Cool Facts About Kenya

Kenya is embraced with picturesque natural beauty—dotted with mountains, deserts, tribal culture, beaches, coral reefs, and rich wildlife. It’s no surprise that the locals and tourists often refer to Kenya as a combo pack of all specialities of Africa, terming it as a microcosm of Africa. Adventure-lovers come to Kenya and return with the memories of fantastic wildlife safaris. The country known as one of the World’s top five bird-watching destinations is also famous for several outdoor activities, out of which trekking the glacial ridges of Mount Kenya, ballooning over the Masai Mara and snorkelling at the Marine National Park, Malindi are the most popular among the visitors. Apart from this, the capital and the largest city of the country—Nairobi, where the remarkable confluence of modern sensibilities and ancient customs is there to be witnessed, puts the identity of the country on the global scale. Have a look at the next section and match your fantasies with the facts about Kenya!

Fast Facts

Capital: Nairobi
Official Language: Kiswahili, English
National Language: Kiswahili
Demonym: Kenyan
Legislature: Unicameral
Independence: 12 December 1963
Constitution: 27 August 2010
Area: 582,646 sq km
Population: 41.6 million (UN, 2011)
Currency: Kenyan Shilling
National Bird: Lilac Breasted Roller
National Animal: African Lion, Rooster

Interesting And Amazing Facts About Kenya

• Kenya is officially recognised as the Republic of Kenya. In their official language Swahili, Kenyans call it as ‘Jamhuri y Kenya’.
• The country has derived its name from Mount Kenya, which is the second highest mountain peak in Africa.
• Lying on the equator in East Africa, Kenya has Indian Ocean to its south-east while sharing its borders with Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
• Area of Kenya is nearly twice that of Nevada, US.
• The capital city Nairobi, founded in 1899 is the largest city of Kenya and is also counted among the largest cities of Africa.
• Human existence in Kenya dates back to the Lower Palaeolithic period. Discovery of the remnants of the earliest human ancestors in the Turkana Basin of Kenya has led scientists consider it as the original birthplace of humans.
• Most of the Kenyans were made to disperse throughout the world as slaves, by Arabs, Europeans and Americans during the 1600s and 1700s.
• The country’s western region is embraced with fertile plateau and the southern region is known to have one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa.
• Kenya’s entire terrain varies from low flat lands to central highlands, with central highlands bisected by the Great Rift Valley.
• Mount Kenya, with an altitude of is 5,199 metres is the highest point of Kenya.
• For administrative purposes, the country is sectioned into 7 provinces and 1 area*: Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, and Western. Kenyan constitution promulgated in August 2010 designates 47 yet-to-be-defined counties as first-order administrative units
• The southwest region of the country has Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest freshwater lake. It is also world’s largest tropical lake and Kenya shares it with Uganda and Tanzania as well.
• Though education does not cost much in Kenya, most of the children give priority to helping their family by working the land, nurturing cattle, cooking and fetching water over schooling.
• For centuries, the Kenyan tribes have descended their customs, values and beliefs through music and storytelling.
• The cultures, traditions and lifestyles vary considerably in Kenya. No less than 40 ethnic groups make the vast population of the country, which communicates in more than 60 languages.
• The residents of Kenya comprises of Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15% and several non-African ethnic groups like Asians, Europeans, and Arabs forming  1% of the total population. These Kenyan inhabitants practice several religions including Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Islam, and many other indigenous beliefs.
• The country is world’s 31st largest country in terms of its population while it is ranked at 49th place as per its area.
• Kenya spends a large share of its GDP, accounting for 12.2%, in health expenditures, which makes it the 9th country to make such huge expenditures on health sector. Significantly, 7% of the GDP makes the educational expenditures, making it 16th country to invest huge amounts in education.
• With 6.3% adult prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS, Kenya has as much as 1.5 million people living with HIV. Kenya is the 4th country to have such a huge number of HIV affected people.
• Kenya has a rich ecosystem that includes deserts, swamps, mountain and forests. Major mountain ranges of the country include Aberdare Range and Mau Escarpment whereas Athi/Galana and Tana are the prime rivers of Kenya.
• Kenyan savannah, the grassland ecosystem, gives shelter to various animals including elephants, lions, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos, and many others, while the highlands of the country are home to several distinctive species.
• Kenya is well-known for its assorted wildlife reserves and safaris. Most notable wildlife sanctuaries: Tsavo National Park, the Masai Mara, Nakuru National Park, and Aberdares National Park are worth a tour.
• Income disparity is very high in the country: most of the families being very rich or very poor, with only few falling in the mid-income group.
• Kenya frequently comes across droughts. In stark contrast, it also receives heavy rains which cause floods in lowland regions.
• The Kenyan economy is seen as the largest economy in Eastern and Central Africa, in terms of Gross Domestic Product.
• Kenya serves as the regional hub of trade and finance in East Africa, though it suffers a lot due to corruption and heavy reliance on low priced primary goods.