Kenya
is located on the east coast of Africa, with the Equator running almost
straight
through
the middle of the country. Its northern border touches 5° of latitude
north and
the
southern border touches 40° south. The western border is marked 33°E
longitude.
It
is a sovereign state, having achieved political
independence
from British rule on 12th December 1963 and a year later on
12th
December 1964 became a fully fledged Republic.
It
is a member of the Organization of African Unity, the Commonwealth of Nations
and
the United Nations Organisation.
It
has an area of 582,644 Sq. Kms (224,900 Sq. miles) of which 45,240 Sq.
Kms (7.8%)
is
under Wildlife Conservation sanctuaries (National Parks and National Reserves).
The
country shares common borders with Somalia (east),
Ethiopia
(north), Sudan (north-west), Uganda (west) and Tanzania(south).
To
the south east lies the Indian Ocean,making the country
the
greatest marine gateway to East Africa.
The
country has a great diversity of physical features which can be
distinctively
divided into five main zones. The low lying arid and semi-arid lands of
the north
and
northern-eastern province, which cover nearly two-thirds of the country.
This
is a hot dry country with scant water supplies. It is inhabited by the
nomadic
Somali,Boran,
Galla,Turkana, Rendille and Gabra.
The
coastal belt running along the Indian Ocean from the Kenya-Tanzania border
to the Somali border. It is a well watered area receiving rain twice a
year from the north-easterly and south-easterly monsoons.The land is lush
with scattered plantations of coconut, sugarcane, sisal, cashewnut
and bananas. The Nyika Plateau (dry wilderness) occupies the country between
the coastal belt and the central highlands.It is a dry area of low
rainfall. The vegetation consists of short grass with scattered acacia
trees.It is best described as a dry savannaland and supports most of Kenyas
wildlife. The fourth and most productive zone is the central highlands
-a raised volcanic block split from north to south by the Great Rift Valley,
a 8,700 kilometre ditch on the surface of the earth (sometimes 80 Km wide)
which stretches from the Dead Sea in Jordan to Beira in Mozambique. The
eastern wall of the Valley is dominated by Mt.Kenya a giant extinct volcano
rising to 5,199 metres (17,058 ft.a.s.l.).It is the second highest snow-capped
mountain in Africa and the only spot in the world where snow is found on
the Equator. Close to Mt. Kenya is the Aberdares or the Nyandarua Range
whose highest peaks,Ol Donyo le Satima 3,998 metres (13,120 ft.) and Kinangop
over 3,600 metres (12,000 ft.) make up an impressive scenery in the region.
A
combination of good rainfall, soils, suitable climate makes the region
one of the richest agricultural lands in the world. The western flank of
Central Highlands is dominated by the peaks of Mau Range,Nandi and the
Cherangani Hills. Mt. Elgon rising to 4,320 metres (14,178 ft.) is another
extinct volcano on the Kenya-Uganda border.
The
western slopes including Mt. Elgon region are fertile and well-watered.
They receive most of their
rains
from the inland sea of Lake Victoria (the second largest fresh water lake
in the world).
From
the western flanks of the central highlands, the land slopes down to the
lake basin.The lake
basin
is hot and moist and receives heavy rainfall from the lake.Its vegetation
is mainly savanna woodland.
The
vast mass of the lake water creates its own local weather systems.
Kenya
is one of the most prosperous agricultural countries in Africa. It is the
third largest tea producer in the world and the biggest producer of pyrethrum
in addition to a great variety of horticultural crops.
Tourism
is today the highest single foreign exchange earner. The industry has grown
from a
few
thousand tourists a year,at independence, to over 826,000 visitors in 1993.
The countrys
great variety of attractions ranging from its cultural values, wildlife
splendour,
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