Among hundreds of languages of Bantu family, swahili is the most frequently used one in many regions of Sunsaharian Africa. Speaking swahili lets you communicate easily in Eastern and Central parts of Africa.

Swahili was developed and popularized due to trade contacts among cities located at the coast of Indian Ocean and the ones placed in African interior. Until first half of XIX century, swahili was used mostly in the cities located at the oceanside and on the islands situated along the coast from Somalia to Mozambique.

The development of trade contacts among Zanzibar, coast of ocean and land interior supported popularizing swahili as a common language for people using different ethnic mother tongue languages.

The most of trade routes lead across the area of present Republic of Tanzania which currently is the country with the highest quantity of swahili users. Even in the regions located far away from big trade centres, where inhabitants use mostly their local ethnic languages, you may meet people speaking swahili. For many Tanzanians swahili is the most frequently used language on worktime, even if it is only their second language. Swahili is the official language, used in public administration, schools and media.

In Kenya, until XX century swahili wasn't popularized in interior so far as in Tanzania as a result of less intensive trade contacts comparing with southern Africa. Nevertheless, currently swahili is popular on coast of ocean and in cities located in interior as well, mostly in regions inhabited by people from different tribes, with their different laguages. Also in Kenya Swahili obtained status of official language.

Historical and geographical conditionings in Uganda have not supported development of standard swahili which was so characteristic for coastside. Uganda hasn't been inhabited by the indigenous swahili speakers, who would be to promote the language in it's original form. Nevertheless, currently swahili is used in the capital of the country - Kampala and few other big cities.

In Rwanda and Burundi swahili is comprehended by some people, especially those living near the border wit Tanzania. The language is also frequently used in Democratic Republic of Congo, where it obtained status of one of four official languages in the country. Even though there are some regional differences, for example comparing swahili used on eastern coast and the Kenyan one called Kiswahili Sanifu, the communication is easy without problems. The ones speaking Tanzanian standard swahili or the Kenyan Kiswhili Sanifu are able to communicate in Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo.

In all of the countries listed above, swahili is also used (apart from English) as lingua franca i.e the vehicular language. It is mostly used in such domains as tourism or trade.

Enlarged map presents reach of swahili in Africa.