Malindi [key], town, SE Kenya, on the Indian Ocean. It is a beach resort and a commercial center. Probably founded in the 10th cent. by Arab traders, Malindi became an important city-state and a major port. The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama landed there in 1498 and erected a monument that still stands. Nearby are the ruins of Gedi, an ancient walled city. South of the town lies a national park established to protect coral reefs and aquatic wildlife.
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