Join us on an African safari with spectacular Kenya facts feature!

Kenya facts

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Kenya (English) or Jamhuri ya Kenya (Swahili)
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic
CAPITAL: Nairobi
POPULATION: 45,010,056
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Swahili, English
MONEY: Kenyan shilling
AREA: 224,081 square miles (580,367 square kilometers)
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Aberdare Range, Mau Escarpment
MAJOR RIVERS: Athi/Galana, Tana
FLAG:

Kenya facts


Kenya’s geography

Even if you’ve never been to Kenya, chances are you know what it looks like. Kenya’s savannah is familiar from movies, TV shows, books and even adverts on the telly. It’s the landscape many people imagine when they think of Africa.

Kenya is located in East Africa. Its terrain rises from a low coastal plain on the Indian Ocean to mountains and plateaus (areas of level high ground) at its centre. Most Kenyans live in the highlands, where Nairobi, the capital, sits at an altitude of 1,700 metres.

Kenya facts - map of Kenya

West of Nairobi the land descends to the Great Rift Valley, a 6,400-kilometre tear in the Earth’s crust. Within this valley in the deserts of northern Kenya are the green waters of famous Lake Turkana.


Kenyan people & culture

In Kenya, more than 60 languages are spoken and there are more than 40 ethnic groups. Almost everyone there speaks more than one African language.

Kenya Facts - tribe

School is free in Kenya, but many children are too busy to go to classes. They help their families by working the land, tending cattle, cooking, or fetching water.

Music and storytelling are important parts of Kenyan culture. For centuries, tribes throughout the country have used songs, stories and poems to pass on their beliefs, history, and customs.


Kenya’s nature

Kenya facts

Millions of people visit Kenya each year to see its endless savannah and the animals that inhabit it: elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos and more. The Kenyan government has set up more than 50 reserves and parks to protect these animals.

People hoping to spot some amazing African wildlife usually focus on Kenya’s lowland savannah. But Kenya’s ecosystems also include deserts, swamps, mountain and forests. Each region has its own mix of plants and animals that are suited to the area’s particular conditions. Kenya’s highland forests are home to many animals found nowhere else in the world!

Kenya facts


Kenyan government & economy

Kenya was a colony of the United Kingdom from 1920 until 1963. Since its independence, it has been a republic, with a president, a national assembly, called the Bunge, and a legal system. Each year on 12 December, the country celebrates its independence day – or Jamhuri Day – with parades, dancing, political speeches and feasts!

Kenya Facts - Nairobi


Kenyan history

Kenya’s location between the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria means that people from all over Africa and the Middle East have travelled and traded across it for centuries. This has created a diverse culture with many ethnic groups and languages.

And check this out – scientists think Northern Kenya and Tanzania may have been the original birthplace of humans! The bones of one of the earliest human ancestors ever found were discovered in Kenya’s Turkana Basin.

Slavery is a big part of Kenya’s history. During the 1600s and 1700s, many Kenyans were kidnapped and taken as slaves by Arabs, Europeans, and Americans. By the mid-19th century, slavery was outlawed by most countries, but by then, thousands of Kenyans and other East Africans had been taken to countries throughout the world.
Kenya Facts - flamingoes

Photos an illustrations: Nairobi, Joshua Wanyama, Dreamstime. Tribal people, Meunierd, Dreamstime. Map: National Geographic Maps. All other images: Getty Images UK.
Words from kids.nationalgeographic.com.
Figures accurate at time of publication, January 2015.

What do you think to our Kenya facts feature? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

Likes

LEAVE A COMMENT

THANK YOU

Your comment will be checked and approved shortly.

WELL DONE,
YOUR COMMENT
HAS BEEN ADDED!

COMMENTS

  • WhatWhat

    i love this it is amazing

  • AAAAAAAAQ

    cool

  • Aaliyah

    cool

  • Lia

    This was really helpful for my work, thank you!

  • Leah

    This helps me alot

  • Olivia

    Kenya is very beautiful!

  • eva

    hi

  • scarlettdurkin

  • robert

    It's the best!

  • kaitlyn c

    its ok but good job

  • COOL!

  • COOL!

  • nate

    these were really good!!!

  • Some interesting facts there.

  • Mannie

    cool

  • Eva

    I Lreally enjoyed these facts!

  • billy bom

    national geographic kids Tanzania

  • Thank You!

  • Ashjeena

    This is amazing I wish I could travel to Kenya!

  • researcher

    Interestinng! Hope it will help with my Kenya project

  • Elli the Elephant

    Wow! Interesting!

  • Elli the Elephant

    Wow! Cool Facts!

  • Giraffie

    Wow so amazing

  • radits

    coool

  • Selina

    Cool!

  • Nena

    Amazing cooool

  • Charley

    Kenya is an amazing place even though I have never been I find it incredible how the people in that country have an amazing place to explore!!!

  • daniel

    cool

  • Kevin

    COOL!!! this essay makes me learn a lot of information about Kenya.

  • Amylee33

    I love animals! Keep on protecting them!

  • lachlan savige

    help the animals

  • Abi

    That was amazing

  • Amanda

    I love it

  • bob

  • Bob the builder

    I l❤️Ve learning about Kenya!

