KenyaKenya (/ˈkɛnjə/; locally [ˈkɛɲaː] (listen)), officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africa and a founding member of the East African Community (EAC). Its capital and largest city is Nairobi. 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 (formerly called Lake Rudolph) and further south-east to the Indian Ocean. It is bordered by Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to thenorth-east. Kenya covers 581,309 km2 (224,445 sq mi), and had a population of approximately 45 million people in July 2014.[2]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 Nyanza region, there is a hot and dry climate which becomes humid around Lake Victoria, the largest tropical fresh-water lake in the world. This gives way to temperate and forested hilly areas in the neighboring western region. The north-eastern regions along the border with Somalia and Ethiopiaare arid and semi-arid areas with near-desert landscapes. Kenya is traditionally famous for its safaris, diverse climate and geography, and expansive wildlife reserves and national parks such as the East and West Tsavo National Park, the Maasai Mara,Lake Nakuru National Park, and Aberdares National Park. Kenya has several world heritage sites such as Lamu and numerous world-famous beaches, includingin Diani, Bamburi and Kilifi where international yachting competitions are held every year.The African Great Lakes region, which Kenya is a part of, has been inhabited by humans since the Lower Paleolithic period. By the first millennium AD, the Bantu expansion had reached the area from West-Central Africa. The borders of the modern state consequently comprise the crossroads ofthe Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan and Afro-Asiatic areas of the continent, representing most major ethnolinguistic groups found in Africa. Bantu and Nilotic populations together constitute around 97% of the nation's residents.[7] European and Arab presence in coastal Mombasa dates to the Early Modern period; European exploration of the interior began in the 19th century. The British Empire established the East Africa Protectorate in 1895, which starting in 1920 gave way to the Kenya Colony. Kenya obtained independence in December 1963. Following a referendum in August 2010 and adoption of a new constitution, Kenya is now divided into 47semi-autonomous counties, governed by elected governors.The capital, Nairobi, is a regional commercial hub. The economy of Kenya is the largest by GDP in East and Central Africa.[8][9] Agriculture is a major employer; the country traditionally exports tea and coffee and has more recently begun to exportfresh flowers to Europe. The service industry is also a major economic driver. Additionally, Kenya is a member of the East African Community trading bloc.The word Kenya, /ˈkɛnjə/, originates from the Kamba name for Mount Kenya, "Kiinyaa'".[citation needed] Prehistoric volcanic eruptions of Mount Kenya(now extinct) may have resulted in its association with divinity and creation among the indigenous Kikuyu-related ethnic groups, who are the native inhabitants of the agricultural land surrounding Mount Kenya.[original research?]In the 19th century, the German explorer Johann Ludwig Krapf was staying withthe Bantu Kamba people when he first spotted the mountain. On asking for the name of the mountain, he was told "Kĩ-Nyaa" or "Kĩĩma- Kĩĩnyaa" probably because the pattern of black rock and white snow on its peaks reminded them of the feathers of the cock ostrich.[10]The Agikuyu, who inhabit the slopes of Mt. Kenya, call it KĩrĩmaKĩrĩnyaga in Kikuyu, which is quite similar to the Kamba name.Ludwig Krapf recorded the name as both Kenia and Kegnia believed by most to be a corruption of the Kamba version.[11][12][13] Others say that this was—on the contrary—a very precise notation of a correct African pronunciation /ˈkɛnjə/.[14] An 1882 map drawn by Joseph Thompsons, a Scottish geologist and naturalist, indicated Mt. Kenya as Mt. Kenia, 1862.[10] Controversy over the actual meaning of the word Kenya notwithstanding, it is clear that the mountain's name became widely accepted, pars pro toto, as the name of the country.NairobiNairobi /naɪˈroʊbi/ is the capital and largest city of Kenya. Nairobi is famous for having The Nairobi National Park, the world’s only game reserve found within a major city. The city and its surrounding area also form Nairobi County. The placename "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, which translates to "cool water". The phrase is also the Maasai name of the Nairobi river, which in turn lent its name to the city. However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun", and is surrounded by several expanding villa suburbs.[2] Inhabitants of Nairobi are known as Nairobians, and the city is governed by the County Government of Nairobi, whose current governor is Evans Kidero.Nairobi was founded in 1899 by the colonial authorities in British East Africa, as a rail depot on the Uganda Railway.[3] The town quickly grew to replace Machakos as the capital of Kenya in 1907. After independence in 1963, Nairobi became the capital of the Republic of Kenya.[4] During Kenya's colonial period, the city became a centre for the colony's coffee, tea and sisal industry.[5] The city lies on the Tana River in the southern part of the country, and has an elevation of 1,795 metres (5,889 ft) above sea level.[6]With a population of about 3.36 million estimated in 2011, Nairobi is thesecond-largest city by population in the African Great Lakes region after Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.[1][7] According to the 2009 census, in the administrative area of Nairobi, 3,138,295 inhabitants lived within 696 km2 (269 sq mi).[8] Nairobi is the 14th-largest city in Africa, including the population of its suburbs.Nairobi is one of the most prominent cities in Africa, both politically and financially.[9] Home to thousands of Kenyan businesses and over 100 major international companies and organisations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the main coordinating and headquarters for the UN in Africa and Middle East, the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Nairobi is an established hub for business and culture. The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is one of the largest in Africa and the second-oldest exchange on the continent. It is Africa's fourth-largest exchange in terms of trading volume, capable of making 10 million trades a day.[10] The Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network (GaWC) defines Nairobi as a prominent social centre.[citation needed]。