Background

Kenya officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africalying on the equator with the Indian Ocean to its south-east. It is bordered by Somalia to the north-east, Ethiopia to the north, South Sudan to the north-west, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south.Its capital city is Nairobi. Nairobi is the only city that has a national park within its environs. Kenya is famous for its safaris and diverse world-famous wildlife reserves such as Tsavo National Park, Nakuru national park, the Maasai Mara, Aberdares national park, that attract tourists from all over the world. It has a land area of 580,000 km2 and a population of nearly 39 million,[6] representing 42 different peoples and cultures.[7] The country is named after Mount Kenya, a significant landmark and second among Africa's highest mountain peaks.

Following a referendum and adoption of a new constitution in August 2010, Kenya is now divided into 47 counties that are semi-autonomous units of governance. These units are expected to be fully implemented by August 2012 – in time for the first general election under the new constitution. The counties will be governed by elected governors and will operate independent of the central government in Nairobi.

Geography & Climate

The country's geography is as diverse as its multiethnic people. It has a warm and humid climate along its coastline on the Indian Ocean which changes to wildlife-rich savannah grasslands as you move inland towards the capital Nairobi. Nairobi has a cool climate that gets colder as you move towards Mount Kenya which has three permanently snow-capped peaks. The warm and humid tropical

Mount Kenya

climate reappears as you move further inland toward lake Victoria and gives way to forested and mountainous regions in the western region. The North Eastern regions along the border with Somalia and Ethiopia are arid and semi-arid areas with near-desert landscapes. The country also has volcanic springs that put a significant amount of electricity in the national grid. Lake Victoria, the world's second largest fresh-water lake (after Lake Superior bordered by Canada and the US) and the world's largest tropical lake, is situated to the southwest and is shared with Uganda and Tanzania.

Kenya's capital, Nairobi is a regional commercial hub. The economy of Kenya is the largest byGDP in East and Central Africa. Agriculture is a major employer and the country traditionally exports tea and coffee, and more recently fresh flowers to Europe. The service industry is a major economic driver, mostly the telecommunications sector, and contributes 62 percent of GDP. Kenya is a member of the East African Community and produces world-class athletes such as world champions Paul Tergat and David Rudisha.

Environment current issues

water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching

Population

 36,913,721 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)