| Kenya is located at the meeting point of East
Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Equator. Kenya has a tropical climate
with plenty of sunshine, at least 12 hours a day, for the whole year. Evenings
and mornings may be cool, but in most parts of the country, Kenyans can
wear summer clothes all year round. The warm blue waters of the Indian
Ocean affects the climate. Along the coast the weather is usually hot and
humid, with a short rainy season between April and July. Coconut trees
grow well in this weather. |
|
| Inland, the weather is much drier. The northern
and eastern part of Kenya is on a high plateau, so rainfall is sparse.
Shrub vegetation and dry grasses are able to survive, but the difficulty
of obtaining water means that people can survive only by constantly moving
their livestock to find fresh water and grass. |
| Did
you know?
The highest point of Kenya's highlands
is Mt. Kenya, which is over 5000 metres. |
|
| The central and western parts of Kenya have a
more stable climate, but farther south, the land becomes dry again, giving
way to grasses and shrub land. In the wildlife parks here, the lions, elephants,
rhinos, cheetahs, water buffaloes, giraffes and hippopotamuses roam freely.
In the southwestern highlands is the Rift
Valley, one of the wonders of the world. It holds the evidence of the earliest
human ancestors known. The valley is actually a continuation of a giant
depression that runs across Africa. The Rift Valley has huge escarpments
with lakes in some places. |
|
| Summary
Fact Sheet
| Official Name: |
Republic of Kenya |
| Capital: |
Nairobi |
| Type of Government: |
Democratic Republic |
| Population: |
28.7 million |
| Area: |
580,370 sq km |
| Major Ethnic Groups: |
Kikuyu, Abaluhya, Luo, Kamba, Kalenjin,
Kisii, Meru, Mijikenda, Masai, and approximately 30 other groups that include
Asians, Europeans and Arabs |
| Languages: |
Kiswahili and English |
| Religions: |
Christianity, Traditional and Islam |
| Unit of Currency: |
Kenyan Shilling |
| National Flag: |
Spears and shield on black, red and
green horizontal bands separated by white lines |
| Date of Independence: |
December 12, 2021 |
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