for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured
opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992
and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but are viewed as
having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President
MOI stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful
elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic,
united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated
KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a
campaign centered on an anticorruption platform.
Geography Kenya
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and
Tanzania
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 582,650 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 3,477 km
border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline:
536 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources:
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, rubies, fluorspar, garnets,
wildlife, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 8.08%
permanent crops: 0.98%
other: 90.94% (2001)
Irrigated land:
670 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
Environment - current 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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands,
Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the Kenyan Highlands compr
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