The island of Ngazidja lies at the southern end of the monsoon wind system and its inhabitants, the Wangazidja, have participated in the trading networks of the Indian Ocean for two millennia. The enduring contacts between the Wangazidja and their trading partners have subjected them to a variety of social and cultural influencesfrom the Swahili coast, from the African hinterland, from the Arabian peninsula, from Indonesia and, more recently, from Europe.