Kenya Jamhuri Day

People all across KENYA recently celebrated their country's Jamhuri (translated from Swahili to English: Republic) Day on Saturday, December 12th. Kenya achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 and officially established a republic the next year. Happy belated Jamhuri Day!

Kenya is Known for...

●    Acacia trees punctuating the sky from savanna plains
●    Leaping, energetic, and colorful Maasai warriors
●    Lounging lions
●    “Nairobbery” in Nairobi
●    Safaris
●    Serengeti (mostly located in Tanzania)

Most items were listed in The Africa Book; the MLA citation is below. What are other "trademarks" of this African country? Feel free to share your thoughts with a comment!

Phillips et al. The Africa Book: A Journey through Every
          Country in the Continent. Lonely Planet, 2007.

— #AfricaWeek —

Kenya Exports

According to National Geographic MapMaker (mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org), the following items are major exports of KENYA: aubergines (eggplants), avocados, bananas, cement, clothing and textiles, coffee, corn (maize), cut flowers (carnations, carthamus, roses, statice, etc.), gemstones, green beans, limestone, mangoes, okra, passionfruit, petroleum products, pineapples, salt, seafood, snap peas, snow peas, soda ash, squash, strawberries, sugarcane, tea, wheat, and zinc. According to the International Monetary Fund (data.imf.org), countries and territories buying and importing most of those exports (February 2017 statistics) include Uganda (top importer), the Netherlands, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, China, Afghanistan, Germany, Russia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Switzerland, Belgium, Yemen, and India.

Sacred Sites of the Mijikenda People

Living mostly in southeastern KENYA near the Indian Ocean, Mijikenda tribes constructed and formed fortified villages beginning in the 16th century. These Kayas in the forested lands of coastal Kenya were and are still regarded as sacred ancestral homes. In 2008, UNESCO established the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests (« UNESCO World Heritage webpage ») as a World Heritage Site. Kayas have been abandoned by the 1940s when the Mijikenda people resettled, but their former homes are now preserved by tribal elders for the sacred significance of these lands and structures. The eleven Kaya sites protected by UNESCO — some of which are named Duruma, Giriama, Jibana, Kambe, Kauma, Kinondo, and Ribe — occupy 1,538 hectares (about 3,800 acres) of land and are spread out about 200 kilometers near the southeast Kenyan coast.

Kenya Extinct and Endangered Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ for KENYA in East Africa lists 2 extinct species since the beginning of IUCN recordkeeping, 56 critically endangered species, and 122 endangered species. Pangani Haplo (Ctenochromis pectoralis) and Aplocheilichthys sp. nov.* "Naivasha" are two extinct fish species in Kenya. The latter species was found in its namesake Lake Naivasha (southwestern Kenya) until the 1970s or 1980s. Its extinction is due to introduced species' predation and competition.

Critically endangered species include the DuToit's Torrent Frog, Hawksbill Turtle, Hook-lipped Rhinoceros, Kenya Jewel damselfly, Lake Chala Tilapia, Longcomb Sawfish, Taita Thrush bird, and White-backed Vulture. Endangered species include the Aberdare Cisticola bird, Black Teatfish, Cape Hunting Dog, Egyptian Eagle, Grevy's Zebra, Lappet-faced Vulture, Malagasy Pond Heron, and Pollack (Sei) Whale.

* — Sp. nov. in Latin stands for "species nova" (new species) to refer to a new taxonomic status or classification.

Kenya's Water Features

Bordering the countries Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda in Eastern Africa, KENYA abounds with water features. Southeast of Kenya is the Indian Ocean, the water body connected to the two largest rivers: Galana and Tana. Both rivers flow only through Kenya’s southern half. However, northern Kenya also has its own major water feature: Lake Turkana, which is located in the former Eastern and Rift Valley provinces and current Marsabit and Turkana counties. Located about 260 miles (less than 420 kilometers) northeast of the much larger Lake Victoria, the lake has two island parks and another park, which together forms the Lake Turkana National Parks. This park system is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997; the link provides interesting information about the lake, islands, and parks. Central Island N.P. and South Island N.P. are the island parks, while Sibiloi N.P. borders the lake’s northeastern shoreline. Extreme western Kenya is covered by the eastern fringe of Lake Victoria, dotted by multiple islands including Kimaboni, Koyamo, Mageta, Mfangano, Ndere, and Takawiri. Much smaller Kenyan lakes, most of which are located in the southwest portion of the country, include Baringo, Bogoria, Elementaita, Naivasha, and Nakuru.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, shares borders with Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Not only that, but Lake Victoria is the largest tropical lake in the world and the largest lake near the Equator, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. It is the second largest freshwater lake in the world (Lake Superior is the only larger freshwater lake). Also neat about Lake Victoria is the fact that there are around 3000 islands in it! This lake is named after Queen Victoria.

Kenya

Click here to enlarge the map in a new window. This map is available in a wall-poster size courtesy of Eric Olason at Maps.com.

KENYA is a geographically diverse country located in Eastern Africa; Kenya boasts savanna landscapes, tall mountains (like Mt. Kenya), a few rainforests, and more. The southeastern part of the country borders the Indian Ocean while the southwestern part borders Lake Victoria. There are 5 bordering countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. The capital is Nairobi. The currency is the Kenyan Shilling, and its ISO 4217 currency code is KES.

Nile River

The Nile River is sometimes known as the longest river in the world — contending with the Amazon River for the longest river designation. The Nile River stretches for more than 4,100 miles and almost 6,600 miles long! The Nile and its major tributaries — the Blue Nile (east) and White Nile (south) — runs through 11 countries in Africa: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The northern and main portion of the Nile is found in Egypt and Sudan. The Blue Nile predominantly flows through Ethiopia and Sudan. The White Nile is especially wide in South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.