Kenya Was named after Mount Kenya or '
Kirinyaga' the mountain of whiteness. Kenya is part of East
Africa, straddles the Equator and is on The Indian Ocean. It
covers an area of 583, 000sq km.
Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. Nairobi [ Nyrobi in
Maasai meaning of 'the place of cool waters' is the highest
city in East Africa - 1700m.
It is also the most modern and the fastest growing in the
region with a population of approximately 3million. Mombasa
is the coastal capital and the largest port in the East
African coastFull country name: Republic
of Kenya
Area: 583,000 sq km
Population: 30,339,770
Capital city: Nairobi
People: 24% Kikuyu, 16% Luhya, 13% Luo, 12%
Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kisii, 6% Meru, 16% other
Languages: English, Swahili, indigenous.
Religion: 40% Protestant, 36% Roman
Catholic, 16% Muslim, 6% Animist
Government: Republic (multiparty state)
President: Emilio Mwai Kibaki
GDP: US$42.4 billion
GDP per head: US$1525
Annual growth: 1.6%
Inflation: 2.5%
Major industries: small-scale consumer
goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap,
cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining,
cement, tourism
Major trading partners: Uganda, Tanzania,
UK, Germany, UAE, South Africa
Facts for the Traveler
Visas: All visitors require a visa except
citizens of some Commonwealth countries and citizens of
selected countries such as Denmark, Germany, the Republic of
Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, South Africa and Sweden.
Apply well in advance for your visa - especially if doing it
by mail.
Health risks: Malaria (except in Nairobi
and high-altitude areas), cholera, hepatitis, meningitis,
mugging, typhoid, schistosomisis, HIV, Rift Valley fever and
yellow fever.
Time: GMT/UTC plus three hours
Electricity: 240V
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: About 700,000 visitors per year
When to Go
The main tourist season is in January and February, since
the hot, dry weather at this time of year is generally
considered to be the most pleasant. It's also when Kenya's
birdlife flocks to the Rift Valley lakes in the greatest
numbers.
June to September could be called the 'High season' as the
weather is still dry and Low season begins in April and end
in May. During these months things are much quieter - places
tend to have rooms available and prices drop. The rains
generally don't affect travellers' ability to get around.
Events
Kenya's most spectacular annual event is organised by an
unlikely group - wildebeests. Literally millions of these
ungainly antelopes move en masse in July and August from the
Serengeti in search of lush grass. They head south again
around October.
The best place to see this phenomenon is at the Masai Mara
National Reserve. Kenya's more orthodox annual events
include public holidays such as Kenyatta Day (20 October)
and Independence Day (12 December). |
