For this reason it has registered in recent years a reasonable tourism development. Linguistically and culturally, comes close to the coast of Tanzania and Kenya, is part of the same linguistic and cultural swahili complex, due to the intense existing trade for centuries between the East African coast, south of the Arabian peninsula and India, which was also a vehicle for the spread of Islam on the island. [1]
The “Vila do Ibo” was founded in 1761, where the creation of its settlement dates from May 9 of that same year [2]. From 1764 and for more than 160 years, the village was the capital of the subaltern and district governments. And it was only in 1929 that the present city of Pemba became the capital of the Province of Cabo Delgado, replacing Vila do Ibo. [3]
Most of the population is mwani (about 87%) and talks kimwani, considered a local variant of kiswahili. [4]
Historical data
[5] 1754 New fortification built and christened as Forte de São João Baptista
1760-1764 built the Fort of St. Joseph, who lost their military function when it was
built the square of St. John the Baptist
1761 Ibo village of birth. By Ordinance Régia of 9 May of the same year, he was ordained and given the right to erect villages in various captaincies-Mores,
among the islands of Querimba
1762 Anonymous writes 21 March, in the book "Memories of the Coast of East Africa ..." the capital of Querimba islands is the island of Ibo
1781 The Governor of the islands, Joaquim José da Costa Portugal, wrote in a letter to his father, the capital of the islands (32 islands) was Ibo, situated 12 high
1791 Sent (re) build the Fortress of St. John the Baptist by the captain-general António de Melo and Castro
1760-1764 A chapel in the square of St. John the Baptist was built by Captain General Diogo de Sousa Coutinho
1818Santo António Fort was built
1972Tourist zone of Ibo is created [4]
The legacy
The island of Ibo is part of a rich architectural and historical-cultural heritage and its importance lies not only at these levels, but also in social, urban, traditional and perhaps material, which makes clear a present and a future full of hope. This hope lies mainly in local communities to benefit from the impact of activities such as the agritourism, due mainly to its strategic location.
[1] Gandolfo et al. (2009)
[2] Bento (1972)
[3] CEDH (2007)
[4] Marty (2002)
[5] Adaptação de Dias (1981), Bento (1993) e Mahumane (2001)