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Malindi

Malindi
Municipality
Pillar of Vasco da Gama
Pillar of Vasco da Gama
Malindi is located in Kenya
Malindi
Malindi
Location in Kenya
Coordinates: 3°13′25″S 40°7′48″E / 3.22361°S 40.13000°E / -3.22361; 40.13000Coordinates: 3°13′25″S 40°7′48″E / 3.22361°S 40.13000°E / -3.22361; 40.13000
Country  Kenya
County Kilifi County
Founded 13th – 14th Century
Re-settled 1861
Population (2009)
 • Total 207,253
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)

Malindi (once known as Melinde) is a town on Malindi Bay at the mouth of the Galana River, lying on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. It is 120 kilometres northeast of Mombasa. The population of Malindi was 207,253 as of the 2009 census. It is the largest urban centre in Kilifi County.

Tourism is the major industry in Malindi. The city is exceptionally popular among Italian tourists. Malindi is served with a domestic airport and a highway between Mombasa and Lamu. The nearby Watamu resort and Gedi Ruins (also known as Gede) are south of Malindi. The mouth of the Sabaki River lies in northern Malindi. The Watamu and Malindi Marine National Parks form a continuous protected coastal area south of Malindi. The area shows classic examples of Swahili architecture. The majority of Malindi's population is Muslim.

Malindi is home to the Malindi Airport and Broglio Space Centre.

The first written reference to the present day Malindi likely comes from Abu al-Fida (1273–1331), Kurdish geographer and historian. He wrote that Malindi is situated to the south of the mouth of the river, which begins in the Mountain of Comr hundreds miles away. This mountain may be Mount Kenya, where Galana River originates. Therefore, Malindi has existed as a Swahili settlement since the 13th century.

Once rivalled only by Mombasa for dominance in this part of East Africa, Malindi has traditionally been a port city for foreign powers. In 1414, the town was visited by the fleet of the Chinese explorer Zheng He. Malindi's ruler sent a personal envoy with a giraffe as a present to China on that fleet.


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