ZANZIBAR, an East African seaport, capital of the island and sultanate of the same name, in 6° 9' S., 39° 15' E. Popula tion about 6o,000. The town is situated on the western side of the island 26 m. N.E. of the mainland port of Bagamoyo. Zanzibar is' built on a triangular-shaped peninsula, about I i m. long, which runs from east to west, forming a safe and spacious roadstead, with a minimum depth of water exceeding five fathoms. Harbour improvements were made, leisurely, between 192o and 1929 which included a concrete wharf Boo ft. long, where ships can load and unload ; 700 ft. of quay frontage for dhow traffic; and a clove depot and goods sheds. Viewed from the sea, the town—which has a thoroughly oriental aspect—presents a pleasant prospect with its mosques, white, flat-topped houses, barracks, forts and round towers. For the most part, Zanzibar consists of a laby rinth of narrow streets. Characteristic of the streets are the carved and massive wooden doors, whose blackness contrasts with the white stone of the houses, and the bright red of the acacias in the garden enclosures. The bazaar is a great centre of attraction. The Anglican cathedral (built 1873-79), a semi-Gothic coral building, occupies the site of the old slave market, which was closed in 1873. The Roman Catholic cathedral is a fine building
in the Renaissance style.
The motley population of Zanzibar—the chief elements are Arab, Indian and negro—is indicative of the commercial impor tance of the city. Its geographical position made it the key of East Africa from Cape Guardafui to Delagoa Bay. "When you play on the flute at Zanzibar" (says an Arab proverb) "all Africa as far as the lakes dances." The Americans were the first among white merchants to realize the possibilities of the port, and a United States consulate was established as early as 1836. The name Merikani, applied to cotton goods and blankets on the east coast, is a testimony to the enterprise of the American trader. The city was the headquarters of the Arabs who ravaged East Africa for slaves and ivory during the major part of the 19th century, and was described by Henry Drummond in Tropical Africa (1888) as a "cesspool of wickedness oriental in its appear ance, Mohammedan in its religion, Arabian in its morals." Never theless, Zanzibar in those days was the focus of all exploring and missionary work for the interior. Pop. (1931) 45,276.