Kenya
Menu > Kenya
|
Country Profile Photography History Geography Culture Interesting Facts See Also References |
Country Profile
Photography (*)
Masai Mara National Reserve |
Morning Giraffe - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Acacia Tree and Sunset - Amboseli National Park |
Hippopotamus - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Lion - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Damaliscus couple - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Zebra - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Bush Breakfast - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Cheetah Family - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Warthog - Masai Mara National Reserve |
African Night - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Buffalo - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Roller Bird - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Mount Kilimanjaro |
Hyenas - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Guineafowl - Amboseli National Park |
Ostrich - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Leopard - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Kob - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Sparkling Sky - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Giraffe - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Nile Crocodile - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Solitary Acacia - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Elephant - Amboseli National Park |
Impala - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Zebra Couple - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Agama - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Black Backed Jackal - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Black Crowned Crane - Amboseli National Park |
Little Bird - Amboseli National Park |
Secretary Bird - Masai Mara National Reserve |
Playing Elephants - Amboseli National Park |
Blue Wildebeest - Amboseli National Park |
History
Palaeontologists believe that the oldest ancestors of human beings lived in the territory of Kenya. Two million years ago Homo habilis, the first human capable of making tools, lived around Lake Turkana. In addition, around 200,000 BC, Homo sapiens lived in Lake Baringo.
Between 5000 and 500 BC, populations of hunters, gatherers and pastoralists were living in Kenya. Bantu immigrants have settled in, providing their expertise on metals. All of these groups are thought to have come from Sudan, Ethiopia, the Nile and probably also of Egypt.
At the beginning of our era, the Kenyan coastline, bordering the Indian Ocean, has seen the migration of populations from the interior of the continent, as well as Arabic and Persian navigators, making the region a prosperous maritime trade. For several centuries, the area experienced a golden age of Arab-Swahili civilization.
European colonization of Kenya began in 1498 when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama docked on the coast of East Africa. This has opened two centuries of Portuguese occupation, whose territory extended from the northern coast of Kenya all the way south to Mozambique. During the occupation, the spice road was created between India, the Persian Gulf and the East African coast.
The Omanis took the place of Portuguese by imposing harsher domination. In 1832 the sultan Seyyid Said moved to Zanzibar, and in 1839 the island became capital of the Omani Empire. During this period, the spice trade, which mainly operated cloves, was flourishing in the region. On a sadder note, the slave trade had also proliferated, forcing more than one million Africans to generate free labour under appalling conditions, where most people have succumbed to their fate.
In the late nineteenth century, the British overthrew the Omanis and made slavery illegal. They have claimed the territories of Kenya and Uganda and later built the Uganda Railway, a railroad that linked Mombasa to Lake Victoria. In the early twentieth century, the fertile lands of Kenya were given to European settlers without regard for the tribes that operated those places for centuries. This created an anticolonial reaction, and sparked clandestine political movements.
On December 12, 1963, Kenya has acquired its independence with Jomo Kenyatta as president. During this period, the government was an authoritarian regime and ruled under one party. In 1978, following the death of Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi succeeded him and led the country until 2002.
The government of the current President Mwai Kibaki has carried out the reintroduction of free elementary school and has promised to stop corruption. However, Kenya is currently facing ethnic tensions that have sometimes resolved by violent clashes, mainly in 1992 and after the recent elections of 2007.
Geography
Kenya is a country in East Africa which is crossed by the equator. It borders the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, Sudan to the northwest, Ethiopia to the north, and Somalia to the northeast.
The country is divided into four major regions. The Rift Valley, which is mountainous and fertile, is the most densely populated region and has the most developed economy. The Northeast is the territory of nomadic peoples and their livestock. The West is a vast agricultural region, specialised in tea and wheat. The Coast stretches over 480 km along the Indian Ocean and is mainly dedicated to the farming of coconut, fruits, dairy and cotton.
Politically, the country is divided into eight provinces, each governed by a commissioner appointed by the President. These provinces are divided into 69 districts. Nairobi, the capital city, is within a single province.
Kenya enjoys a tropical climate, with hot and humid temperatures on the coast, dry in the North, and slightly cooler in the highlands. There are two rainy seasons, between the months of April and May, and between the months of October and November.
Within the landscapes of Kenya can be found all the variety of the African sceneries: vast plains, acacia scattered savannahs, long rivers, deserts highlighted by fancy rock formations, jade coloured lakes, eternal snow mountain tops, tropical beaches and coral reefs.
The entire territory of Kenya is inhabited by an extraordinary wildlife, which has earned its international reputation for tourism. In this fauna, we find the Big Five mythical animals which are the lion, the elephant, the rhino, the leopard and the buffalo. The fauna also includes all kinds of gazelles, zebras, giraffes, primates and birds.
Hunting of the Big Five was once the ultimate goal of each safari because of the danger associated to the chase, and the quality of the trophy obtained. Hunting is now banned in Kenya because of the risk of extinction of some species such as the rhino, but photographing these animals can now be the most beautiful achievement.
Environmental issues in Kenya include drought in the northeast, floods during the rainy seasons, pollution, deforestation, erosion and poaching of animals. Several international agreements were signed, including the ban of nuclear testing.
Culture
Kenya is a country with a very rich cultural diversity. Its population comprises over seventy ethnic groups, where forty-two of them are official. About sixty languages and dialects are spoken, including the official languages English and Swahili. The Masai culture, although a minority, is well known today thanks to the visibility produced by tourism.
Among ethnic groups, the Kikuyus (23%), Luhya (14%), Luo (13%), Kalenjin (11%), and Kamba (10%) are the principal ones. The most common religions are Protestantism, Catholicism and Islam.
There is no specific cuisine that represents Kenya. Restaurants in major cities reflect the cosmopolitan prosperity of the country and its variety of cultures. Dishes have African, Oriental, Indian, and European flavours, often including roasted meat and local vegetables. Just like the cuisine, Kenyan music is also very diverse: hip hop, reggae, pop and Swahili music.
The sport reputation of Kenya stands out mostly with its long-distance runners who have won several international championships at the
Interesting Facts
- The name Kenya comes from Mount Kenya, the highest peak in the country. Before the 1963 independence, Kenya was only referred to the mountain.
- The writer Joseph Kessel described Amboseli Park as the Garden of Eden, where all the animals of creation seemed to exist.
- The hippopotamus (not the lion) is the most deadly animal to human beings. The second most deadly animal is the buffalo.
- Several world-renowned movies were filmed partly or entirely in Kenya: Nowhere in Africa, Sheena Queen of the Jungle, Out of Africa, Born Free and Tomb Raider.
See Also
Australia
Brazil
Canada
China
References
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).
BBC News - Country Profile: Kenya (news.bbc.co.uk).
Kenya facts on National Geographic (www3.nationalgeographic.com).
World Flag Database (www.flags.net).
 |
* All photographs have been taken by Dr Anto Youssef. For specific informations about a picture, please write to: anto.y@studiodentaire.com. |