Geo-historical Classification based Comparative Study on Resource Use and Multi-ethnic Coexistence in the Swahili Maritime Society

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Focusing on the topics of resource use and multi-ethnic coexistence, the aim of this study is to clarify the structure of the Swahili maritime society by using the typological method of geo-historical classification from the cases of Lamu archipelago (Lamu, Manda, and Pate) in Kenya and Kilwa Island in Tanzania. Both Lamu archipelago and Kilwa Island are the former Swahili trading port and have similar maritime environments : inland sea covered with mangrove and open sea with fringing reef. However, while Kilwa Island is now a small seashore village with fewer than a thousand inhabitants, Lamu Island, well developed in trading and tourism, has about twenty thousand populations and its ethnic composition is more complicated than that of Kilwa Island. The multi-ethnics in Lamu Island coexist by separating their livelihood, occupational space, resource use, and residence place. Further studies on the issues of religion, tourism, and economic/educational disparities should be conducted to refine the research results.