Pemba Island

Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Archaeological sites on the island have unearthed remains from the 9th to 15th centuries. Part of a British protectorate from 1890, it became a republic in 1963 and merged with Tanganyika as Tanzania in 1964. With its lush green interior surrounded by white sand beaches and coral reefs, Pemba is an ‘island paradise’ for visitors, especially divers – its spectacular deep reefs, clarity of water, and variety of underwater life make it a top diving location in East Africa.

Coral island in the Indian Ocean, 48 km/30 mi northeast of Zanzibar, and forming with it part of Tanzania; area 984 sq km/380 sq mi; population (2002) 362,200. The capital is Chake Chake; Wete is the only other town of note. The economy is based on cloves and copra, and Pemba is now the world's biggest producer of cloves.

History A fertile and beautiful island, Pemba's Arabic name was al-Huthera, or the Green Island, its green hills rising abruptly from the sea. The ruins on Pemba belong probably to the later Middle Ages, when the prosperity of the Arab and Persian settlements of the East African coast was at its peak. A vigorous trade went on in slaves, ivory, and rhinoceros horn. The island was sighted by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama on his voyage from Lisbon to India in 1497. In 1627 it was involved in the general rising against the Portuguese following a massacre of Christians at Mombasa. It was part of a British protectorate from 1890 to 1963, becoming part of Tanzania in 1964.

Kidd's treasure Some 17 km/10 mi west of the town of Chake Chake is Mesali, sometimes called Kidd's Island, on account of the belief that William Kidd, the pirate, buried his treasure there.