Inhambane is one of the oldest settlements
on the East Coast of Mozambique. Dhows traded here as early as the 11th
century. Muslim and Persian traders were the first outsiders to arrive to the
area by sea and traded pearls and ambergris, and they also traded at Chibuene
in the south. The area became well known for its local cotton spinning and
production by the Tonga tribe. Sometime before the Portuguese reached the area,
the Karanga had invaded Inhambane and formed a number of local chieftains who
