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
Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies,
fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 4% other: 85%
Irrigated land: 520 sq km (1989)
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
natural hazards: NA
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, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification
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
@Kenya:People
Population: 28,817,227 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (female 6,841,235; male 6,957,908)
15-64 years: 50% (female 7,277,061; male 7,085,925)
65 years and over: 2% (female 359,659; male 295,439) (July 1995 est.)