The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. Formerly a British colony and protectorate, it gained independence in 1963. Area 582.6 thousand square meters. km. Population 29 million (1998). The capital is Nairobi.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, NATURE
An independent state on the African continent. This East African country is unique in many ways: one part of it is in the northern hemisphere, the other in the southern hemisphere, and you can visit both winter and summer at the same time. In fact, the whole country is a huge national reserve, in which the richest world of such a strange Africa, which is under the protection of the state, is presented in all its extraordinary diversity. Lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, crocodiles, hippos, cheetahs, buffaloes, antelopes… These and many other animals can be observed during a safari in their natural environment.
About 40 tribes and nationalities live in Kenya, among them warlike tribes of nomadic livestock breeders Masai and Samburu, who have preserved the ancient way of life and customs. Watching their rituals and dances is a great exotic.
The east coast of Kenya is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, where sandy beaches, comfortable hotels and hot sun await tourists all year round. Mombasa is rightfully considered the center of the Kenyan seaside resort.
CAPITAL, MAJOR CITIES
The capital, largest city and business center of the country is Nairobi (2.3 million people). The main seaport is Mombasa (1 million people in 1997). Other major cities are Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Thika and Nanyuki.
Climate
Tropical, drier in the center, more humid on the coast. The average temperature in Nairobi is +24 degrees, on the coast +28 degrees.
POPULATION
Population – 29 million people (1998). 98.6% African. In addition, 53,000 Asians, 34,000 Europeans and 41,000 Arabs were registered. The African population consists of over 40 ethnic groups.
LANGUAGE
The official languages are English and Swahili, but the population speaks 75 other languages.
RELIGION
20% of the inhabitants are representatives of some form of the Christian religion, another fifth of the Kenyans are animists, the rest of the population are Muslims or Hindus.
HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS
January 1 (New Year), May 1 (Labor Day), June 1 (Madarana Day), October 10 (Moi Day), October 20 (Kenyatta Day), December 12 (Independence Day), December 25-26 (Christmas). There are also holidays with a non-fixed date: Good Friday, Easter Monday and Muslim holidays – the end of Ramadan (Idul-Fitr), the birthday of the Prophet, New Year.
KITCHEN
Knyan cuisine is diverse, it includes elements of African, Asian and European cuisine. As a rule, a lot of hot spices are used in cooking, which may not always please those who are not used to “burning”, spicy food. We recommend that you specify what exactly you want to order, with or without pepper. Seafood is of particular interest. It is unlikely that you will try turtle soup or a dish made from octopus in Russia. Of course, all restaurants offer a large selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Transport
Railways and roads are concentrated mainly in the south of the country. The main rail line runs from Mombasa via Nairobi to Uganda. There are also several side lines, the total length of railways is approx. 3 thousand km. The main cities are connected by a network of roads with a total length of 70 thousand km (10% – with a hard surface). The highway connects Nairobi with Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
TIME
1 hour ahead of Minsk.
MONEY
Kenyan shillings, 1 US dollar is approximately equal to 50 Kenyan.
Visas, CUSTOMS CONTROL
To visit the country you need to apply for a visa.
Tourists are allowed to import 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, one liter of alcoholic beverages.
EMBASSY
Kenya in Moscow: st. Bolshaya Ordynka, 70; tel.: (095) 237-34-62, fax: 230-23-40.
DOCUMENTS FOR A VISA – KENYA
To apply for a visa, you must have: a
foreign passport (valid for at least 3 months from the date of receipt of the visa),
a Russian passport, a
questionnaire
2 photos.
The visa is issued within 2-3 days.