  • Beth

    This is amazing there are so many facts

  • Jabali Maingi

    Loved the Article. I am proudly Kenyan

  • Ishhy

    Awesome

  • Munny

    Wow

  • Marie

    It was good and I loved all the facts

  • dragonworld

    good!

  • lego12345

    amazing!!!!!!!!

  • EDUCATIONAL

  • ben

    awesome homework help thanks

  • ben

    love the website helps a lot with homework.

  • Me

    Amazing

  • Riguy20

    This is full of amazing facts

  • sariali

    lol this is fun

  • LeoTaylor

    VERY GOOD TO USE FOR HW ;D

  • Grace02

    Thanks, this really helped with my geography homework.

  • Bob1300

    Awsome!

  • claire-bear

    i really like this website it gave me a lot of facts for my presentation

  • Derpy_Derpster

    I found this piece of info really helping and i made a great piece of Geography homework! Must consider reading more!

  • Siena

    Awesome

  • victorya

    soooo cool site

  • didula

    awesome

  • WAT DA HELL IS A PIKARCHO

    Thanks, National Geographic, Helped with my homework.

  • Ewxn

    Thank you this really helped me on my geography homework

  • victorya

    i love it !!!!!!!!!!!

  • africa

    amazing

  • 2cooldudettes

    Amazing i got an A on my Kenya project

  • GiraffeCool06

    Amazing facts!

  • Finley

    Awsome

  • monkeys

    Cool

  • Em010101

    really useful

  • rigaroro

    amazing i love it

  • L.u.c.yyy

    Yay - cool!

  • esra_bella16

    cool

  • charles1234

    wow i want to learn more

  • kitty27

    awesome

  • lolalllllo

    niceeee

  • Halima

    Very useful

  • CloBo_512

    Incredible!

  • Kimberlykim

    Cool helped me with some home work

  • christopher2003

    so cool

  • christopher2003

    nice

  • Ellie_nora

    This is very helpful and good

  • emaan

    lol

  • Elle-MAy

    fun

  • ccaroline

    very interesting and informative

  • Aurin

    It is absolutely brilliant!

  • Hez

    Great site

  • Hez

    THNX! Great facts really helped me study

  • poppy13

    you have a very good website ##cool

  • MadelineAA

    Cool!

  • wasabi

    interesting

  • Zach_Attacks

    Great site , now i can finally do my homework [:

  • Bob999999990000000000

    We are doing work on this and its really helpful

  • D_R

    My homework is brilliant because of this page!

  • Raksha

    Wow, this is really helpful for my HW! From Raksha

  • xyz

    cool

  • lucy122334

    amazing

  • lollllllllllll

    awsome

  • Fluffy-Bunny

    great!!!

  • Fluffy-Bunny

    this website is helping me find facts for my presentation.

  • Fluffy-Bunny

    helpful for my presentation and a really good website

  • ash1234

    informative

  • Fungus

    Great website

  • Ty

    This is the best website to learn something

  • ehfhzka

    so helpful, i have found everything i needed on this website and i would definetley recommend it to others!!!

  • Learner213213123123213213

    Thanks

  • stuffff

    thanks, really helps with last minute homework ;)

  • stuffff

    cool

  • king lilroro

    cool

  • LAllder

    this is so cool!

  • tiddlewinks_797

    this is really helping me a lot!!!!!!!!!!

  • tiddlewinks_797

    great! this helped a lot!!!!!

  • Anonymous_1

    Amazing, really helped me finish my project about Kenya. Definetely gonna check this site out more!

  • Yoshi21102

    great facts for my research project

  • Tortoise

    Gr8 information

  • 101isabella101

    this was a really helpful website :D

  • HarrySmithe

    But now Im safe in the eye of the tornado.

  • vuyaanzi1234

    this is still my home town

  • JadeDieng

    its so interesting

  • love123

    great

  • love123

    Fab

  • Katiebobz

    This should help with my geography homework.

  • GI

    THIS IS A BAD SITE

  • Mimik

    This is soooo helpful for my project thnx

  • Arm

    Thnx

  • HarryXD

    Good site, used for homework

  • 12345678910 Clemie mampuya

    Kenya is a good place I want to go there but I cant I want to stay with my friends.by Kenyans. I think I can say something in swivels muzuri

  • Angel

    Very nice

  • Taz12

    Hi so good really helped with homework.LOL.

  • lolstars

    best website for homework

  • fjh

    cool

  • CrazyGirl

    Great facts! Really helped with homework. Thanks, National Geographic!

  • matthews

    AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH amazing and cool

  • hello12345678910

    cool helped me lots

  • Hello12345

    Good info

  • lola1234567890

    Thank you, this helped me with my work.

  • Tazlinn

    so much info!

  • Tazlinn

    I like youre inof

  • Tazlinn

    I like this site

  • Wowzer

    Very useful

  • ste3w

    jfamazing

  • lewis356

    I found this useful for my geography assessment I would give it 9/10

  • historygirlie

    great facts

  • Lad

    This is really helpful. Thanks guys

  • Shantings

    Very useful information about Kenya and it will help me in my homework.

  • cat11

    LOVE THE RHINO

  • Evie Wright xx

    This website helped me loads for my homework thank you!