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Location
Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. The country covers an area of about 586,600km sq. Inland water bodies cover some 10,700km sq, the bulk of this in Lakes Victoria and Turkana. Kenya is bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south. The coastline, about 550km long,
faces the Indian Ocean.
Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs
and islets. However, the basic configuration is simple. Coastal plains give way to and inland plateau that rises gradually to the central highlands, which are the result of the relatively recent volcanic activity
associated with the formation of the rift valley. To the west the land drops again to the Nyanza plateau that surrounds the Kenyan sector of Lake Victoria; and to the north, to the rugged low country around Lake Turkana.
The coastline is broken and composed of beaches, coral cliffs and reefs, creeks and numerous offshore coral islands. Inland, a mainly level but narrow coastal plain lies on sedimentary rocks, with some igneous
intrusions such as Dzombo and Mrima. Beyond low rolling hills lies the so-called Nyika Plateau, mainly on sedimentary rocks. This landscape covers almost the entire north-eastern sector of the country, on very
gradual slopes.
The Great Rift Valley, with its associated escarpments and mountains, is a major feature. It runs the length of the country from Lake Turkana in the north to Lake Natron on the southern border with Tanzania. The central portion of the rift is raised, with the Aberdare Mountains and Mt Kenya to
the east and the Mau Escarpment and Cherangani Hills to the west. The northern and southernmost sectors of the rift are low-lying, arid and rugged, with spectacular volcanic landforms
Facts
Population:
30,493,792 (official estimate 2001).
Capital:
Nairobi - Population: 2,143,020 (1999).
Government:
Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1963.
Head of State and Government:
President Mwai Kibaki since December 2002.
Language:
Swahili is the national language and English is the official language. There are over 42 ethnic languages spoken.
Religion:
Christian - 66%; indigenous beliefs - 26%; Muslim - 7%, other - 1%
Time:
GMT + 3 (Winter), GMT + 2 (Summer).
Electricity:
220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are UK-type square three-pin. Bayonet-type light sockets exist in Kenya.
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