Kenya Geography - Owing to the Diverse Geography of Kenya, the Country is Breathtakingly Beautiful

The Kenya geography is one of dramatically contrasting landscapes but first, some information on Kenya's location in Africa.

Location

Kenya is situated in East Africa, just below the horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, Somalia to the east and the Indian Ocean to the southeast.

Kenya's latitude is 4° North to 4° South and its longitude 34° East to 41° East.

Area

Kenya has an area of 582,650 sq km and is roughly the size of France, Spain or Texas. The land area is 569,250 square kilometers while water bodies occupy 13,400 square kilometers. Kenya also has a 536 kilometer coastline along the Indian Ocean.

Contrasting Landscapes

Kenya is a country of contrasting landscapes...

An ocean and a host of alkaline lakes but also fresh water bodies.

Mountains and highlands but also a giant trough in the earth that is the Great Rift Valley...

Fertile arable soils but also desert-like conditions. Thick indigenous forests but also grasslands exotically referred to as the Savannah.

And, nearly one half of the country is in the northern hemisphere, the other half in the southern hemispheres and a bit lies astride the equator.

The lowest point in Kenya is the coast which is at sea level while the highest is the Batian Peak on Mount Kenya which stands at 5,199 meters above sea level.

Vegetation

The vegetation in the country reflects its diverse Kenya geography. It ranges from sparse and thorny in the arid north and north east, lots of mangroves and coconut palms at the coast, ferns, conifers, cedars and junipers in the central highlands and montane vegetation on Mount Kenya.

The country's unique topography is habitat to an amazing variety of Kenya animal and plant species. And, interestingly, some animals species - such as the giraffe and zebra - found in southern Kenya are different from those found north of the equator.

Natural Features

The striking natural features of the geography of Kenya are:

• Dazzling white beaches which are reputed to be the finest in Africa

• The Equator which is the imaginary line on earth's surface that splits the world into northern and southern hemispheres. In Kenya, it is possible to surreally have a foot in each of the hemispheres.

• Mount Kenya, which is second highest mountain in Africa and Mount Elgon, which straddles the Kenya-Uganda border and is the continent's third highest mountain.

• The Great Rift Valley - part of this 6,000km furrow that runs from Syria in the Middle East to Mozambique in Africa can be seen in Kenya.

• Lake Victoria, which the by far Africa's largest lake and the second widest lake in the world after Lake Superior. It is also the source of the Nile River, which is the world's longest. Other lakes in Kenya are Nakuru, Baringo, Bogoria, Turkana, Naivasha and Elementaita.

• The main river in Kenya is the Tana which flows 708 km from the Aberdare Ranges in central Kenya to the Indian Ocean. Other important rivers are Galana, Ewaso Ngiro, Mara, Nzoia and Yala.

• The Mau Forest Complex which is the largest remaining near-continuous block of indigenous forest in East Africa and Kakamega Forest, which is East Africa's only equatorial forest.

Weather

Because of the diverse Kenya geography the Kenya weather varies a great deal. The mountains are biting cold. Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and the central highlands are cool. The coastal and Lake Victoria regions are hot and humid and the arid north sweltering hot.

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