Kenya: An Overview

With an area of approx. 580K km2 [223 mi.²] and an estimated population of 55M (as of 2021), Kenya is the second largest country in East Africa after Tanzania. It borders Lake Victoria and the Indian Ocean. Mombasa, the second largest city, is the main tourist attraction of the African Indian Ocean coast and offers magnificent beaches and hotels. The equator literally bisects the country.

Demographically, Kenya is more diverse than e.g. Tanzania. There are about 40+ ethnic groups, among them Bantus in the south and south-east, Cushites in the north and north-east, Nilotics in the west and north-west etc. This fact is reflected e.g. in the names of towns. For instance "Eldoret" is not Bantu whereas "Mombasa" is.

Kenya is a former British colony which gained independence in 1963. There are 47 counties (in 8 provinces, the largest being the Rift Valley Province just to the west of Nairobi). Temperatures range from 10C [50 Fahrenheit] in the highlands to a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius [104℉] at the coast. Kenya's main foreign exchange earners are: coffee, tea and tourism.