Chapter 1. Families in Kenya
01-Adams.qxd 10/11/2004 5:12 PM Page 3 CHAPTER 1 Families in Kenya EDWARD K. MBURUGU BERT N. ADAMS 1. BACKGROUND boundary being approximately 760 km), on the west by Uganda (approximately 720 km), on the The Republic of Kenya is situated on the northwest by Sudan (approximately 310 km), upraised part of the eastern portion of the and on the north and east by Ethiopia (approxi- African continent, astride the Equatorial mately 760 km) and Somalia (approximately latitude. The northernmost part of Kenya 660 km). Kenya’s southeastern extremity forms (i.e., the Ilemi Triangle) is just above 5° north part of the Indian Ocean seaboard, which is latitude, while the southernmost land (i.e., the approximately 495 kilometers long. On this small islands including Ras Jimbo to the coast is situated the magnificent seaport of south of Shimoni village, in Kwale District) is Mombasa. at 4°40′ south latitude. Longitudinally, Kenya extends from 33°83′ east longitude (i.e., from Geography Sumba, Mfangano, Ilemba, and the Pyramid Islands on Lake Victoria) to 41°75.5′ east Kenya can be subdivided into six natural longitude (i.e., the location of Mandera geographical-economic regions as follows: Town). Currently, Kenya has an estimated Coastal Belt and Plains; Duruma–Wajir Low population of 32.2 million, which is projected Belt; Foreland Plateau; the Highlands— to increase to 33.4 million by 2005 (Central comprising Eastern and Western Highlands; Bureau of Statistics [CBS], 2002, pp. 30–31). It Nyanza Low Plateau (part of the Lake covers an area of 582,646 square kilometers, Victoria Basin); and the Northern Plainlands.
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