Four times the size of Great Britain, Tanzania is East Africa’s largest country with a coastline of 800 kilometres, covers 938000 sq kilometres and contains part of the Great Rift Valley.

The river Nile, the Zambezi River and the Congo River are fed by the Tanzania watershed and, Tanzania has more inland waters than any other African country.

Situated south of the equator, Tanzania has temperatures ranging between 25 and 30 degrees C. The country’s long rains tend to last from March to May, and the short rains last from October to December. The southern part of Tanzania also experiences some heavy rainfall between the months of December to April.

Tanzania used to be the world’s leading producer of sisal. Unfortunately the introduction of synthetic fibres significantly depleted the world’s demand for Tanzanian sisal. Other products produced in Tanzania which constitute some of the country’s major exports include cashew nuts, cotton, pyrethrum, tobacco, tea and coffee. Tanzania also boasts a healthy timber market.

The mining of gemstones is rife in Tanzania. Diamonds, alluvial and ore gold are found near Shinyanga and Sekenke. The famous Tanzanite gemstone is also well known and is in demand globally.

The Tanzanian shilling, with 100 cents comprising the shilling. Approximately 1000 Tanzanian Shillings make up a US Dollar. Visitors are not limited to the amount of foreign currency that they can bring into the country, and there are numerous forex-bureaus and banks across the country that can change foreign into local currency for you. Major credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment in most hotels, lodges and shops.

The lingua franca like in Kenya is Swahili and the official language is English.

Approximately 27 million with an average density of 25 inhabitants per sq kilometre.

Kenya lies on the Equator and is found on the Eastern coast of Africa.
Kenya covers a surface area of about 586,600sq. Kilometres and is bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. Kenya has a single time zone which is GMT + 3.

Mountains
Kenya boasts Africa’s second highest mountain, Mount Kenya, which has an altitude of 5199 metres above sea level on its highest peak, Batian. Mount Kenya is believed to be the home of Ngai, the supreme God by the Kikuyu tribe of Kenya. It is a perennially snow-capped peak. Mt. Elgon – Straddles the Kenya / Uganda border. Its highest point is Wagagai, which lies at 4321 metres above sea level. Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano.

Other mountains that make up some of Kenya’s spectacular landscape include The Aberdare Mountains with an altitude of 4001 metres above sea level, The Shimba Hills with an altitude of 1500 metres above sea level, Mount Longonot, Mount Kulal, Mount Nyiru, Mount Marsabit and the Taita and Chyulu Hills.

Lakes and Rivers
Kenya is bisected by the Great Rift Valley, which stretches for 6000 kilometres from Mozambique to Jordan. The Rift Valley in Kenya contains seven lakes, some of which are fresh water and some of which are soda based.

Kenya’s lakes and rivers – Lake Magadi in Southern Kenya – important source of sodium carbonate, Lake Nakuru famous for its flamingo population, Lake Bogoria which boasts several boiling hot springs, Lake Turkana which is a freshwater lake and stretches for 250 kilometres southwards from the Ethiopian border, Lake Victoria – Kenya provides 33% of its drainage flow, the Turkwel River, the and the Tana, Athi and Ewaso Rivers – Kenya’s 3 longest rivers that all drain from the central highlands.

The Bush and Wildlife
Kenya is most famous for its incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. Arid and semi-arid land makes up for nearly 75% of the country’s total surface area. The Masai Mara is one of the most famous National Reserves in the world and is an extension of the Tanzanian Serengeti Reserve. The annual animal migration which can be seen in the Masai Mara between July and September involves the moving of almost 1.5 million animals.

The Desert
The most desertic of Kenya’s land is found mainly in the north and eastern parts of the country. Desert and semi-desert make up 20% of the country’s total surface area.

Forests
Indigenous forest only covers 2% of the country. Much of this forest is found in the central highlands and on isolated mountains. The Kakamega Forest found in Western Kenya is an isolated rain forest and is famous within botanical circles worldwide. There are some isolated remnants of coastal forest and woodlands, including the mangrove forests in most coastal creeks and in particular on the Lamu archipelago.

The Coast
Kenya has 536 kilometres of coastline on the Indian Ocean. Her coral reefs are spectacular and are regarded by divers as one of the world’s top diving resorts. There are numerous off-shore islands including Kiwayu, Pate, Manda, Lamu, Mombasa, Chale, Funzi and Wasini. Much of the coastline consists of crystal white sandy beaches.

Kenya is a warm, dry country with seasonal rainfall. Rain falls mainly in two seasons – April and July as a result of the south-easterly monsoon winds and the second in November / December. Rainfall is unpredictable however, and recently Kenya has been susceptible to drought.

The coast is humid and hot, the central highlands receive the most rainfall and to the north and north-eastern parts of the country it is extremely dry and hot.

Kenya is a Republic and consists of 7 Provinces including the Nairobi area. Kenya is headed by the President, his Excellency Mr Mwai Kibaki, whose position combines the roles of Head of State and Head of Government.

Agriculture makes up 24% of the total economy, industry 13% and, services 63%. Kenya’s major exports include tea, coffee, horticulture, petroleum products, fish and cement – amounting to $3.1 billion worth of goods per year. Major imports include machinery, transport equipment, motor vehicles, iron and steel resins, and plastics.

Population 39 million
Growth rate 1.15%
Age structure 0–14 41%, 15-64 56.1%, 65+ 2.8%
Birth rate 27.61 per 1000 population
Death rate 14.68 per 1000 population
Infant mortality 67.24 per 1000 live births
Fertility 3.34 children per woman
Life expectance Male 46.2 years, Female 47.85 year
HIV prevalence rate 13.5% of total population (2.2 million affected and 180,000 deaths