Geography of Kenya

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Map of Kenya

Satellite image of Kenya, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library

The geography of Kenya is diverse. Kenya has coastline with Indian Ocean, large plains and numerous hills. Central and Western Kenya is typified by the Great Rift Valley. Three highest mountains of Africa are located in Kenya or its vicinity. Those are Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon and Kilimanjaro. The Kakamega Forest in western Kenya is relic of an East African rainforest. Much larger is Mau Forest, the largest forest complex in East Africa.

1 Geography
2 Coastline
- 2.1 Maritime claims
3 Climate
- 3.1 Terrain
- 3.2 Elevation extremes
4 Water
5 Natural resources
6 Land use
- 6.1 Irrigated land
7 Natural hazards
- 7.1 Environment--current issues
- 7.2 Environment--international agreements
8 Trivia
9 See also

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 1°00′N 38°00′E

[edit] Area

Total: 582,650 km²
Land: 569,250 km²
Water: 13,400 km²

[edit] Land boundaries

Total: 36 km
Border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

[edit] Coastline

536 km long on the eastern coat of the Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] Maritime claims

Continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

[edit] Climate

Varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior of the country

[edit] Terrain

Low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west

[edit] Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m

[edit] Water

The two main rivers are the Galana and the Tana.

[edit] Natural resources

Gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower

[edit] Land use

Arable land: 7%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 37%
Forests and woodland: 30%
Other: 25% (1993 est.)

[edit] Irrigated land

660 km² (1993 est.)

[edit] Natural hazards

Recurring drought in northern and eastern regions; flooding during rainy seasons

[edit] Environment--current issues

Water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching

[edit] Environment--international agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

[edit] Trivia

The Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value

[edit] See also

v • d • e

Geography of Africa

Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe

Dependencies and other territories
Ceuta · Mayotte · Melilla · Puntland · Réunion · St. Helena · Somaliland · Western Sahara (SADR)

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Categories: Geography by country | Geography of Kenya