You are here : About Kenya

Kenya, formerly a British Colony & Protectorate, gained independence in 1963.
Kenya is divided into eight provinces, which are in turn subdivided into 65 districts, which constitute the focal points for administration and development activities.

Kenya covers an area of 582,644 square kilometers inclusive of inland water. The climate and topography are characterized by wide variations ranging from glaciated mountain peaks (notably Mount Kenya) to cool plateaus, the humid coastal plains, and the vast and hot expanse of arid and semi-arid land which covers the northern half and south-eastern parts of the country.

There are two main rainy seasons. The long rains fall in late April, May and June and the short rains in late October and November. Over 75% of the land surface is arid and receives less than 250mm of rainfall per year. The arable land, covering parts of Central Kenya (including Nairobi), Western Kenya and the Coastal Strip (including Mombasa) comprises only 17% of the total land area and is densely populated

1. Full name: The Republic of Kenya
   
   
2. Population: 34.3 million (UN, 2005)
   
   
3. Capital: Nairobi
   
   
4. Area: 582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles)
   
   
5. Major languages: Swahili, English
   
   
6. Major religion: Christianity
   
   
7. Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 46 years (women) (UN)
   
   
8. Monetary unit: 1 Kenya shilling = 100 cents
   
   
9. Main exports: Tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products
   
   
10. GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2005)
    
    
11. Internet domain: .ke
    
    
12. International dialling code: +254
    
    

www.communication.go.ke

www.cbs.go.ke