La localidad es un antiguio puerto comercial musulmán, fundado por lo menos en el [[siglo XV]]. Por su importancia en el comercio de [[oro]] y [[marfil]] se conviritó en [[sultán|sultananto]]. ByA thefinales latedel 16th[[siglo century,XVI]] itfue hadreemplazado been eclipsed bypor [[Quelimane]] ascomo anpuerto entry port toregional. the interior.Sin Howeverembargo, Angoche continued to play a role in [[coastal trade]] and was an important economic and political centre in the region, with close ties to [[Ilha de Moçambique]]. In the 19th century, Angoche became the focus of the clandestine [[slave trade]], which continued until the 1860s when the town was attacked by the [[Military of Portugal|Portuguese]]. While effective Portuguese administration was not established until several decades later, the attack marked the beginning of Angoche's downfall, and the town never regained its former status <ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zrv4RUwCfEUC&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=Angoche&source=web&ots=TpBGQdBGyc&sig=iRHzt6-wj91fLdPOx0NV9LGqD3Q&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPA137,M1 Lonely Planet Guide to Mozambique], Fitzpatrick, Mary, 2007</ref>.
Today, Angoche is a quiet, somewhat dilapidated district capital with few reminders of its past. Several [[island]]s lie offshore from the town. The major language of Angoche and nearby Koti Island is [[Ekoti language|Ekoti]], a Makhuwa language borrowing from 15th century [[Swahili language|Swahili]].
