Kenya

By Kenya Chestnut
Map of Kenya, Africa
• Kenya is in Eastern Africa bordering the Indian Ocean between Somalia and
Tanzania.
• Kenya is slightly more than twice the size of the U.S. state Nevada.
• The total area is 582, 650 square kilometers.
• The land area is 569,250 square kilometers.
• The water is 13, 400 square kilometers.
• The population is over 33 million people.
Kenya Table of Contents
Map of Kenya .....................................1
Kenya's History...................................2
Regions in Kenya................................3
Government and Currency..................4
Religious Beliefs and Worship............5
Shelter in Kenya..................................6
Family Life...........................................7
Values of Kenyans..............................8
Food....................................................9
Clothes..............................................10
Entertainment, hobbies, and Sports...11
Customs ...........................................12
Celebrations......................................13
Glossary............................................14
Index..................................................15
Bibliography.......................................16
Kenya's History
Timeline 1894 to 2001
Jomo Kenyatta is born in
Ichaweri
1894
Kenyans are recruited into
World War 1
1914
Britain's protectorate is
formed and names British
East Africa 1895
Kenyan Independence Day
1963
The first tea plantation is founded
1923
3 million Kenyans die from drought
2001
Regions in Kenya
•
•
•
•
•
Nairobi is a city and is the capital of Kenya and the world's safari capital.
The Coastline dates back 1000 years and is known for marine life, lagoons, and high cliffs.
The Rift Valley runs throughout Kenya from north to south and is known for extinct
volcanoes and game parks.
The Central Highlands are home to the highest mountains in Kenya like Mount Kenya, the
second highest in which experienced climbers visit to climb.
Kenya's greatest natural resource is petroleum which is used for oil and energy.
Mount Kenya
17, 057 feet high
First climbed in 1899
Nairobi
Population 3.1 million
Kenya's Government and Currency
Government
•
•
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Kenya's government is presidential representative democratic republic.
Kenya's president Mulai Kabaki serves as both Chief of State and head of government
and was elected president for the popular five year term.
The prime minister Ralia Odinga is the head of the largest party in the National
Assembly and handles government business.
Currency
•
•
•
The Kenya dollar is called a shilling.
One american dollar will buy a cup of coffee with change left over in Kenya.
Shillings are in 5s, 10s, 20s, 50s, 100s, 500s, and 1000s like the American dollar.
Kenya's Religious Beliefs
More than 75 percent of Kenyans are Christians. Most of the Christians
are protestants, and the rest are mainly Roman Catholics. Ten percent
of Kenya's people are Muslims. Most live in Mombasa and the coastal
regions.
Kenyan Muslims worshiping at the mosque
Kenyan Christians in church outside
Homes in Kenya
Houses are made out of brick, tar, and stone.
Kenyans build huts out of mud.
Brick house
Mud hut
Kenyan Family Life
Just as they did long ago each family has its own ideas and
way of life. Kenyans sing, dance and tell stories to remember
ways of long ago. Some Kenyans still live as there ancestors
lived hundreds of years ago.
Kenyan Values
Marriage is highly valued by all traditional cultures of Kenya.
It is the foundation on which families are built.
Kenyan Weddings
The Food of Kenya
Kenyans love white corn called maize.They crush it into a light
flour and then cook all sorts of dishes.One of the most favortie
dishes is called ugali. Kenyans also eat fish,meat,and
vegetables. In big cities such as Nairobi,Kenyans find pizza and
french fries to eat.
Ugali Recipe
4 cups water
3 to 4 cups maize meal
Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add the
maize meal and stir to prevent lumps.
Add more maize meal to make a thick
porridge. Keep stirring until the maize
meal is well cooked. Tip out onto a
plate - the ugali should hold its shape.
Best served hot with sukuma wiki.
4 servings.
http://allthingskenyan.com/foodugali.html
Clothing of Kenya
Kenyans wear three kinds of clothing including traditional tribal
Western style, and Arabic style.
Traditional
style
Western style
Arabic style
Entertainment, Hobbies, and Sports
•
•
•
•
Cricket is a favorite sport in Kenya, and in 2003 its national team reached the semifinal Cricket World Cup.
Football is what we call soccer in America an is popular in Kenya, but the country has
never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
Boxing is so large in Kenya, December 26th is a major celebration on the calendar in
Kenya.
Track and field is a favorite sport in Kenya, and the country produces world known
runners, such as the winner of the 2011 NY Marathon Geoffrey Mutai.
Cricket in Kenya
Football/soccer is a favorite past time
December 26 is Boxing Day
Customs
Languages

Swahili and English are the official languages.

There are a total of 62 languages spoken in Kenya including African, Asian, and Middle Eastern
languages.
Family

The extended family is the basis of the social culture.

The male’s parents live with his family when the parents are too old to care for themselves.

Kenyans believe after an ancestor dies, the spirit lives on until the last person in the family
remembers or speaks of the ancestor.

People who are married have greater status and appear more stable.
Greetings

Men greet with a short handshake if they are just meeting for the first time and a long handshake if
they are good friends.

Women greet with a hug and kiss.

It is a sign of respect to lower your eyes when greeting someone with a higher status.
Etiquette

No one eats until the eldest person at the table begins eating.

The guest is served first at the dinner table.

It is polite to finish all the food on your plate.

Guests are expected to wash their hands before and after eating.
Kenyan women greeting with a
kiss
Glossary
•
Maize - corn
•
Muslim - relating to the religion and law of Islam
•
Western - the new world or North America and South America
•
Government - the system that rules a community
•
Democratic Republic - government with democratic beliefs but the monarch is not the
head of state
•
Ancestor - a person from whom one comes
•
Tribal - people united by common ancestors
•
Regions - divisions of a space or surface
•
Religions - a practice of beliefs in which people live
Index
Ancestor, 7
Celebrations, 15
Clothing, 12
Customs, 14
Family, 7
Food, 9
Government, 6
History, 4
Homes, 8
Religion, 7
Sports, 13
Values, 10
Bibliography
Ryan, Patrick. Welcome to Kenya. Mankato, MN: The Child's
World, 1980
Giles, Bridget. Countries of the World. Washington, DC:
National Geographic, 2006
Culture Grams. www.culturegrams.com
World Book. www.wordbook.com