| Geography | Kenya |
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Location:
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Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania |
Geographic coordinates:
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1 00 N, 38 00 E |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 580,367 sq km
land: 569,140 sq km
water: 11,227 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly more than twice the size of Nevada |
Land boundaries:
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total: 3,477 km
border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, South Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km |
Coastline:
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536 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Climate:
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varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior |
Terrain:
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low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m |
Natural resources:
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limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower |
Land use:
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arable land: 8.01%
permanent crops: 0.97%
other: 91.02% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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1,030 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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30.2 cu km (1990) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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736 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 1.58 cu km/yr (30%/6%/64%)
per capita: 46 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
volcanism: Kenya experiences limited volcanic activity; the Barrier (elev. 1,032 m) last erupted in 1921; South Island is the only other historically active volcano |
Environment - current issues:
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water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value |
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