From the shores of the Indian Ocean to the highlands of the Rift Valley, straddling the equator
Crossed through its middle by the equator, Kenya stretches from the beaches and reefs of the Indian Ocean to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa. The Rift Valley cuts through it from north to south, dotted with volcanoes and lakes, while the fertile highlands on either side, dominated by Mount Kenya, the continent's second-highest peak, hold most of the population and agriculture. The arid north and east are the domain of nomadic herders. The southern savannahs, such as the Masai Mara, are home to one of the highest concentrations of large wildlife in the world.
580,367 km²
Area
5,199 m
Highest point · Mount Kenya (Batian)
5
Land borders
The main rivers of Kenya. Click a river to see its length, source and mouth.
Climate
A tropical climate moderated by altitude: hot and humid on the Indian Ocean coast, temperate in the central and western highlands, home to Nairobi and the farming regions, and arid to semi-arid in the north and east, which cover more than four-fifths of the territory. Rain falls in two seasons, the "long rains" from March to May and the "short rains" from October to December.
Bordering countries
Administrative divisions
Since the 2010 Constitution, applied from the 2013 elections, Kenya has been divided into 47 counties, each with an elected governor and assembly, which manage healthcare, agriculture and local roads among other things. They replaced the eight provinces inherited from colonial times. In the north-west, Kenya administers de facto the Ilemi Triangle, an area of about 10,000 to 14,000 km² also claimed by South Sudan; the two countries have begun talks to settle this border dispute.
290
Correspond to the National Assembly constituencies.
1,450
Wards
The 47 regions of the mainland territory of Kenya.