Travel Guide Kenya

Geography of Kenya

Kenya straddles the equator in eastern Africa and covers 582,646 km². Kenya borders Ethiopia and Sudan to the north, Somalia to the east, and Tanzania to the south. Kenya’s coastline meets the Indian Ocean to the south-east, while Uganda is the country’s neighbour to the west. The capital of Kenya is Nairobi.
A lightly undulating plateau runs through the north and east of Kenya, with isolated mountains. Central Kenya is dominated by the Kenyan Highlands, which ranges between 300 and 1500 m above sea level. The Rift Valley runs north to south across the central highlands. This valley runs from Lake Turkana in the north to Tanzania in the south, with other lakes, like Lake Boringo, Lake Bogaria and Lake Nukuru, in-between. There are volcanic mountain ranges on both sides of the Rift Valley. The glacial peak of Mount Kenya is located in the south-west. At 5,199 m, Mount Kenya is the highest peak in the country and the second highest peak on the African continent behind Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
The central highlands continued to the west of the valley until the land falls away into Lake Victoria. The north and north-west of the country are covered by a flat plateau. Kenya’s eastern coast is shaped by reefs, islands and inlets, and has long stretches of white sandy beaches.

Geomorphology/Geology

Kenya's geomorphology is mainly influenced by the East African Rift. The diverging processes in the continental rift zone formed a trench that is still broadening about 6 to 7 mm per year and thereby dividing the African Plate into the Somali and the Nubian Plate. In Kenya the width of the East African Rift Valley varies between 70 and 300 km and many active and less active volcanoes were formed in this region. One of those volcanoes is Mount Kenya which is the highest mountain in Kenya, whereas the coast is the lowest point with 0 meters above sea level. The longest rivers of the country are Tana, Sabki and Kerio.

Climate in Kenya

Climate in Kenya is mainly influenced by its location near the equator. In southern, lower regions near Lake Victoria and the coast, the climate is hot and humid with an average annually temperature of 26°C. The Northwest of Kenya is generally the driest region of the country and with temperatures mostly around 40°C also one of the hottest. In contrast to that, the average temperature in higher regions is usually around 17°C. In the rainy seasons from October to December and also from April to June, up to 1,800 mm of rain may fall in those higher regions and along the coast.

Social Geography of Kenya