• Land area: 580 000 km²
• Independence: 12th of December 1963
• President; Mwai Kibaki Vald (elected 2002)
• Next election: year 2007
• Official languages; English & Kiswahili
• Population: 32, 021, 856 (2004 est.)
• Capital; Nairobi (1 661 m above sea level)
• Biggest cities: Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret.
• Host of United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), UNICEF and UN-Habitat
• Average temperature; Nairobi max 25 °C och min 13ºC. Mombasa max 30ºC och min 22ºC. Hottest in February – mars, coldest in July to August
• Mountains: Mount Kenya (5 199 m above sea level), Mount Elgon (4 321 m)
• Major lakes - Victoria, Turkana, Baringo, Naivasha.
• Nationalparks; 22 including 3 marine.
• Africas Big Five: Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Leopard and Lion.
• Vegetation; highlands in west, to savanna and coast in east.
• Main exports; Coffee & Tea
• Important resources: Sugar, maize, wheat, sisal and cotton.
• Religion: 76 % Christians (Protestanst and Roman Catholic), 10 % Muslims, minorities of Hindus, Sikhs and Jainas.
• Etnic groups: more than 40 groups and biggest is Kikuyo (21 %), Luhya (14%), Luo (12 %), Kamba (11 %) and Kalenjin (11 %)
• School: free Primary school (8 years), 4 years Secondary school and 4 years University
• Hiv-infected: approx 15 %
• Life expectancy: 45 years.
• GNP/Capita: 320 US$
• Tourism: approx 800 000 visitors every year
• First African woman to achieve Noble Peace Prize: Wangari Maathai
  Local Currency; kenyan shillings (US$ = 74 ksh, October 2005)
• Credit cards; Widely accepted

Annual Events

January: Dhow race, Lamu
February/March: East African Safari Rally
March: Kenyan Open Golf Championship, Nairobi
May: Rhino Charge, off road event
June-March: Kenyan Cricket season
August: Horse of the year show, Nairobi
October: Moi Golden Cup in Soccer

National Anthem

WHEN TO VISIT Kenya
Kenya can be visited any time of the year, read more about the various seasons.
Kenya’s climate has had a profound effect on settlement patterns, as for centuries population has been concentrated in the wettest areas of the country. The “long rains” extends roughly from March to June and the “short rains” lasts from approximately October to December. Generally, the hottest time is in February and March and the coldest in July and August. With an altitude ranging from sea level to 5,199 meters, the temperature, rainfall and humidity variations in Kenya are extreme. The climate can be divided into four categories:

The coastal region is humid and wet all year around. The city of Malindi, for instance, receives an average rainfall of 1,050 mm per year, with average temperatures ranging from 21° to 32°C in January and 20° to 29°C in July. The coastal part is hot with about 70 % humidity but tempered by sea breezes. The climate of Mombasa is typical with temperatures from minimum 22 °C to maximum 32 °C, with an average maximum of 9 hours sunshine a day in March, 7 hours in May.

The Central Highlands and Rift Valley area is an arid part of the country. An average annual rainfall of 320 mm and experiences average temperatures ranging from 19° to 37°C in January and 19° to 34°C in July. Though The Aberdare mountain and Mount Kenya record rainfalls up to 3000 mm a year. Nairobi - in the temperate Kenya highlands - receives an average annual rainfall of 790 mm and experiences average temperatures ranging from 9° to 29°C in January and 7° to 26°C in July.

The northern and eastern Kenya have the most extreme temperatures, ranging from 20°C at night to 40 °C during the day. Rainfall is very unusual and generally driest in July and November is wettest.

The Lake Victoria basin in western Kenya is generally the wettest region in the country, where average annual rainfall ranges up to 1,940 mm. Average temperatures in this region range from 14° to 34°C. There are between 7 and 9 hours of sunshine daily throughout the year.

HEALTH
Practical health advice when travelling to the East Africa.
Everyone entering Kenya must be in possession of a valid International Certificate of Vaccination against yellow fever. It is imperative that you obtain malaria prophylactics before entering Kenya, so you can start your course at least one week before entering Kenya. When purchasing malaria prophylactics, please tell your doctor that you intend visiting Kenya. It is important to note that the Kenyan authorities have banned the use of chloroquine combinations as prophylaxis, and instead recommend the use of either mefloquine (Lariam/Mefliam) or doxycycline. If you suffer from side effects, try taking your malaria prophylactics at night, after dinner.

Precautionary measures that you can take to prevent contact with mosquitoes are: sleeping under a bed net or in room/tent with mosquito proofing (remember to keep the flaps zipped at all times), spraying your accommodation with insecticide, making use of a mosquito repelling lotion or stick and wearing long sleeve clothes, trousers and socks when outside at night. It is important to try and avoid mosquito bites between dusk and dawn, as this is the period when the malaria-carrying mosquito is most active.

Immunisation against typhoid, tetanus, tuberculosis, polio and meningitis are recommended.

EQUIPMENT
Useful advice on recommended equipment when visiting Kenyas different attractions and climate zones

• Comfortable walking shoes.
• Change of shoes, suggestedly comfortable sports shoes or similar
• T-shirts
• Shorts or a light skirt
• Long trousers / jeans of for evenings and cooler days.
• Long sleeved summer jacket or a sweater for chilly evenings and protection from mosquitoes
• “Day back pack” to carry change of T-shirt, socks, sweets, camera, raincoat, snacks etc
• Camera with plenty of light sensitive film, for digital cameras extra memory card!
• Swimwear, sunblock, hat and insect repellent
• Water container - 2 liters capacity suggested

MONEY AND CREDIT CARDS
Come prepared - how to make the financial aspect smooth during your visit.
The local currency is the “Kenyan Shillings” and there are several denominations up to Ksh 10000. One US$ = Approximately 74 ksh (October 2005). There are several foreign exchange bureaus in Nairobi offering similar rates, the most widely accepted currencies are US$, Euro and to a certain extent also French Francs, Sterling Pounds, South African Rand and Scandinavian kronor. Banks are generally open weekdays and Saturdays to 12.00 and queues can here be long and rather slow. There are several ATM-machines in Nairobi accepting international cards.

Travelers cheques are not recommended as they are not widely accepted and if you do decide to bring some of your travel budget in travelers cheques it is very important to bring all documents related to them including the purchase receipt, you will not be able to change travelers cheques if you do not have all related purchase documents as well as a valid, internationally accepted personal identification.

LITTERATURE AND FURTHER READING
Read more about the various aspects of Kenya and its attractions.

GUIDE BOOKS

• Kenya. (2003). Lonely planet.
• Kenya. Ïnsight guides
• East African Wildlife. Insight guides
• Rough guide to Kenya.
• Richards, D & V. Travel to Kenya. (2003). Globetrotter.

Atlas

• African Adventure atlas. National Geographic.

Novels

• Ernest Hemingway. The snows of Kilimanjaro
• Caroline Elkins. (2005). Britains Gulag. The brutal end of empire in Kenya.
• Jomo Kenyatta. Facing Mt Kenya: The tribal life of Gikuyo.Wa Thiongó Ngugi. A grain of wheat.
• Joy Adamsson. Born free: A lioness of Two Worlds.
• Karen Blixen. (1937). Out of Africa.
• Kuki Gullman. I dreamt of Africa, Perlo. Birds of Eastern Africa.
  Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashes (2001). A Field Guide to the reptiles of East Africa, Burns & Ridge (1998). Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya: A climbing and trekking guide.
• Michael Holman. (2005). Last orders at Harrods. An african tale.