OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Kenya

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic

CAPITAL: Nairobi

POPULATION: 48, 397, 527

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Swahili, English

CURRENCY: Kenyan Shilling

AREA OCCUPIED: 224, 081 Square Miles (580, 367 Square Kilometres)

GDP: $410 Billion USD

GEOGRAPHY

Kenya is located in East Africa. Its terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus. Most Kenyans live in the highlands, where Nairobi, the capital, sits at 5,500 feet (1,700 meters).

West of Nairobi the land descends to the Great Rift Valley, a 4,000-mile (6,400-kilometer) tear in the Earth's crust. Within this valley in the deserts of northern Kenya are the jade-green waters of the famous Lake Turkana.

NATURE

Millions of people visit Kenya each year to see its endless savanna and the animals that inhabit it, The Big Five: Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Buffalo and more. The Kenyan government has set up more than 50 reserves and parks to protect these animals.

People seeking African wildlife usually focus on Kenya's lowland savannas. But Kenya's ecosystems also include deserts, swamps, mountains, and forests. Each region has its own mix of plants and animals that are suited to the area's particular conditions. Kenya's highland forests are home to many animals found nowhere else in the world. 

GOVERNMENT

Kenya was a colony of the United Kingdom from 1920 until 1963, when Kenya gained its independence. Since its independence, Kenya has been a Republic being governed by a President flagged with the three arms of Government:

       I.          Parliament

     II.          Executive

   III.          Judiciary

TOURIST ATTRACTION SITES

• ABERDARE RANGES

Aberdares National Park is a magical place of dense forest, and misty moorlands, where icy rivers plunge in glorious cascades and waterfalls. This area is rich in wildlife. Among a variety of animals more commonly seen are elephants, buffalo, rhinos, forest-hog, colobus, and Sykes monkeys, and a wide variety of antelope including the legendary and rare bongo.

• AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK lies below the most famous symbol of Africa - Mount Kilimanjaro 5, 895m (19, 340 ft) the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. The surrounding area is flat, covered by savannah and acacia scrub and the animals stand in silhouette against the giant mountain, its snow-clad peak floating in the stark blue African sky. A large part of the park consists of the alluvial dried-up bed of the seasonal Lake Amboseli, which in the rainy season can transform into a shallow flood while the dry season brings strange mirages above the lake's dry shimmering surface.

• MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE is situated to the west of Nairobi, on Tanzania's northern border. This 1,812 km² (700 sq. miles) Reserve is the northern extension of the larger Serengeti National Park - a massive 56,000 km² (5,600 sq. miles).

The Masai Mara offers wonderful scenery and an abundance of big games. It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where a visitor may see animals in the same super-abundance that existed a century ago. It is a reserve of breathtaking vistas, panoramas of vast rolling plains, hills, and woodland groves, well watered by the lovely Mara River which bisects the Reserve from north to south. It is well known for hosting the Wildebeests that have the famous migration to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania annually.

• LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Situated between Lakes Naivasha and Baringo, beneath the high cliffs of the Eastern Rift, lies Lake Nakuru. This is a shallow soda lake surrounded by yellow-barked acacia woodland and grasslands, rocky cliffs, and hillsides covered with the unusual giant Euphorbia trees.

Lake Nakuru is world famous as home to flocks of greater and lesser flamingoes, which frequently form a stunning pink ribbon along the edges of the lake.

• THE KENYAN COAST

Kenya is lined with white sandy beaches - fringed with palms, casuarinas, bright bougainvillea, mangrove swamps, and magical creeks, all washed by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The air is scented with the sweetness of frangipani and refreshed by gentle monsoon breezes. Gazing calmly out across magical coral reefs to the open sea, this is one of the most idyllic resort areas in the world. Most come to enjoy the simple pleasures of this sun, sand, and water wonderland. For those inclined to snorkel or scuba dive, Kenya's reefs, coral gardens, and lagoons rival the world's most beautiful.

Mombasa is the old and colourful gateway to Kenya and is a vibrant mixture of the ancient and modern, with an interesting blend of African, Arab, and Asian cultures. This beautiful port, evocative of the east, is actually an island. Fringing the dhow harbour is the old town, a maze of narrow streets, quaint shuttered houses, and open-fronted shops. The ancient Portuguese 'Fort Jesus' still stands sentinel - now a fine museum of antiques. The experience of Mombasa somehow isn't quite complete without a trip aboard the exclusive Tamarind Dhow.

KENYA’S ATHLETIC PROWESS

Kenya is well known for her top athletics performance especially in middle and long distance running. Track and field athletics in Kenya is governed by Athletics Kenya (AK). Think of the Olympics, World Championships, the Continental Cup, Commonwealth Games, or even the World Junior Championships. Kenya’s top athletes include:

• Hellen Obiri- Half Marathon, 1500 Meters, 5000 meters
• Faith Kipyegon- 1500 Meters, 800 Meters, 1000 Meters
• Eliud Kipchoge- Marathon, 5000 meters
• David Rudisha- Track- 800 meters
• Paul Tergat- Long Distance Running
• Ezekiel Kemboi- Track & Field – 3000 meters Steeplechase
• Kipchoge Keino- Track and Field
• Catherine Ndereba- Marathon
• Ferdinand Omanyala- 100m Sprint