
The Swahili language, however, is spoken throughout the region. Swahili is:
a Bantu language containing Arabic words
taught in schools
used for business and communication 7

8. Swahili Culture
Nearly 2,000 years ago, Arab traders settled in East Africa.
Africans took on elements of Arab culture.
Arab settlers took on elements of African culture.
The Swahili ethnic group emerged from the mixing of African and Arab ways. 8

9. Promoting Swahili helps East Africans preserve their heritage.
Yet, with so many different ethnic groups in the region, many other languages are also spoken.
This variety of languages is due to the long history of migrations of people throughout the continent, including the Bantu migration.

10. Most East Africans know more than one language, and many speak three languages or more.
Ethiopia
80 languages spoken
Kenya
40 languages spoken
Sudan
1,000 languages spoken 10

11. East Africa: Languages
Each major language group, shown here, includes many different languages.

12. Religions in East Africa
Islam
introduced by Arab traders
Christianity
spread into Ethiopia from North Africa when it was part of the Roman Empire
Traditional religions
practiced throughout the region

13. Men cleared the land and tended livestock.
Attitudes toward the land are an important part of East African culture. For centuries, extended families farmed plots of land to feed family members.
Men cleared the land and tended livestock.
Women worked in the fields and harvested crops.
Land was not bought or sold.
These ideas changed when Europeans took over parts of Africa. 13

14. Changing Ideas about Land Ownership
Before European Colonization
no individual ownership of land
most land farmed by extended families
During European Colonization
individuals own land
some landowners created plantations
After Independence
plantations divided and sold to individual Africans
most fertile farmland sold
some land disputes remain 14

15. Today, urban areas are growing in East Africa.
Yet many city dwellers still feel a strong bond to the land. They think of “home” as the village of their family or clan.
Julius Nyerere, the first president of Tanzania, shared this feeling:
served as president in Dar es Salaam
returned to his home village after retirement 15