Kenya map
Where is Kenya?
Where is Kenya?
Kenya is in East Africa on the Indian Ocean. Kenya borders on to Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia.
Population of Kenya
The population of Kenya is 44,037,656 (July 2013 estimate)
Independence Day
December 12, 1963. Independence from British colonial rule. In 2013, Kenya celebrates 50 years as an independent country.
The capital city of Kenya is Nairobi, population 3,400,000 people.
Capital city of Kenya
English and Kiswahili are the two official languages of Kenya.
Language of Kenya
The country of Kenya gets its name from Mount Kenya.
Mount Kenya
Flag of Kenya.
Kenya's flag is comprised of three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large Maasai warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center; black symbolizes the majority population, red the blood shed in the struggle for freedom, green stands for natural wealth, and white for peace; the shield and crossed spears symbolize the defense of freedom.
Land Area
Covers an area of 582,646 sq km. (225,000 sq. miles) 46th largest country in the world. Roughly the same size as France, or Texas
Tallest mountain
Mount Kenya is the tallest mountain in Kenya and the second tallest in Africa. At 5,199 metres tall, it has snow on it all year round.
Longest river
The river Tana is the longest river in Kenya. It starts in the foothills of Mount Kenya and travels down to the Indian Ocean.
Kenya's
climate
Pleasant and favorable with plenty of sunshine all year round. Rainfall is sometimes heavy around April to May while some areas are more cloudy though without much rain around July/August.
Kenya climate
worksheet
Free to download, click on the image above
Rural / Urban contrasts.
Kenya is home to many national parks. Inside the parks, the land is protected from development and the wildlife is protected from hunting. This makes them excellent places to take a safari.
Kenya's capital is Nairobi and it is a big bustling city of 3.4 million people. With many large skyscrapers and its good flight connections, Nairobi is often where large multinational companies choose to locate their African headquarters.
Tourism pays a large part of Kenya's economy and the beaches as seen here in Mombasa draw people from all over the world.
This elephant walks through a game park in Amboseli with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.
Tourism in Kenya
Kenya's economy
In addition to tourism which forms a large part of the Kenyan economy, the next two biggest foreign income earners are tea production and horticulture, the growing of flowers.
The acidic soils of Kenya's southwest region, coupled with the high levels of rain and ample sunshine make the hills of the southwest an ideal place to grow tea. Tea is traditionally grown in large plantations like the one shown in this photo.
Want to learn more? Watch these videos.
The Kenyan National anthem.
What is the toughest animal on the savannah? The lion, the crocodile or the cape buffalo? Watch this video for some surprising results. It is filmed in Kruger national park which is in South Africa, not Kenya, but this video is a wonderful introduction into animal life and survival of the fittest. This makes a great plenary for a lesson on Kenya.
In this topic, we look at the geography of Kenya. We look at facts about Kenya and we see how Kenya is a fascinating land of contrasts, from semi-arid deserts, to lush, fertile forests, from pristine golden beaches to the glaciers at the top of Mount Kenya. We look at the animals in Kenya and there are activities to do at home or school to help you understand all about the Geography of Kenya.
GEOGRAPHY OF KENYA