Kenya is the classic East African safari destination with numerous national parks for game viewing, including the Maasai Mara, site of the annual wildebeest migration, and the gorgeous Lake Nakuru. In addition Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest peak, provides a trekking challenge to rival Kilimanjaro. Kenya’s position as a regional commercial and transport hub make it the ideal base for further explorations of East Africa or as the start or end point for overland journeys. Explore in depth highlights of Kenya.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +3 (Eastern Africa time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | English, Swahili | Other languages: Kikuyu, Luo |
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| Currency: |
Kenyan shillings (KES) €1 = KSh114, $1 = KSh103, £1 = KSh136 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .ke | International Dialling Code: 254 |
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For help planning your trip to Kenya including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Kenya trip planning page.
Further information on Kenya
Discover more about Kenya - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 582,650 sq km (13,400 sq km under water)
Coastline: 536 km (Indian Ocean)
Neighbours (border lengths): Ethiopia (861km), Somalia (682km), Tanzania (769km), Uganda (933km), South Sudan (232km)
Climate: Variable - arid desert in north, tropical coastal forests, savanna plains and temperate highlands. The main rainy season is from April to June, followed by the dry season and the great herd migration from the Masai Mara between July and October.
Highest mountain: Mount Kenya (5,199m) - Climb this mountain!
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Kenya from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Partly Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 97/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 122/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Noticeable problems | 98/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | No rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | High corruption | 145/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 136/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Republic of Kenya Status: Independent Country
Population: 45,010,056 (rank: 30/196) Density: 77.2 people/sq km (rank: 102/196)
Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%
Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs 10%, other 2%
GDP (PPP): $79.9 billion GDP per capita: $1,800 (rank: 166/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.