The Republic of Kenya, One of the Largest African Nations

The Republic of Kenya is among the most densely populated countries situated on the African continent. Kenya is the 34^th most populous country in the world, with a national population surpassing 37,500,000 people. Kenya is located in east-central Africa and borders Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as Lake Victoria (one of the largest lakes in the world). Additionally, Kenya has a coastline that runs along the Indian Ocean and is a significant contributor to their national economy. The capital and largest city of Kenya, Nairobi, has a population approaching 3 million people and is an important economic center for the region. Other cities that are important to the national economy and have sizeable populations include Nakaru, Mombasa, Thika, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Machakos. The nation of Kenya encompasses approximately 225,000 square miles of land, earning it the attribute of being the 47^th most vast country in the world. Kenya has a long history that dates back to early historic times, however, in recent history Kenya was a territory under the British Empire from 1890 until their independence in 1963.

Since Kenya is such a large and populous country, there is a great deal of diversity among the ethnic groups present in the country. The primary ethnic groups, however, are the Kalenjin, Luhya, Luo, Kikuyu, and Maasai, those there are hundreds of other known ethnic groups in the country. With each tribe, they have their own individual tribal languages, thus there are several languages that are widely-spoken in the country. However, for the sake of sanity and to unite all of the tribes, the official national languages are Swahili and English, which are spoken by a majority of the population, who are often multi-lingual. As Kenya is situated in central Africa, unlike its northern African neighbors, the country is largely comprised of people who practice Christianity. Islam is not a popular religion in Kenya, and makes up a small minority. Traditional tribal beliefs are practiced, though they often are a supplemental spirituality to the Christian faith.

Kenya's geographic location is along the world's equator, which means that as a result, they have a diverse terrain and several different geographic landscapes. The major geographic regions in the country include the plains, the coastline, the mountains, the forested area, the fertile grasslands, and the Great Rift Valley. This wide range of terrain and climates has allowed for some diversification of the national economy as well. Rather than being reliant upon only the coast or the grasslands, Kenya is able to combine all of the possible markets to better their economy. Most of the labor force in Kenya is employed by subsistence farming, the production of goods (particularly crops), that are used to sustain the national population. The most heavily produced crops in Kenya are tea, sisal, coffee, wheat, corn, cotton, pineapple, coconuts, sugarcane, and livestock. There are many other crops that are raised in Kenya, in addition to livestock, and which crops farmers grow depends on the geographic terrain. A small manufacturing sector is present in the urbanized areas and produces consumer goods, cement, plastics, furniture, leather goods, tobacco, and petroleum. The chief minerals that are mined in Kenya are gold, salt, limestone, and titanium. Kenya also enjoys a strong tourism industry, and is known for its African safari trips.

Kenya has one of the oldest written constitutions in Africa, dating back to its declaration of independence in 1963. The constitution was drafted at that time, and established a new government. The new government is composed of a president, who acts as head of the state, and is elected by the popular vote of the people to serve a five-year term and the national assembly composed of 222 legislators. The current President of Kenya is President Mwai Kibaki, who was elected along his Vice President Moody Awori, in 2002.