Kenya

Official title: Republic of Kenya (known in Kiswahili as Djumhuri ya Kenya)

Capital City:  Nairobi (means 'swamp')

Official Language: Kiswahili and English, although Kikuyu, Luo, Kikamba and Kiluyhya are widely spoken

Currency: Kenya shilling (KS) = 100 cents

Cash crops for export: Tea, coffee, sugar, cotton, pyrethrum, wattle, sisal and pineapples

Food crops: Maize, sorghum, cassava, beans, vegetables, fruits, livestock and fish

Total land area: Approxiamtely 582,600 sq. km

Historical background: Coastal Kenya was settled as early as the 7th century AD by Persian and Arab traders on the endless quest for ivory and slaves. The first Europeans to arrive were the Portuguese in the 16th century. They were constantly at war with the Arab population and their position were further weakened by the growth of English naval power in the Indian Ocean. The Portuguese were finally driven out of Kenya in the 17th century. The coastal area came under control of the Sultan of Oman and a flourishing trade in ivory and slaves was soon established.

East Africa is completely different from the arid wilderness, deserts or humid tropical forest of the north, central and western Africa. The region enjoys a peculiar tropical climate, which is dry and sunny. It favors the growth of exotic trees such as the African camphor, pencil cedar, baobab and podo, peculiar to the region.