Land area: 569,251 sq km (219,788 sq mi)
Total area: 582,650 sq km (224,961 sq mi)
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Nairobi - 3,064,800 (metro. area)
Other large cities: Mombasa - 712,600
Population:39,002,772 (2009 est.)
Languages: English (official), Swahili (national), and other indigenous languages
Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Islam 10%, others 2%
Ethnicity: Kikuyu 22%; Luhya 14%; Luo 13%; Kalenjin 12%; Kamba 11%; Kisii 6%; Meru 6%; other African 15%; Asian, European, and Arab 1%
Currency: Kenya shilling
Time zone: GMT+3 (no daylight saving time)
Electricity: 240V AV (British 3 pin plug)
The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Lying along the Indian Ocean, at the equator, Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia (north), Somalia (northeast), Tanzania (south), Uganda plus Lake Victoria (west), and Sudan (northwest).
Kenya's terrain features four distinctive regions: the north, dominated by arid deserts, west-central highlands with the capital city Nairobi, southern savannas and fertile lowlands along the coast. The highlands are bisected by the Great Rift Valley that runs northwest of Nairobi.
The highlands are also Kenya's main agriculture region, home to cattle ranches, coffee and tea plantations.
Mount Kenya at 5,199 m (17,057 ft) elevation, is the highest peak of Kenya, and after Kilimanjaro, the second highest point in Africa. The mountain is located in the central region of the country and just south of the equator.
Kenya's landscape also features several lakes and rivers. The largest lake is Lake Victoria, situated on the west and shared with Uganda and Tanzania. Other lakes include Lake Turkana in the north, Lake Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, and Lake Nakuru.
Kenya is a developing East African country famous mostly for its wildlife and national parks. A large selection of tourist facilities is available in Nairobi, in the game parks, the reserves, and on the coast.
