Kenya

Karibu Kenya! Welcome to the safari capital of the world, where over two million wildebeest and zebras cross crocodile-filled rivers in the most spectacular wildlife show on Earth! Kenya is like nature's greatest theater, where the famous Great Migration happens every year, where snow-capped Mount Kenya sits right on the equator, and where the proud Maasai people maintain their traditional way of life alongside incredible wildlife. This amazing East African country is also famous for producing the world's best long-distance runners and growing some of the finest tea and coffee on the continent.

Kenya gained independence from Britain on December 12, 1963, led by the first president Jomo Kenyatta. The country is named after Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa, which the local Kikuyu people called "Kirinyaga" meaning "mountain of whiteness" because of its snow-capped peaks. The mountain was so sacred to local people that they believed their god Ngai lived on its summit, and they would build their homes facing toward this holy mountain.

Map of Kenya showing its 47 counties, Mount Kenya, Great Rift Valley, Maasai Mara Reserve, Indian Ocean coastline, and borders with Tanzania and other neighbors. Image Credit: NordNordWest, Wikimedia Commons

Kenyan national symbols: black, red, white, and green flag with Maasai shield, baobab tree, lilac-breasted roller, and Kenyan shilling featuring wildlife and cultural heritage. Image Credits (from top left to bottom right): User:Pumbaa80, Wikimedia Commons; Queen Asali, Wikimedia Commons; Je-str, Wikimedia Commons; NairobiPapel, Wikimedia Commons

KENYA FACTS

INDEPENDENCE: December 12, 1963 (61 years ago)

POPULATION: About 55.1 million people

CAPITAL: Nairobi

COUNTIES: 47 counties

BIGGEST CITY: Nairobi (4.4 million people)

NATIONAL BIRD: Lilac-breasted Roller

NATIONAL FLOWER: Orchid (unofficial)

Kenya's diverse geography: dramatic Great Migration river crossings, snow-capped Mount Kenya peaks, colorful flamingos on Rift Valley lakes, and Indian Ocean coastal beaches. Image Credits (from top left to bottom right): Reginald Victor Runyoro, Wikimedia Commons; Ruud Zwart, Rotterdam, Wikimedia Commons; AlexanderMirschel, Wikimedia Commons; Łukasz Ciesielski, Wikimedia Commons

Amazing Wildlife

The spectacularly colorful lilac-breasted roller is Kenya's national bird and performs amazing aerial acrobatics during mating season! Kenya has some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife on Earth, including all of Africa's "Big Five" animals, plus unique species like Grevy's zebras (with narrow stripes), reticulated giraffes with bold patterns, and millions of pink flamingos that turn Rift Valley lakes bright pink. The country is also home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos on Earth, carefully protected at Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Kenya's incredible animals: colorful lilac-breasted rollers on acacia trees, massive wildebeest herds during Great Migration, pink flamingo flocks on alkaline lakes, and endangered black rhinos in conservancies. Image Credits (from top left to bottom right): Je-str, Wikimedia Commons; rcrhee, Wikimedia Commons; Kandukuru Nagarjun, Wikimedia Commons; Zammerman, Wikimedia Commons

Natural Resources

Kenya grows some of the world's finest tea on the slopes of Mount Kenya and other highlands, plus excellent coffee that's exported globally. The country has beautiful flowers grown for export (many flowers sold in Europe come from Kenya!), plus agriculture including corn, wheat, and sugarcane. Kenya's greatest treasure is its wildlife and landscapes that attract tourists from around the world who come for safari adventures and to see the Great Migration.

Kenya's agricultural wealth: tea plantations on Mount Kenya's fertile slopes and flower farms producing blooms exported worldwide. Image Credits (from left to right): Wktoo, Wikimedia Commons; DavyKirii, Wikimedia Commons

Kenya truly is Africa's wildlife paradise, where the Great Migration creates the most spectacular natural show on Earth and Mount Kenya's snowy peaks remind us that this amazing country sits right on the equator yet touches the sky!