Kenya in Our World

Kenya in Our World — page 1 — Introducing Kenya Kenya is famous for its great natural beauty which attracts visitors from all over the world and it is one of Africa’s main centers of banking and business Although it suffers from poverty and civil unrest Kenya is still one of Africa’s most stable countries Where in the World Kenya lies on the equator in East Africa Although it is largely surrounded by land it borders the Indian Ocean in the southeast The ports along the coastline provide a gateway for trade and travel in this part of the African continent In the west where Kenya meets Tanzania and Uganda lies Lake Victoria Sudan and Ethiopia are situated to the north and to the east is Somalia Historical Global Links Throughout its long history Kenya has had connections with other countries Around the seventh century Arab traders set up towns along the Kenyan coast and travelers came from as far away as China and Persia now Iran Although Arab influences declined in the 19th century they are still evident today particularly in Kenya’s large Muslim population 쑺 Kenya has land borders with Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the east Tanzania to the south Uganda to the west and Sudan to the northwest SUDAN SUDAN G G ETHIOPIA ETHIOPIA R R E E Lake Lake Turkana Turkana UGANDA UGANDA KeyKey Capital city Capital city Other cities Other cities Mountain Mountain A A Lodwar Lodwar T T R R I I Lake Lake Victoria Victoria Eldoret Eldoret Kisumu Kisumu F F T T Nakuru Nakuru V V A A L L L L E E Y Y 4 K E N Y A KENYA SOMALIA SOMALIA KENYA KENYA Mount Mount Kenya Kenya Naivasha Naivasha HIGHLANDS HIGHLANDS Nairobi Nairobi Equator Equator Tan Tan a a R R i i v v e e r r Malindi Malindi NN WW EE SS Indian Indian Ocean Ocean milesmiles 150150 kilometers kilometers 150150 TANZANIA TANZANIA Mombasa Mombasa 00 00

Kenya in Our World — page 2 — The British in Kenya The British began to arrive in Kenya in the 18th century and by 1895 Britain ruled the country Many British people came to live in Kenya particularly in the west of the country in an area known as the Highlands They established farms to grow tea and coffee Thousands of local people particularly the Maasai and Kikuyu tribes were forced off their land by the new settlers Using Kenyan and Asian workers the British built railways to link the heart of the country to the coast and the ports so that goods could be sent back to Britain By 1920 there were 9,000 European settlers living in Kenya INTRODUCING KENYA IT STARTED HERE Human Ancestors In many parts of Kenya scientists have found the remains of ape-like creatures believed to be very early ancestors of human beings The earliest of these fossils dating back more than 4 2 million years have been discovered around the shores of Lake Turkana Modern humans are believed to have originated here around 200,000 years ago 쑽 Kenyans working on the building of a railway during the period of British rule 5

Kenya in Our World — page 3 — KENYA IN OUR WORLD Independence The British ruled Kenya for 67 years Thousands of Kenyan soldiers fought for the British during World War I 1914 18 and they also fought in World War II 1939 45 in countries as far away as Burma In the 1950s some Kenyans particularly members of the Kikuyu tribe began to rebel against British rule At first the British fought against the rebellion and imprisoned its leaders Later though the British gave in to pressure and in 1963 Kenya became an independent country Jomo Kenyatta who had been involved in the Mau Mau rebellion became the country’s first president O U S KENYA N M FA Ngugi wa Thiong’o b 1938 is one of Ngugi wa Thiong’o Kenya’s best-known writers His most famous book Weep Not Child was the first book by an in East African to be written English It is about the Mau Mau the by rebellion the Kikuyu people against British rule in the 1950s In later years Ngugi wa Thiong’o taught at universities in the United Kingdom and the United States fight Kenya Today Kenya is famous for its stunning scenery and is one of Africa’s top tourist destinations Its game parks mountains and beautiful beaches are popular with visitors from all over the world It has also recently gained fame as the birthplace of the father of Barack Obama the president of the United States 쑸 Traditional dancers perform at a celebration in Nairobi commemorating Kenyan independence 6

Kenya in Our World — page 4 — INTRODUCING KENYA 쒀 The Bamburi cement depot at the port of Mombasa Kenya’s ports are vital for importing and exporting goods to and from East Africa African Leader Today Kenya plays a leading role in areas such as trade and politics in Africa Kenyan troops take part in peacekeeping missions in the neighboring countries of Somalia and Sudan where there are civil wars Other neighboring countries such as landlocked Ethiopia and Uganda rely on Kenya’s ports and roads to transport goods all over the world BASIC DATA Official name Republic of Kenya Capital Nairobi Size 224,962 sq miles 582,650 sq km Population 40,046,566 2010 est Currency Kenyan shilling 7

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