For centuries, Arab traders sailed down the African coast in their dhows searching for ivory, spices and slaves. It was not a one-way trade, as they brought with them their language ( eg. the Arab word for coast is "swahil" - hence Swahili ) and their religion of Islam. Over 95% of Zanzibaris are Muslims.

The Shirazi Persians, from present-day Iran, arrived in the tenth century. Apparently acting on an omen in a dream, Sultan Hasan set sail in 7 dhows which later became separated due to a storm enroute and landed in 7 different locations on the coast.

They would intermarry with the Africans and integrated well. The Omanis had become increasingly dominant following a series of Portuguese defeats during the 17th Century. In 18ll, the infamous slave market was opened in Stonetown (where the Anglican Cathedral now stands) and in 1832 they moved their Sultanate from Muscat to Zanzibar. They were to grow rich from the profitable slave trade.

Although officially abolished earlier in the British Empire, it was not until 1897 that the trade in slaves was enforced by the British on a reluctant Sultan. However, the trade would continue unabated on the mainland, until the end of W.W.I when Britain took control of the former German colony of Tanganyika.

In the post-W.W.II era, independence came in 1963. Fueled by African resentment against Arab domination, a bloody revolution rocked the island in early 1964 when thousands of Arabs and Indians were massacred.

Julius Nyerre, the mainland's charismatic reformer, sought to defuse the situation and proposed a union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The union eventually came to fruition as the United Republic of Tanzania. To this day, pro and anti-union sentiment informs local politics. Zanzibar has achieved semi-autonomous status with its own President and House of Representatives. Tourism continues to grow, providing much-needed hard currency and employment.