Swahili is the official language of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and it is also one of the national languages of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Swahili is one of the official languages of Comoros. Swahili is used as a language of communication in Zambia, Malawi, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Mozambique and other East and Central African countries.
As early as 1728, Swahili was spelled with Arabic letters, and later changed to Latin letters under the influence of European colonists in 19 century. Swahili has also absorbed a large number of Arabic loanwords, and even the language name of Swahili comes from Arabic (Sawahil) coastal areas.