About Kenya

GEOGRAPHY
Kenya is split by the equator and is bor-dered to the north by Ethiopia and Sudan, to the east by the Indian Ocean and Somalia, to the west by Uganda and Lake Victoria, and to the south by Tanzania. Kenya is dominated by the 5000-km-long Rift Valley, which contains sev-eral huge volcanoes, including Mt Kenya and Mt Elgon.

CLIMATE
Western Kenya is generally hot and humid, ranging from 60° to 100° F. The Cen-tral Highlands and Rift Valley have a tempera-ture range of 50° to 80° F. Northern and east-ern Kenya is very dry with daily highs of 110° F and lows of 70° F. The coastal belt is hot and humid, though tempered by coastal sea breezes with temperatures ranging from 70° to 90° F.

ANIMAL LIFE
Kenya’s dazzling array of animals is the main tourist attraction. The ‘Big Five’ – lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo – are the most popular, but there is a vast array of other animals. Kenya is also home to a huge variety of birds, ostriches, storks, flamingos, pelicans, and hornbills. Probably the most endangered species in Kenya is the black rhino. This non-aggressive animal is subject to poaching for its horn, which the local Yemenis and Omanis use to make dagger-handles. The rhino population hovers between a dangerously low 400 to 900 rhinos in the wild.

POPULATION AND INCOME
Kenya’s population is estimated at around 35,000,000 people, with over 99% of these being African. 33% of Kenyans live in urban areas, mostly in squalid conditions. Kenya is the 17th poorest country in the world and has the third-largest gap between rich and poor. 42% of the population subsists on less than KSh60 per day. With the ex-change rate hovering around KSh77 to US$1, this means that almost half of the population average a daily income of around US¢80. De-spite this low income, the literacy rate is around 79%, which is remarkable considering the ex-pense of attending school.

RELIGION
Most Kenyans follow one of four relig-ions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or tradi-tional beliefs. The majority of Kenya’s tribal populations are animists, following witchdoc-tors and soothsayers. Christianity is very wide-spread due to intense missionary activity over the last 300 years. Hinduism and Islam are practiced mostly by Asians and Arabs.

LANGUAGES
Kenya’s two official languages are Eng-lish and Swahili. These are taught in schools throughout the country. There are also many major indigenous languages, including Kikuyu, Luo, Kikamba, Maasai and Samburu. A little Swahili you should know: the word for bald man is mzee kipara (mzay-ay keep-ah-ruh) which literally means ‘mosquito airport’!

TRIBES
There are over 70 tribal groups in Kenya, each with their own, unique languages and traditions. They are divided into two major groups: the Bantu-speakers, which migrated from West Africa in the 15th century AD, and the Nilotic-speakers, which migrated from the Nile valley in the 16th century AD. Tribes with Bantu origins include the Akamba, Gusii, Ki-kuyu, Luyha, Meru, and Swahili peoples. The Kalenjia, Luo, Maasai, Pokot, Samburu and Turkana tribes are all of Nilotic origin. Other tribes include the El-Moro, Gabbra, Omani, Rendille and Yemeni peoples.