Kenya -- School-age

Kenya

Official Name: Republic of Kenya

Government Type: Federal Republic

Capital: Nairobi

County's inhabitants: Kenyan

Abbreviation: KE, KEN

Currency: Kenya Shilling (KES)

Official Languages: English and Swahili

Kenya is a country in East Africa and the equator runs through the middle of it. It is located on the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean ports allowed goods from Arabian and Asian traders onto the African continent for many centuries.

Government

On December 12, 1963, Kenya gained independence from Great Britain. Today Kenya is a democratic republic multi-party system, with a president as the head of government, a national assembly, called the Bunge, and a judiciary.

In 1992 a new constitution allowed multiparty politics. The president is the head of government and a vice president that are elected every four years. There is a parliament, council of ministers that are selected by the president and approved by parliament, and an independent judiciary. The government is elected by adult citizens voters.

Kenya is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Flag of Kenya

The flag of Kenya has horizontal stripes of black, red, and green separated by thinner stripes of white. A a red, white and black traditional Maasai warrior's shield with crossed spears is superimposed at the center of the flag.

The black color represents the people of the Republic of Kenya. The color red represents the sacrifices and bloody price to gain independence from the British. The color green represents the beauty and richness of the land.

Land

Kenya's geography is varied with deserts, swamps, mountains, and forests. There are savannas and beaches and highlands and lake regions and the magnificent Mount Kenya (the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa). The southwestern border of the country is marked by Lake Victoria.

Along the Indian Ocean is the coastal plain a narrow strip of swamps and areas of tropical rainforest. Kenya's land is flat and rises in the central highlands which is divided by the Great Rift Valley. The Great Rift Valley is an uninhabitable desert. Views of the Earth - The Great Rift Valley).

Kenya Regions

There is a fertile plain in the west. The northern, northeastern, and southern Kenya plains are semiarid and arid regions with very erratic rainfall. More than 80 percent of Kenya is arid or semiarid land with soil not very good for farming and no major cities.

Kenya has natural hazards which include recurring droughts and flooding during rainy seasons.

The natural resources of Kenya include limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower.

Climate

Kenya has a tropical climate along the coast, turning increasingly arid farther inland. Along Kenya's it is hot and humid, inland is mild temperatures inland and it is very dry in the north and northeast part of the country.

Plants

Kenya's varied ecosystems (deserts, swamps, mountains, and forests) has its own mix of plants suited to the area's conditions.

Photos of plants in Kenya

Implaa in Kenya
Impala at Masai Mara, Kenya

Thorn bushes and baobab trees grow in the dry areas of the north. In the central highlands grow evergreen forests and bamboo. East and west of the central highlands grow low trees among grass.

Elephant Species Differences

Animals

Kenya has a variety of animals. Kenya has over 50 nature reserves and parks to protect animals. The country’s animals include cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, impalas, lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, wildebeests, zebras, and more.

Amboseli National Park Kenya
Amboseli National Park in Kenya

Big Cats

Lion, leopard, and cheetah

African Elephants

Learn about the different birds in Kenya.

Lake Nakuru National Park is home to more than one million flamingos.

Over a Million Flamingos Video

Kenya Is Famous For

Kenyan athletes, especially on the tracks.

Kenya is known for its tea production.

Kenya is known for its scenic landscapes and vast wildlife preserves. Kenya is known for its animals and birds such as the flamingos.

The Great Wildebeest Migration in Kenya and Tanzania is the largest and the longest migration in the world. Millions of wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras migrate through the Serengeti in Tanzania and Masai mara in Kenya.