Map of Kenya | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Revered president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978 when current President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 which were marred by violence and fraud but are viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 582,650 km²
Land: 569,250 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Land boundaries: 3,477 km; Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Coastline: 536 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis

Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Terrain:

Elevation

Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife

Land use: arable land: 3%; permanent crops: 1%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and woodland 4%; other 85%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 26,164,473 (July 1992), growth rate 3.6% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Kenyan(s; adjective - Kenyan

Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 21%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 11%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, Asian, European, and Arab 1%

Languages: English and Swahili (official; numerous indigenous languages

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 44 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; glaciers on Mt. Kenya
Current issues note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 64 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 6.2 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 69% (male 80%, female 58%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Kenya

Government type: republic

Capital: Nairobi

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK; formerly British East Africa)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1991

Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
President: last held on 21 March 1988 (next to be held before March 1993); results - President Daniel T. arap MOI was reelected
National Assembly:

Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Bunge)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US:

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview:
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $9.7 billion, per capita $385 (1989 est.); real growth rate 2.3% (1991 est.)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: most important sector, accounting for 29% of GDP, about 19% of the work force, and over 50% of exports; cash crops - coffee, tea, sisal, pineapple; food products - corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables, dairy products; food output not keeping pace with population growth

Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural processing, oil refining, cement, tourism

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 9.2 million (includes unemployed); the total employed is 1.37 million (14.8% of the labor force); services 54.8%, industry 26.2%, agriculture 19.0% (1989)
Organized labor: 390,000 (est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%, but there is a high level of unemployment and underemployment

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2.4 billion; expenditures $2.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.74 billion (FY90)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: tea 25%, coffee 21%, petroleum products 7% (1989)
Partners: EC 44%, Africa 25%, Asia 5%, US 5%, Middle East 4% (1988)

Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and transportation equipment 29%, petroleum and petroleum products 15%, iron and steel 7%, raw materials, food and consumer goods (1989)
Partners: EC 45%, Asia 11%, Middle East 12%, US 5% (1988)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 28.466 (January 1992), 27.508 (1991), 22.915 (1990), 20.572 (1989), 17.747 (1988), 16.454 (1987)


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Electricity
Production: 730,000 kW capacity; 2,700 million kWh produced, 110 kWh per capita (1990)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $100 million, 1% of GDP (1989 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways:

Merchant marine: 1 petroleum tanker ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,727 GRT/5,558 DWT
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: