• Kenya:
• Geography

Kenya - Geography

Kenya lies astride the equator, extending from the Indian Ocean in the east to Uganda in the west and from the United Republic of Tanzania in the south to Ethiopia and Sudan in the north. On the east and north-east it borders Somalia. The country is divided into eight provinces (Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi, North-Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western).

Area: 582,646 sq km including 13,400 sq km of inland waters.

Main towns: Nairobi (capital, pop. 2,864,700 in 2006), Mombasa (Coast, 823,500), Nakuru (Rift Valley, 266,500), Eldoret (Rift Valley, 227,800), Kisumu (Nyanza, 220,000), Ruiru (Central, 120,900), Thika (Central, 102,300), Kitale (Rift Valley, 77,100), Malindi (Coast, 71,000), Garissa (North-Eastern, 70,900), Kakamega (Western, 64,400), Bungoma (Western, 58,200), Nyeri (Central, 51,700), Kilifi (Coast, 49,400), Wajir (North-Eastern, 48,200), Meru (Eastern, 47,900), Marsabit (Eastern), Lamu (Coast).

Topography: There are four main regions. The north-east plain is arid. The south-east region is fertile along the Tana river, in the coastal strip and in the Taita Hills, which rise to 2,100m. The north-west is generally low-lying and arid but includes Lake Turkana, 260km long, and many mountains, including Nyiru (2,800m). The south-west quarter, a plateau rising to 3,000m, includes some of Africa’s highest mountains: Mount Kenya (5,200m), Mount Elgon (4,320m) and the Aberdare Range (4,000m). The Great Rift Valley runs across the plateau from north to south, 50–65km wide and 600–1,000m deep. West of the Rift the plateau falls to Lake Victoria and eastward the rivers Tana and Athi (or Galana downstream) flow into the Indian Ocean.

Climate: The coastal areas are tropical, with monsoon winds. The lowlands are hot and mainly dry. The highlands are much cooler and have four seasons. Nairobi, 1,700m above sea level, has a mean temperature that ranges from a minimum of 13°C to a maximum of 25°C; Mombasa, on the coast, from a minimum of 23°C to a maximum of 29°C. Rainfall varies from a mean annual 150mm at Lodwar in the north-west to 1,470mm at Kisumu, near Lake Victoria in the west. Northern parts of the country were hit by severe floods in the latter part of 2007.

Environment: The most significant issues are water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilisers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; and poaching.

Vegetation: Thornbush and grassland are characteristic of much of the country. Varied forest covers about 13,000 sq km of the south-west quarter, at 2,000–3,500m above sea level. Forest covers 6% of the land area, having declined at 0.3% p.a. 1990–2005. Arable land comprises 8% and permanent cropland 1% of the total land area.

Wildlife: Kenya’s wildlife is probably the most famous in the world. Wild mammals include lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebras, antelopes, gazelles, elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotami, baboons and many kinds of monkeys. There are 359 recorded species of mammals, of which 51 are endangered. Reptiles include crocodiles and more than 100 species of snake. There is a rich variety of native birdlife and the country is visited by migrant birds which breed in Europe. There are 344 species of birds, 24 of which are endangered. Wildlife is protected in reserves extending to 45,500 sq km, or some 8% of the total land area.

Transport: 63,940km of roads, 12% paved, and 1,917km of railway. The main railway line runs between Mombasa and Nairobi, and branch lines connect with Taveta on the Tanzanian border in the south and Kisumu on Lake Victoria in the west.

Mombasa is the chief port for Kenya and an important regional port, handling freight for and from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, including a substantial volume of food aid. Ferries ply the coast between Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is 13km south-east of Nairobi. Moi International is 13km west of Mombasa.