The
provinces of Kenya.
Kenya comprises eight
provinces each headed by a centrally-appointed (by the president) Provincial
Commissioner. The provinces (mikowa) are subdivided into seventy-one districts
(wilaya'at) which are then subdivided into 262 divisions (taarafa).
The divisions are then subdivided into approximately 1,088 locations (kata)
and then sublocations (kata ndogo). The City of Nairobi enjoys the
status of a full administrative province. The government supervises
administration of districts and provinces. The provinces are:
At 224,961 mi²
(582,646 km²), Kenya is the world's forty-seventh largest country (after Madagascar).
It is comparable in size to France, and is somewhat smaller than the US state
of Texas.
From the coast on the Indian
Ocean the Low plains rise to central highlands. The highlands are bisected by Great
Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west. The Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the
most successful agricultural production regions in Africa. The highlands are
the site of the highest point in Kenya (and the second highest in Africa): Mount
Kenya, which reaches 5,199 meters (17,057 ft) and is also the site of
glaciers. Climate varies from tropical along the coast to arid in interior.
Kenya has considerable land
area of wildlife habitat, including maasai mara, where blue wildebeest and
other bovids participate in a large scale annual migration. Up to 250,000 blue
wildebeest perish each year in the long and arduous movement to find forage in
the dry season. The "Big Five" animals of Africa can also be found in
Kenya: the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant. A significant population
of other wild animals, reptiles and birds can be found in the national parks
and game reserves in the country. The environment of Kenya is threatened by
high population growth and its side-effects.
Kenya enjoys a tropical
climate. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the
north and northeast parts of the country.
Average annual temperatures |
||||
City |
Elevation (m) |
Max (°C) |
Min (°C) |
|
Mombasa |
coastal town |
17 |
30.3 |
22.4 |
Nairobi |
capital city |
1,661 |
25.2 |
13.6 |
Eldoret |
|
3,085 |
23.6 |
9.5 |
Lodwar |
dry north plainlands |
506 |
34.8 |
23.7 |
Mandera |
dry north plainlands |
506 |
34.8 |
25.7 |
The country receives a
great deal of sunshine all the year round and summer clothes are worn
throughout the year. However, it is usually cool at night and early in the
morning.
The long rain season occurs
from April to June. The short rain season occurs from October to December. The
rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The
hottest period is from February to March and coldest in July to August.
The annual migration occurs
between June and September with millions of wildlife taking part. It has been a
popular event for filmmakers to capture.