| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
1° 00' North Latitude
38° 00' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
582,650 sq km |
| Climate |
Varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior |
| Natural Resources |
Limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Kenya |
| Capital City |
Nairobi |
| Government Type |
Republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western |
| Independence Day |
12 December 1963 (from UK) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
33,829,590 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Kenyan |
| Ethnic Groups |
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1% |
| Religion |
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%, other 2% |
| Languages |
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.56% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Kenyan shilling (KES) |
| Industries |
Small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products; oil refining, aluminum, steel, lead, cement; commercial ship repair, tourism |
| Labor Force |
11.4 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 75% (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs |
| Export Commodities |
Tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish, cement |
| Export Partners |
Uganda 12.8%, UK 11.6%, US 10.4%, Netherlands 8.3%, Pakistan 5.1%, Egypt 4.7%, Tanzania 4.3% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics |
| Import Partners |
UAE 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 9.6%, South Africa 9.3%, US 8%, UK 7.2%, China 6.7%, Japan 5.4%, India 4.9% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
2,778 km |
| Highways |
63,942 km |
| Pipelines |
Refined products 752 km (2004) |
| Airports |
221 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+254 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ke |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession.
The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external
pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud,
but are viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic,
united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. |
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