Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total : 582,650 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada

Land boundaries:
total: 3,446 km
border countries : Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km

Coastline: 536 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior

Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 37%
forests and woodland : 30%
other: 25% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 670 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Desertification

Geography - note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value

Population: 31,138,735 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 41.1% (male 6,462,430; female 6,327,457)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 8,769,546; female 8,694,329)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 385,361; female 499,612) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.15% (2002 est.)

Birth rate:27.61 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 14.68 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 2001 Kenya was host to 220,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia 145,000 and Sudan 68,000 (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 67.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population:47.02 years
male : 46.2 years
female: 47.85 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.34 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan

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%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%, other 2%

Languages: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 78.1%
male: 86.3%
female: 70% (1995 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form : Kenya
former: British East Africa

Data code: KE

Government type: republic

National capital: Nairobi

Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western

Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)

Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, and 1992

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state : President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections:president elected by popular vote from among the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; in addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president
election results : President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI reelected; percent of vote - Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.5%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 11.1%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats; 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called "nominated" members who are appointed by the president, but selected by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals)
elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - KANU 107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president - KANU 6, FORD-K 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, chief justice is appointed by the president; High Court

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A [Kenneth MATIBA, chairman]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K [Michael Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU [President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI] - the governing party; National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA]; SAFINA [Farah MAALIM, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [James ORENGO, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA]; Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY, chairman]

International organization participation: ACP, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOP, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham NZIBO
chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
FAX : [1] (202) 462-3829
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi
mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: [254] (2) 334141
FAX : [254] (2) 340838

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

Economy - overview:Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose prices continue to decline. Following strong economic growth in 1995 and 1996, Kenya's economy has stagnated, with GDP growth failing to keep up with the rate of population growth. In 1997, the IMF suspended Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. As a result, GDP contracted by 0.3% in 2000. The IMF, which had resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1%, and Kenya is unlikely to see growth above 2% in 2002. Substantial IMF and other foreign support is essential to prevent a further decline in real per capita output

GDP: purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:1% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 24%
industry: 13%
services: 63% (2000 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.3% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
total: 10 million (2001 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 75%-80%

Unemployment rate: 40% (2001 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $2.91 billion
expenditures : $2.97 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:-0.7% (2001 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 810,000 kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 4.616 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 4.433 billion kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs

Exports:
total value: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
commodities: tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish, cement
partners : UK 13.5%, Tanzania 12.5%, Uganda 12.0%, Germany 5.5% (2000)

Imports:
total value:$3.1 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics
partners : UK 12%, UAE 9.8%, Japan 6.5%, India 4.4% (2000)

Debt - external: $8 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient : $457 million (1997)

Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KES) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 78.597 (January 2002), 78.563 (2001), 76.176 (2000), 70.326 (1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Telephones: 310,000 (2001)

Telephone system:unreliable; little attempt to modernize except for service to business
domestic:trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 18, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios: 3.07 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 8 (2002)

Televisions: 730,000 (1997)

Railways:
total : 2,778 km
narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge
note: the line connecting Nairobi with the port of Mombasa is the most important in the country

Highways:
total: 63,800 km
paved: 8,932 km
unpaved : 54,868 km (2001)

Waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya

Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km

Ports and harbors: Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa

Merchant marine:
total : 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,893 GRT/6,320 DWT
ships by type:petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 231 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total :20
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m :11
under 914 m: 1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 211
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 111
under 914 m:85 (2001)

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49 : 7,938,865 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males:4,915,090 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $179.2 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.8% (FY01)

Disputes - international: since colonial times, Kenya's administrative boundary has extended beyond its treaty boundary into Sudan creating the "Ilemi Triangle"; arms smuggling and Oromo rebel activities prompt strict border regime with Somalia

Illicit drugs: widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa