K e Kenya n y a KEY FACTS west is generally low-lying and arid but includes Lake Turkana, 260km long, and many mountains, including Nyiru (2,800m). The Joined Commonwealth: 1963 south-west quarter, a plateau rising to 3,000m, includes some of Population: 41,610,000 (2011) Africa’s highest mountains: Mount Kenya (5,200m), Mount Elgon GDP p.c. growth: 0.4% p.a. 1990–2011 (4,320m) and the Aberdare Range (4,000m). The Great Rift Valley UN HDI 2011: world ranking 143 runs across the plateau from north to south, 50–65km wide and Official languages: Kiswahili, English 600–1,000m deep. West of the Rift the plateau falls to Lake Time: GMT plus 3hr Victoria and eastward the rivers Tana and Athi (or Galana Currency: Kenyan shilling (KSh) downstream) flow into the Indian Ocean. Geography Climate: The coastal areas are tropical, with monsoon winds. The lowlands are hot and mainly dry. The highlands are much cooler Area: 582,646 sq km and have four seasons. Nairobi, 1,700m above sea level, has a Coastline: 536km mean temperature that ranges from a minimum of 13°C to a Capital: Nairobi 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 Kenya lies astride the equator, extending from the Indian Ocean in 150mm at Lodwar in the north-west to 1,470mm at Kisumu, near the east to Uganda in the west and from the United Republic of Lake Victoria in the west. Northern parts of the country were hit by Tanzania in the south to Ethiopia and Sudan in the north. On the severe floods in the latter part of 2007. east and north-east it borders Somalia. Environment: The most significant issues are water pollution from The country is divided into eight provinces (Central, Coast, Eastern, urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from Nairobi, North-Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western). increased use of pesticides and fertilisers; water hyacinth infestation Area: 582,646 sq km including 13,400 sq km of inland waters. in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; and poaching. Topography: There are four main regions. The north-east plain is arid. The south-east region is fertile along the Tana river, in the Vegetation: Thornbush and grassland are characteristic of much coastal strip and in the Taita Hills, which rise to 2,100m. The north- of the country. Varied forest covers about 13,000 sq km of the south-west quarter, at 2–3,500m above sea level. Forest covers 6% of the land area, having declined at 0.3% p.a. 1990–2010. Arable land comprises 9% 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 did you know? The father of US President Barack Obama was a Kenyan national. Kenyan athletes hold eight Commonwealth Games records and nineteen world records. Kenya hosts the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN- Habitat), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and a national chapter of the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council. 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Contact service we offer is what makes us Wells Fargo Global Broker Network Mr Hasnain Meghji different. We value every one of our customers as individuals, which consists of more than 10,000 insurance CEO makes the relationship we and risk management professionals serving Mombasa Trade Centre, have with each and every customers from 330 offi ces across 70 4th Floor South Tower one, individual. countries with the capability and resources Nkurumah Road to provide insurance brokerage service in 115 countries around the world. PO Box 83110 Mombasa, Kenya Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Tel: +254 41 231 4745/231 6681 Sudan have signed a regional free trade Fax: +254 41 231 5184 agreement between the major economies Email: [email protected] in the region. This network has catapulted Masumali Meghji Insurance Brokers Ltd www.mmltd.co.ke into the regional markets. breed in Europe. There are 344 species of birds, 24 of which are 1984); Egerton University, the principal agricultural university with K endangered. Wildlife is protected in reserves extending to 45,500 its main campus at Njoro, Nakuru (established as a university in e n sq km, or some 8% of the total land area. 1987); Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (in y a Juja since 1994); and a growing number of private universities. The Main towns: Nairobi (capital, pop. 3.25m in 2010), Mombasa female–male ratio for gross enrolment in tertiary education is (Coast, 917,800), Nakuru (Rift Valley, 275,300), Eldoret (Rift Valley, 0.70:1 (2009). Literacy among people aged 15–24 is 93% (2010). 251,900), Kisumu (Nyanza, 230,600), Ruiru (Central, 167,100), Thika (Central, 106,000), Malindi (Coast, 82,200), Kitale (Rift Valley, Media: English-language daily newspapers include Daily Nation 81,300), Bungoma (Western, 76,700), Kakamega (Western, and The Standard (established 1902). Taifa Leo is published daily in 71,300), Garissa (North-Eastern, 63,900), Kilifi (Coast, 63,900), Kiswahili. Weeklies include The EastAfrican (for an international Mumias (Western, 57,900), Meru (Eastern, 51,600), Nyeri (Central, audience). Newspapers from Uganda and United Republic of 49,400), Wajir (North-Eastern, 41,400), Lamu (Coast, 32,400) and Tanzania are widely circulated in the country. Marsabit (Eastern, 16,700). Radio is the main source of news and information for most Transport: 63,270km of roads, 14% paved, and around 1,920km Kenyans. The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation provides public radio of railway. The main railway line runs between Mombasa and services in English, Kiswahili and 15 other Kenyan languages, and Nairobi, and branch lines connect with Taveta on the Tanzanian public TV services in English and Kiswahili. Many private radio border in the south and Kisumu on Lake Victoria in the west. stations and TV channels compete with the public services, particularly in the urban areas, and private radio stations Mombasa is the chief port for Kenya and an important regional increasingly provide national services, and broadcast in other port, handling freight for and from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and national languages as well as Kiswahili. the Democratic Republic of Congo, including a substantial volume of food aid. Ferries ply the coast between Mombasa, Malindi and Some 32% of households have TV sets (2007). There are 14 Lamu. personal computers per 1,000 people (2005). Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is 13km south-east of Nairobi. Communications: Country code 254, followed by 20 for Nairobi Moi International is 13km west of Mombasa. and 41 for Mombasa; internet domain ‘.ke’. Public phones work with coins or phonecards (card booths are blue, coin-operated Society booths are red). There are internet cafes and post offices in most towns. KEY FACTS 2011 Population per sq km: 71 There are 7 main telephone lines, 675 mobile phone subscriptions Life expectancy: 57 years and 280 internet users per 1,000 people (2011). Net primary enrolment: 83% (2009) Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Labour Day (1 May), Madaraka Population: 41,610,000 (2011), 24% lives in urban areas and 9% Day (1 June), Moi Day (10 October), Kenyatta Day (20 October), in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million people; growth Jamhuri Day (Independence Day, 12 December), Christmas Day and 2.7% p.a. 1990–2011; birth rate 37 per 1,000 people (51 in Boxing Day. 1970); life expectancy 57 years (52 in 1970 and 60 in 1990). Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year The ethnic composition of the population is estimated as: Kikuyu include Good Friday, Easter Monday and Eid al-Fitr (End of 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6% Ramadan, three days).