The Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa. Kenya's territory lies on the equator and overlies the East African Rift covering a diverse and expansive terrain that extends roughly from Lake Victoria to Lake Turkana and further south-east to the Indian Ocean.
Kenya has a warm and humid tropical climate on its Indian Ocean coastline. The climate is cooler in the savannah grasslands around the capital city, Nairobi, and especially closer to Mount Kenya, which has snow permanently on its peaks. Further inland, in the west, there is a hot and dry climate which becomes humid around Lake Victoria, the largest tropical fresh-water lake in the world. The northern parts are also hot and dry, and has a semi desert-like terrain which get very green when it rains.
Kenya is a presidential republic and got it's independence from Britain in 1963. It has gradually become the largest economy by GDP in East and Central Africa. It has 47 semi-autonomous counties governed by elected governors. The capital and largest city is Nairobi. The people of Kenya are from diverse cultures, 42 communities with different ethnicity and languages but united by the common languages (Swahili and English), cosmopolitan cities and towns, and common interests especially business and religion.
Kenya's National Parks and Game Reserves
Kenya has 23 National Parks, 15 National Reserves and 7 Marine Parks/Reserves.
The main attractions in some of them are:
MASAI MARA
The Mara is the most famous park in Kenya with over 450 types of birds and 95 species of animals, including all of the Big 5. The Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra occurs here annually from July to September.
AMBOSELI
Resting at the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Amboseli contains 2 swamps nestled in the midst of this vast arid grassland. African elephants are plentiful and the sparse vegetation provides excellent opportunities for viewing the buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, hyena, giraffes, zebra, and wildebeest in Amboseli.
LAKE NAKURU
The lake's naturally occurring algae attracts more than 2 million flamingos to the shores of Lake Nakuru along with over 400 other species of bird. Zebra, impala, gazelle, lion, leopard, hyena, hippo, buffalo and white rhino are common along with the 30 endangered Rothschild giraffe.
MT KENYA
Mt Kenya stands as the 2nd highest mountain in Kenya at 5,199 meters (17,057 ft). Most visitors ascend to Point Lenana at 4,985 meters (16,355 ft), beyond which requires technical climbing. The Mt Kenya National Park is home to elephant, bushbuck, eland, rhino, leopard and waterbuck.
SAMBURU
This collection of 3 parks attracts a diverse array of animals to its permanent supply of water. Leopards are more common here than anywhere else in Kenya. Lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo and hippo live here along with more rare Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe and more than 350 species of bird.
ABERDARES
The park's streams, rivers, and waterfalls are surrounded by mountain tops. Great hunters like the lion, leopard and African hunting dog live in this less traveled park, attracted by the Cape buffalo, waterbuck, eland, elephant and baboon. The waterholes in the park provide for excellent wildlife viewing at night.
SWEETWATERS
View some 26 orphaned chimps while boating through the Chimpanzee Sanctuary located here. Positioned between the slopes of Mt Kenya and Aberdares, Sweetwaters affords the opportunity to see lion, elephant, white and black rhino, cheetah and even Max, the park's tame rhino.
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