Location: Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania Geographical coordinates: 1 00N 38 00E
Climate: varies from tropical to semi desert Area Total: 583 620 square km
Elevation: 0 metres Indian Ocean, 5,199 metres above sea level Mt. Kenya.

Kenya is remarkable for her geographical variety. Astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa, Kenya is bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia in the north, Somalia in the east; Indian Ocean and Tanzania in the south and Uganda and Lake Victoria on the East.

From islands and coral reefs surrounding the low lying tropical coastal region, Kenya's land slowly rises via dry savannah plains to high plateau from 1,524 m a distance of 480 kilometres inland. The majority of the population live and carry out most of the economic activities in these cool climes. The high points of the plateau include Africa's second highest peak at 5,199 m of Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon (4,322 m) and the Aberdare Ranges that ascend to more than 3, 936m. The south eastern quarter of Kenya is arid or semi desert. The Great Rift Valley in its journey from Syria through the Red Sea and East Africa to Mozambique divides the Kenyan Plateau into two almost equal halves. At the bottom of the Great Rift are the famous alkaline lakes encompassed by escarpment walls rising to 930m in some places. Lake Turkana is the northern most lake then come Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Lake Elmentaita, Lake Bogoria, Lake Baringo and finally Lake Magadi at the southern extreme teeming with pink flamingos and other exciting bird life alongside the famous Big five wildlife. West of the Rift Valley, the highlands descend into the plains that border Lake Victoria, the world's second largest fresh water body. The main rivers are the Tana and the Athi which flow South East to the Indian Ocean, the Ewaso Nyiro or "dark waters" which stream northeast to the ornithological paradise of the Lorian Swamp. Lake Victoria in its turn is fed by the Nzoia, Yala and Gori Rivers.


Geographical Highlights:

The Great Rift Valley cuts Kenya north to south. The importance of the Rift Valley is its many lakes some of whose high saline content provide the perfect conditions for the tiny crustaceans and special algae responsible for the migratory flamingos pink colouring. The lakes are a result of geological action that also birthed the volcanic masses of Mount Longonot and Mount Kenya.

If the Great Rift Valley is a birdwatcher's paradise, Mount Kenya is a botanist's delight with the diversity of flora through the 5, 199 metres of the mountain's height. The two highest peaks of Mount Kenya, Nelion and Batian are visible for miles around on a clear day. Most climbers get to the third peak Lenana from where the view is spectacular.

Hell's Gate National Park is small in this area of geographical giants but features some of the most fascinating topography including Fisher's tower, a 25 m tall volcanic pinnacle. It can be explored by foot and is renowned for its natural geysers, vulture and eagle breeding grounds. For populations of the herbivorous eland, gazelle, buffalo, zebra and impala Hell's Gate is home. The world's greatest ornithological spectacle, Lake Nakuru, takes its superlative reputation from the hospitality it provides for the 100,000 to 2 million pink flamingos in its alkaline waters and 450 species of birds that inhabit the lake. Lake Nakuru has recently been expanded to cater for more black rhino. This was Kenya's first rhino sanctuary and plays host to other wild life such as lion, leopard, waterbuck and hippo.

Sharing the rift valley floor with Lake Nakuru is its freshwater sibling Lake Naivasha. A variety of bird life echoing Lake Nakuru's bounty, good bass fishing and easy walking make the lake a bonus for visitors interested in the great horticultural industry that has grown out of the lake with flowers, asparagus and strawberries grown for domestic use and export.


HISTORY OF KENYA

The history of Kenya as it is today can be traced back to the immigration of several ethnic groupings starting about a millennium ago into the 20th century. However, Kenya begins with the dawn of civilization where as the "Cradle of Humankind"; this geographical area was the background for the development of the human species. Having arrived, the ethnic communities organised themselves in loosely homogenous clusters with the sedentary farming and nomadic pastoralist tribes occupying physically diverse areas best suited to their main economic activity. There are more than 40 recognised ethnic groupings in the Kenyan interior today.

The Kenyan coast followed a historically different path for its accessibility to the seafaring nations of the world and their influences. Islamic culture had made an impact as early as the tenth century with the commercial links between the Arab and Persian merchants and the native Bantu communities giving rise to the Swahili civilization that bears hallmarks of both African and Arab traditions.

Kenya as a political entity has its birth in British ambition for the expansion of its empire in the late nineteenth century. The climate and fertility of the interior highlands of the country encouraged the settlement of the Europeans amongst whose objectives was the development of the economic potential of the colony. The singular pursuit of their economic aspirations saw to the unilateral annexation of large parts of the "White Highlands" by the Europeans and their simultaneous limitation of access to economic tools for both Africans and Asians. Political unrest followed with the formation of tribally based pressure groups in the 1920s to right the economic disparities between the rich white minority and disenfranchised black majority.

British refusal to grant Africans a role in government and greater economic freedom led to the violent Mau Mau rebellion. It was ten years before the Mau Mau insurrection was suppressed and in 1963, Kenya became a fully independent country under the leadership of one of the liberation struggle icons Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Daniel Arap Moi began his tenure as the second president of the Republic of Kenya in 1978 after Jomo Kenyatta's death.

During the 24 years of Mr. Moi's "Nyayo" era, Kenya was East Africa's most stable country. Following the 2002 elections, current president Mwai Kibaki was voted into office on a wave of desire for change in the Kenyan government by the Kenyan people. Kenya continues to be a nation determined to remain stable and maintain its reputation as the economic hub of Eastern Africa.