Kenya

! Kenya !



__Flag description__

The colors symbolize black majority, red for the blood shed during the struggle for freedom, and green for natural wealth; the white fimbriation was added later and symbolizes peace. The black, red, and white traditional Maasai sheild and two spears symbolize the defense of all the things mentioned above.

__Background__ The founding president is Jomo KENYATTA. He led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a one party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union made itself the sole party in Kenya. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anticorruption platform. KIBAKI's NARC coalition splintered in 2005 over the constitutional review process. Government defectors joined with KANU to form a new opposition coalition, the Orange Democratic Movement, which defeated the government's draft constitution in a popular referendum in November 2005. KIBAKI's reelection in December 2007 brought charges of vote rigging from ODM candidate Raila ODINGA and unleashed two months of violence in which as many as 1,500 people died. UN-sponsored talks in late February produced a powersharing accord bringing ODINGA into the government in the restored position of prime minister.

__Location__

Eastern Africa Bordering the Indian Ocean Between Somalia and Tanzania.

__Area__

total: 580,367 sq km country comparison to the world: 55 land: 569,140 sq km water: 11,227 sq km __Borders__

Border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km Total: 3,477 km

__Climate__

Varies from tropical along coast to arid in the center of the continent.

__Ethnic Groups__

Kikuyu 22% Luhya 14% Luo 13% Kalenjin 12% Kamba 11% Kisii 6% Meru 6% other African 15% non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%

__Government Type__

Kenya has a republic govenment.

__Suffrage__

It's 18 years of age

__GDP per Capita__

$1,600 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 193

__Agriculture products__

tea coffee corn wheat sugarcane fruit vegetables dairy products beef pork poultry eggs

__Imports__

machinery and transportation equipment petroleum products motor vehicles iron and steel resins and plastics

__Religion__

Protestant 45% Roman Catholic 33% Muslim 10% indigenous beliefs 10% other 2%

__Terrain__

The low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley Also its a fertile plateau in the west.

__Natural resources__

limestone soda ash salt gemstones fluorspar zinc diatomite gypsum wildlife hydropower

__Land use__

//arable land:// 8.01% //permanent crops:// 0.97% //other:// 91.02% (2005)

__Natural hazards__

Its recurring drought Its flooding during rainy seasons

__Environmental issues__

water pollution from urban and industrial wastes degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria deforestation soil erosion desertification poaching

__Languages__

English Kiswahili and many other languages __Capital__

Nairobi

__Leader__

President Mwai KIBAKI

__Military expenditures__

2.8% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 56

__Industries__

small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, clothing, soap, cigarettes, flour) agricultural products horticulture oil refining aluminum steel lead cement commercial ship repair tourism

__Currency/Exchange Rate__

//Currency-// Kenyan shillings (KES) per US dollar  //Exchange rate-// 68.358 (2008 est.), 68.309 (2007), 72.101 (2006), 75.554 (2005), 79.174 (2004)

__Education__

6.9% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 27

__Population__

39,002,772 country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">34

__Population growth rate__

2.691% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">25

__Net migration rate__

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">78

__Infant mortality rate__

//total:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">54.7 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">44 //male:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">57.56 deaths/1,000 live births //female:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">51.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

__Life expectancy__

//total population:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">57.86 years country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">188 //male:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">57.49 years //female:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">58.24 years (2009 est.)

__Literacy__

//definition:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">age 15 and over can read and write //total population:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">85.1% //male:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">90.6% //female:// <span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">79.7% (2003 est.)

__Independence__

12 December 1963

from the United Kindom

__Economic overview__

The regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, Kenya has been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. In 1997, the IMF suspended Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. As a result, GDP contracted by 0.2% in 2000. The IMF, which had resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1.2%. Growth lagged at 1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections. In the key December 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old reign ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable economic problems facing the nation. After some early progress in rooting out corruption and encouraging donor support, the KIBAKI government was rocked by high-level graft scandals in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, the World Bank and IMF delayed loans pending action by the government on corruption. The international financial institutions and donors have since resumed lending, despite little action on the government's part to deal with corruption. Post-election violence in early 2008, coupled with the effects of the global financial crisis on remittance and exports, reduced GDP growth to 2.2% in 2008, down from 7% the previous year.

__Unemployment__

40% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">188

__Exports__

tea horticultural products coffee petroleum products fish cement

__Illicit drugs__

marijuana heroin methaqualone

__Internet access__

3 million (2007) country comparison to the world: <span class="category_data">56

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