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Serving Students at Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College KENYA Map

Capital city:  Nairobi People: 22% Kikuyu, 14% Luhya, 13% Luo, 12% Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kisii, 6% Meru, 16% other  (July 2000 est.)

Density per sq. mi.:  135

Major Cities:  (1989 estimate)
Nairobi:  1,504,900 (1990 estimate)
Mombasa (465,000)
Kisumu (185,100)
Nakuru (162,800)

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania 

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E 

Map references: Africa 

Area: 
total: 583,000 sq km 
land: 569,250 sq km 
water: 13,400 sq km 

Area - comparative:  slightly more than twice the size of Nevada 

Land boundaries:
total: 3,446 km 
border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km 

Coastline: 536 km 

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation 
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm 
territorial sea: 12 nm 

Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west 

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m 
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m 

Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower 

Land use: 
arable land: 7% 
permanent crops: 1% 
permanent pastures: 37% 
forests and woodland: 30% 
other: 25% (1993 est.) 

Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.) 

Natural hazards: recurring drought in northern and eastern regions; flooding during rainy seasons 

Environment - current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased
use of pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching 

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements 

Geography - note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value 

Geography

Kenya , officially Republic of Kenya, republic (1995 est. pop. 28,817,000), 224,960 sq mi (582,646 sq km), E Africa.  Kenya is bordered by Somalia on the east, the Indian Ocean on the southeast, Tanzania on the south, Lake Victoria (Victoria Nyanza) on the southwest, Uganda on the west, Sudan on the northwest, and Ethiopia on the north.  Nairobi is the capital and largest city.

The country, which lies astride the equator, is made up of several geographical regions.  The first is a narrow, coastal strip that is low lying except for the Taita Hills in the south.  The second, an inland region of bush-covered plains, constitutes most of the country's land area.  In the northwest, straddling Lake Turkana and the Kulal Mts., are high-lying scrublands.  In the southwest are the fertile grasslands and forests of the Kenya highlands.  In the west is the Great Rift Valley, an irregular depression that cuts through West Kenya from north to south in two branches.  It is also the location of some of the country's highest mountains, including Mt. Kenya (17,058 ft/5,199 m).  Kenya's main rivers are the Tana and the Athi.  In addition to the capital, other important cities include Mombasa (the chief port), Nakuru, Kisumu, Thika, Machakos, and Eldoret.

On Africa's east Coast, Kenya straddles the equator and shares a border with Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.  Its coast is lapped by the Indian Ocean and it shares the vast waters of LakeVictoria with its western neighbors.  The Rift Valley and central highlands area form the backbone of the country, and this is where Kenya's scenery is at its most spectacular. The humid coastal belt includes the Tana River estuary and a string of good beaches.  Western Kenya takes in the fertile fringes of Lake Victoria and some prime game parks.  The vast, arid north-eastern region is where Kenya is at its wildest and most untouched by the modern world. Kenya's flora and fauna defies easy description.  The vast plains of the south are dotted with flat-topped acacia trees, thorn bushes and the distinctive bottle-shaped baobab tree.  On the rarified slopes of Mt. Elgon and Mt. Kenya, bamboo forests sprout and even higher up is the  groundsel tree, with its huge cabbage-like flowers and giant lobelias with long spikes. 

Geographic Zones

Three main geographic zones have been determined to exist:  the highlands, the semiarid lowlands, and the deserts.  A fourth, called the coastal zone, occupies a narrow strip along the Indian Ocean. 

The Highlands

In the western part of Kenya the land rises to more than 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level.  These highlands, which represent less than 25 percent of Kenya's land area, are divided by the Great Rift Valley.  In the eastern part of this region, Kenya reaches its highest point at the peak of Mount Kenya, 17,058 feet (5,199 meters) high.  The highlands are the only part of the
country where rainfall is sufficient, over 50 inches (1,270 millimeters) a year, and reliable enough to support farming.  Because most Kenyans depend on agriculture for a living, it is in these highlands that the majority of the population lives.  Most of the forest that once covered the land has been cleared for crop production.  Some of Kenya's forest does remain, and national parks have been created by the government to protect the local vegetation and the wildlife. 

Semiarid Lowlands

Much of Kenya is semiarid, receiving between 15 and 30 inches (380 and 760 millimeters) of rainfall a year.  This amount of rainfall is insufficient for production of  crops, so cultivation is limited to the borders of rivers and swamps where irrigation is possible.  In the past there was little farming in the lowlands, and most of the inhabitants were nomadic or seminomadic herders.  The number of lowland farmers has increased, however, as people have moved from the overcrowded highlands in search of land. 

Deserts

The deserts of Kenya are not so extensive as other deserts in Africa.  They are located in the north of the country. The vegetation is sparse, consisting of hardy grasses and occasional bushes.  Desert peoples are few, but the area includes some nomadic people, such as the Somali and the Gabbra, who raise herds of camels and goats.  On the edge of the desert region is Lake Rudolf (Turkana), which stretches down from the border with Ethiopia.  It is the site of a small fishing industry.  Archaeologists working on the shores of the lake have found evidence of some of the Earth's earliest people, dating the ancestors of man back some 4 to 5 million years. 

Coast

Stretching along the shores of the Indian Ocean is a narrow strip of land 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 kilometers) wide that separates the dry interior from the sea.  It is an area with relatively heavy rainfall, 40 inches (1,000 millimeters) a year, and is an important crop-producing area.  Cash crops such as coconuts and cashews are produced.  For centuries the coast has been important in trade across the Indian Ocean, and ancient ports, such as Lamu, remain as evidence of the early coastal trade cities.  Today, Mombasa is the largest coastal city and Kenya's largest and busiest port. It has modern facilities, an oil refinery, and a variety of light industries.  The port also serves the landlocked countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.  The long and beautiful white coral sand beaches are the basis of Kenya's coastal tourist industry.  Hotels serve tourists along the entire length of the coast. 

Map

Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency