Kenya is regarded by many as the ‘jewel of East Africa’, and has some of the
continent’s finest beaches, most
magnificent wildlife and scenery, and an incredibly sophisticated tourism infrastructure. It is a
startlingly beautiful land, from the
coral reefs and white sand
beaches of the coast to the summit of
Mount Kenya, crowned with clouds and bejewelled by strange giant alpine plants.
Between these two extremes is the acacia-studded rolling
savannah, which is home to
game parks such as Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Samburu
and Tsavo; the lush, agricultural highlands with their sleek green coat of
coffee and
tea plantations; and the most spectacular stretch of the
Great Rift Valley, the giant scar across the face of Africa.
Above all, Kenya is a place for
safaris, and one-tenth of all land in Kenya is designated as
national parks and reserves. Just about every African plains animal is present. Over 50 parks and reserves cover all habitats from desert to mountain forest, and there are even six
marine parks in the Indian Ocean.
Kenya also has a fascinatingly diverse population with around
40 different tribes, all with their own languages and cultures. Major tribes include the Kikuyu, the Luyia and the Luo, but the most famous are the tall, proud, beautiful red-clad
Masai, who still lead a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of cattle-herding along the southern border.
A mixture of African and Asian, the unique
Swahili culture can be found along the balmy coast, where for centuries it became prosperous on the profits of commerce from the tradewinds that carried ocean-going
dhows (sailing boats) across the Indian Ocean to Arabia and Persia.
Kenya does have some downsides as a tourist destination. There is enormous pressure to buy anything and everything, often at ridiculously inflated prices, and even taking a photograph in the local market is likely to incur a cost. But despite this, the people are friendly and the tourist trade is supremely well organized and professional. For those in search of a little adventure, this can be an ideal holiday destination.
GeographyKenya shares borders with Ethiopia in the north, Sudan in the northwest, Uganda in the west, Tanzania in the south and Somalia in the northeast. To the east lies the Indian Ocean. The country is divided into four regions: the arid deserts of the north; the savannah lands of the south; the fertile lowlands along the coast; and highlands in the west, where the capital Nairobi is situated. Northwest of Nairobi runs the Rift Valley, dotted with lakes and containing the town of Nakuru, while further west the Aberdare National Park is overlooked by Mount Kenya (5,200m/17,000ft), which also is a national park. In the far northwest is Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolph), and in the southwest is Kenya’s share of Lake Victoria.
Kenya is a multicultural society; in the north live Somalis and the nomadic Hamitic peoples (Rendille, Samburu and Turkana), in the south and eastern lowlands are Kamba and Masai and the Luo live around Lake Victoria. The largest group is the Kikuyu who live in the central highlands and have traditionally been dominant in commerce and politics, although this is now changing. There are many other smaller groups and, although Kenya emphasises nationalism, tribal and cultural identity is a factor. A small European settler population remains in the highlands, involved in farming and commerce.
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