The Republic of Kenya (
/ˈkɛnjə/)
is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian
Ocean to its
southeast and at the equator,
it is bordered by Somalia to
the northeast, Ethiopia to
the north,Sudan to
the northwest, Uganda to
the west and Tanzania to
the south. Lake
Victoria is situated
to the southwest, and is shared with Uganda and Tanzania. With its
capital city in Nairobi,
Kenya has numerous wildlife
reserves containing
thousands of animal species. It has a land area of 580,000 km2 and
a population of nearly 39 million residents,[5] representing
many different peoples and cultures.[6] The
country is named after Mount
Kenya, a significant landmark and second among Africa's
highest mountain peaks.
Kenya is a country of 47 counties each with its own government
semi-autonomous to the central government in the capital, Nairobi.The
country's geography is as diverse as its people.It has a long
coastline along the Indian Ocean and as you advance inland the
landscape changes to savannahgrasslands,
arid and semi-arid bushes. The central regions and the western parts
have forests and mountains while the northern regions are near desert landscapes.
Archaeological research
indicates modern man first appeared in Kenya and as a result, the
country with its East African neighbours is almost certainly
considered the cradle
of mankind.Due to the varied geography and weather, people
performing varied economic activities and thus developing varied
cultures have been living in Kenya since the dawn of mankind. The
first and successful attempt to merge these diverse and rich
cultures under a nation was done by the arrival of Europeans around
19th century. Initially, peoples of then Kenya interacted through
trade, intermarriages and frequent wars though each remained
politically independent of the other.
A major African nation, Kenya is classified as a developing and
sometimes an emerging African nation.Its economy is the largest by GDP in
East and Central Africa and Kenya's capital, Nairobi is a major
commercial hub.The country traditionally produces world renown tea
and coffee. Recently, it has developed a formidable horticultural
industry thereby becoming a major exporter of fresh flowers to
Europe.The service
industry is driven by telecommunications sector
which is one of the most successful and innovative in Africa.
Kenya is also a major and world-renowned athletics powerhouse
producing such world champions as Paul
Tergat and most
recently David
Rudisha.