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Major
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| Kenya |
Kenya
Travel
Information
Kenya Was named after Mount Kenya or ' Kirinyaga'
the mountain of whiteness. Kenya is part of East Africa,
straddles the Equator and is on The Indian Ocean.
It covers an area of 583, 000sq km. Nairobi is the
capital city of Kenya. Nairobi [ Nyrobi in Maasai
meaning of 'the place of cool waters' is the highest
city in East Africa - 1700m. It is also the most modern
and the fastest growing in the region with a population
of approximately 3million. Mombasa is the coastal
capital and the largest port in the East African coast
Full
country name: Republic
of Kenya
Area: 583,000 sq km
Population: 30,339,770
Capital city: Nairobi
People: 24% Kikuyu, 16% Luhya, 13% Luo, 12%
Kalenjin, 11% Kamba, 6% Kisii, 6% Meru, 16% other
Languages: English, Swahili, indigenous.
Religion: 40% Protestant, 36% Roman Catholic,
16% Muslim, 6% Animist
Government: Republic (multiparty state)
President: Emilio Mwai Kibaki
______________________________________________
GDP:
US$42.4 billion
GDP per head: US$1525
Annual growth: 1.6%
Inflation: 2.5%
Major industries: small-scale consumer goods
(plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes,
flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement,
tourism
Major trading partners: Uganda, Tanzania, UK,
Germany, UAE, South Africa
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Facts for the Traveler
Visas:
All visitors require a visa except citizens of some
Commonwealth countries and citizens of selected countries
such as Denmark, Germany, the Republic of Ireland,
Italy, Norway, Spain, South Africa and Sweden. Apply
well in advance for your visa - especially if doing
it by mail.
Health risks: Malaria (except in Nairobi and
high-altitude areas), cholera, hepatitis, meningitis,
mugging, typhoid, schistosomisis, HIV, Rift Valley
fever and yellow fever.
Time: GMT/UTC plus three hours
Electricity: 240V
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: About 700,000 visitors per year
__________________________________________
When
to Go
The
main tourist season is in January and February, since
the hot, dry weather at this time of year is generally
considered to be the most pleasant. It's also when
Kenya's birdlife flocks to the Rift Valley lakes in
the greatest numbers. June to September could be called
the 'High season' as the weather is still dry and
Low season begins in April and end in May. During
these months things are much quieter - places tend
to have rooms available and prices drop. The rains
generally don't affect travellers' ability to get
around.
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Events
Kenya's most spectacular annual event is organised by
an unlikely group - wildebeests. Literally millions
of these ungainly antelopes move en masse in July and
August from the Serengeti in search of lush grass. They
head south again around October. The best place to see
this phenomenon is at the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Kenya's more orthodox annual events include public holidays
such as Kenyatta Day (20 October) and Independence
Day (12 December). {img}
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