KENYA
Kenya is a country of breathtaking beauty and great contrasts - from palm-fringed sandy beaches on the Indian Ocean to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya 
(5,199m, 16,890ft) which straddles the Equator; vast open plains and savannah
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Area
Total: 582,650 sq km
Land: 569,250 sq km
Water: 13,400 sq km
Land boundaries
Total: 3,477 km
Border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline
536 km
Climate
Varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior.
Elevation extremes
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m.
Time
GMT/UTC +3 all year round with an almost constant 12 hours of daylight. Sun-up and sundown at around 6.30 and 18.45 daily
Natural Resources
Gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower
Tourism
Biggest contributor with more than $200m a year to Kenya's economy. More than 500,000 tourists visit annually. Tourism provides 500,000 direct and indirect jobs for Kenyans.
Rivers and Lakes
The Athi and he Tana are Kenyas chief rivers, flowing from the highlands to the Indian Ocean. Lake Turkana Covers 6,405 square kilometers in the far north while Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake at 69,484 sq km, lies at the western end of Kenya.
Agriculture
Divided between cash and subsistence crops. Cash crops include: tea, coffee and a wide variety of subsistence crops. Employs 80% of population and contributes 25% to GDP
Manufacturing
Chief products include: cement, chemicals, household utensils, light machinery, motor vehicles, paper and paper products, and textiles. Food processing is a major industry and a refinery at Mombasa processes oil from other countries.
Environmental 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
Historical sites
Kenya has more than 400 historical sites ranging from prehistoric fossils and petrified forests to 14th Century slave trading settlements, Islamic ruins and 16th Century Portuguese forts
Population
32,021,856
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 2004 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 40.6% (male 6,575,409; female 6,430,218)
15-64 years: 56.5% (male 9,126,847; female 8,962,905)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 399,050; female 527,427) (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate
1.14% (2004 est.)
Birth rate
27.82 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Ethnic Groups
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%
Languages
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Media
Four daily English language newspapers, one daily Kiswahili newspaper, seven local television stations and 19 local and two foreign radio stations.
Government Type : Republic
Capital: Nairobi
Administrative Divisions
7 provinces and 1 area; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Economy Overview
The regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, Kenya has been hampered by corruption, notably in the judicial system, and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. In 1997, the IMF suspended Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. As a result, GDP contracted by 0.2% in 2000. The IMF, which had resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1.2%. Growth lagged at 1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections. In the key 27 December 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old reign ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable economic problems facing the nation. In 2003, progress was made in rooting out corruption, and encouraging donor support, with GDP growth edging up to 1.7%.
Imports : Industrial Machinery, iron and steel, and petroleum
Exports : Coffee, tea, flowers, petroleum products, cement, meat, pineapples and sisal.
Currency : The Kenya Shilling (Ksh) 1US$-Ksh 76 Euro-Kshs 92 (July 2005)
Current President :H.E. Hon. Mwai Kibaki
We have various packages tailored, designed to your desire giving you a memories to cherish & remember. Magnificent Mount Kenya Climb
The vast lands of Kenya include acacia woodlands, tropical rain forests, and in the process the people have developed large/small farms, ranches; rich estates of tea, coffee, pineapple, wheat and sisal and harsh arid deserts in the north.
The Great Rift Valley, a massive fracture line in the earth's surface, runs from
Jordan through Kenya and Tanzania, to Mozambique. Soda and fresh water
lakes, interspersed by volcanoes,
stretch through the length of the Rift. These variations in altitude and terrain create contrasts in the climate - from
the hot humidity of the coast to the cold, sometimes frosty, early mornings and warm, sunny days of the central
highlands and the dry burning heat of the northern deserts. The people are just as varied and intriguing - a fascinating mix
of cultures. Many retain their ancient traditions and crafts and the nomadic pastoral tribes are amongst the most colorful in Africa.
A large proportion of Kenya's territory is reserved for its wildlife - game reserves are situated in some of the finest scenery in Africa. The Masai Mara, where blue wildebeest and other bovids participate in a large scale annual migration. Up to 250,000 blue wildebeest perish each year in the long and arduous movement to find forage in the dry season. The "Big Five" animals of Africa can also be found in Kenya: the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant. A significant population of other wild animals, reptiles and birds can be found in the national parks and game reserves in the country.
The proliferation and diversity of the animal and bird life is second to none, and the marine life in the coral gardens off shore is spectacular. National Parks, Game Reserves and Game viewing - Kenya has many national parks and game reserves, which are home to a spectacular array of animals, birds, reptiles and plant species. They are rated as among the best parks in the whole of Africa.
There are also private and tribal community conservation areas which have become sanctuaries to some of the endangered animal species, as well as the more common. Marine life is also excellent and is preserved in the marine national parks off Kiwayau, Malindi, Watamu and Kisite. Along with the wildlife some of the parks have been gazetted to preserve the vegetation and unique location such as Mounts Kenya and Elgon, the Aberdare Range and the Kakamega Forest. Most of these areas are easily accessible by road, and to a number of parks there are scheduled air services. The Coast Province is reckoned as a great tourist attraction in Kenya, Africa and the World at large.. More>>>
There are organized Safaris that are customised to cover the most visited areas in kenya.In Other Safaris you may use tents where you are taken round the national parks while viewing the wildlife.
There are tours that specifically direct to the rich cultures of kenya where kenya has 42 tribes.Discover different cultural activities
within the enthic groups. Enjoy mountain climbing in the most challegious mountains
in africa like mt Kenya,mt Elgon and mt Kilimanjaro.
Kenya's Capital City
Walk around the city of Nairobi.You can access the museums,kenya national archives,bomas of Kenya, enjoy traditional dishes and also do some shopping within the city. Below is a map of NAIROBI
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If your in ndeed of Various Tourist Maps you may get in touch with:
TOURIST MAPS KENYA
Postal Address : P.O.Box 54721,00200,Nbi
Telephone Number : 020-2229257
Cell phone Number : 0722982186
Fax Number : 020-2229257
Email Address : gmwangi@touristmapskenya.com
Web Site URL : www.touristmapskenya.com
