The Geography of Kenya : Kenya has a diversified geography that varies among its 47 counties. East African mangrove swamps can be found along Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline. There are several hills and wide plains in the interior. Kenya shares borders with Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, South Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, and Ethiopia to the north.
The Kenyan Rift Valley and Mount Elgon, which is on the border within Kenya and Uganda and is home to the country’s tallest mountain, Mount Kenya, respectively, are what define central and western Kenya. An East African rainforest remnant can still be found in western Kenya’s Kakamega Forest. The largest forest area in East Africa, Mau Forest, is much greater.
Location
Kenya is located between Tanzania and Somalia, along the coast of the Indian Ocean, in Eastern Africa. It has a total land area of 3,457 kilometres (2,148 mi) altogether. Ethiopia is a border nation with 867km ( 539miles) Somalia, 684km(425miles), South Sudan is 317 km( 197miles) Tanzania 775km (482miles) and Uganda which is 814 kilometres (506 miles)
The Climate
Kenya’s weather varies depending on where you are, ranging from generally chilly all day to always warm or scorching by midday. Tropical weather prevails along the shore. This indicates that throughout the year, rainfall and temperatures are higher than inland. Nearly every day, the air temperature in Mombasa, Lamu, and Malindi swings from cool to scorching.
The climate in Kenya gets drier as one travels deeper inland. Nearly no rain falls in a very arid region, and day/night cycles greatly affect temperature variation. Nearly every day, the daytime temperature climbs by roughly 12 °C (or about 22 °F) in several parts of Kenya.
There are small seasonal temperature changes of 4 °C or 7.2 °F, which are cooler in the winter. Despite being situated near the equator, Kenya experiences the seasons of the Southern Hemisphere, with the warmest summer months occurring between December and March and the coolest winter months being between June and August, with local variations in temperature.
On high mountains like Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, and Kilimanjaro, the temperature can drop below freezing for the majority of the year. The highest peaks see some snowfall.
The Kenyan Terrain
The Great Rift Valley divides the low-lying plains of Kenya in half, while the central highlands ascend into them. Additionally, the west of the nation has a lush plateau. Kenya is at its lowest point in the Indian Ocean, at sea level. At 5,197 metres above sea level, Mount Kenya is the highest point in Kenya.The Athi-Galana-Sabaki River, Kenya’s second-longest river at about 390 kilometres overall while draining an area of about 70,000 square kilometres, the Tana River, Kenya’s longest river at just over 1000 kilometres overall while draining an area of over 100,000 square kilometres, and the Nzoia River, a 257-kilometer (160 mi) river that rises from Mount Elgon, are among the country’s notable rivers.
Mount Kenya
The second-highest peak in Africa, after Kilimanjaro, is Mount Kenya (Kikuyu: Kirinyaga, Kamba, Ki Nyaa), an extinct stratovolcano located in Kenya. Nelion (5,188 metres or 17,021 feet), Batian (5,199 metres or 17,057 feet), and Point Lenana (4,985 metres or 16,355 feet) are the three tallest peaks on the mountain. Its peak is currently the intersection of Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, and Tharaka Nithi counties, around 16.5 kilometres (10.3 miles) south of the equator and roughly 150 kilometres (90 mi) north-northeast of the country’s capital Nairobi. Mount Kenya is situated in the old Eastern and Central provinces of Kenya.The Republic of Kenya gets its name from Mount Kenya.
For many years, Mount Kenya was encircled by ice. Due to this, there are many valleys extending from the peak and severely damaged slopes. Currently, there are 11 little glaciers, but they are rapidly thinning and could vanish by 2050.For a large portion of Kenya, the forested hillsides provide as a significant water source. From the bottom to the peak there are many bands of vegetation. Several distinct types of forest cover the lower slopes. The enormous lobelias, senecios, rock hyrax, and other alpine species that are only found on Mount Kenya are just a few examples. In 1997, a 715 km² (276 sq. mi) area surrounding the mountain’s heart was made into a national park and included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Annual attendance at the park exceeds 16,000 people.
Lake Victoria
One of the Great Lakes of Africa is Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, the largest tropical lake, and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, after Lake Superior in North America, with a surface size of roughly 59,947 km2 (23,146 sq. mi).With a volume of 2,424 km3 (1.965 109 acre-ft), Lake Victoria is the ninth-largest continental lake in the world. In Africa, Lake Victoria is located in a small depression. The lake’s highest depth is 80–81 m (262-266 ft), with an average depth of 40 m (130 ft).65,583 square miles or 169,858 km2 make up its catchment area. When digitised at the 1:25,000 scale, the lake’s shoreline measures 7,142 kilometres (4,438 mi), with islands making up 3.7% of this length.
Mount Elgon
North of Kisumu and west of Kitale, near the border between Uganda and Kenya, lies a shield volcano called Mountain Elgon. The “Wagagai” summit of the mountain is completely located in Uganda. Geologists believe Mount Elgon to be at least 24 million years old, making it the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa even though there is no proof of its earliest volcanic activity. The mountain’s Maasai name, Elgonyi, is where it gets its name.
On the border between eastern Uganda and western Kenya, there lies a huge, lone, volcanic mountain called Mount Elgon. Its enormous form, which has a diameter of 80 kilometres (50 miles), towers 3,070 metres (10,070 feet) over the plains below. In addition to providing relief for people from the sweltering plains below, its cooler heights also serve as a haven for flora and fauna.
There are five main summits on Mount Elgon:
Uganda’s Wagagai (4,321 metres (14,177 feet)Sudek, a flat-topped basalt column in Kenya, is located on the Kenya/Uganda boundary at 4,302 metres (14,114 feet). Koitobos is in Kenya at 4,222 metres (13,852 feet).Mubiyi in Uganda, 4,211 metres (13,816 feet) high. Masaba (4,161 m (13,652 ft) in Uganda
Lake Turkana
A lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley in northern Kenya with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia is called Lake Turkana, originally known as Lake Rudolf. It is both the largest alkaline lake and the largest permanent desert lake in the world. It surpasses the dwindling South Aral Sea to become the fourth-largest salt lake in the world by volume, behind the Caspian Sea, Lake Issyk-Kul, and Lake Van. It also ranks 24th among all lakes.
The Kenyan coast
Kenya’s coastline, which is protected by an offshore barrier coral reef, is renowned for its breath taking beaches, warm waters, and variety of water activities like snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing, and kite surfing. The Kenyan coast, with its own distinct personality, makes for the ideal cap to an amazing safari.
The most coveted beaches in the area can be found at Diani, an enchanting resort, and to the south of Diani lies Wasini Island, home to one of the best snorkelling spots in Africa. Wasini Marine National Park is also located on Wasini Island. 19 kilometres separate Diani from Fort Jesus in Mombasa.
