KENYA.
From coral reefs to icy peaks of Africa's second - highest mountain (Mt Kenya) and vast savannas stretching to northern deserts (Chalbi desert in the northern region bordering Sudan and Ethiopia), Kenya has long been famous as one of the world's great wildlife watching destinations.
Kenya lies astride the Equator on the eastern coast of Africa. It is a medium sized country by continental standards, covering an area of about 586,600 sq.kms. It's inland water bodies cover some 10,700 sq.kms, the bulk of this being Lake Victoria (shared by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) and Lake Turkana (On the Kenya - Ethiopia border). It is bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean to the East, Ethiopia to the North, Sudan to the North West, Uganda to the West and Tanzania to the South. Kenya's coastline along the Indian Ocean is about 550km long. Its biological diversity is generally easy to see in an excellent network of game parks and reserves. There are hundreds of mammal species including all of Africa's 'big five' (Elephants, Rhinos, Buffaloes, Lions and Leopards). Birds are abundant, common and diverse, with 1114 species. Succulent plants exist plus 871 species of butterfly.
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| Although Kenya is wholly tropical, its climate varies greatly with rainfall and elevation. At one extreme, high rainfall affects Aberdare, Mt Kenya and Mt Elgon National Parks. Biologically rich rain forests in the west e.g. Kakamega Forest - abound with bird life, animals and plants of West African origin. Vast areas of semiarid scrub in the north and east, drained by the Tana and Ewaso Nyiro rivers, support a high diversity of wildlife in Samburu National Reserve, Tsavo and Meru National Parks. Little rain falls in the arid far north where ancient fossil beds, specialized animals and lava flows border Lake Turkana. Rainfall and elevation rise in the south and west, where rolling savannas support the biggest numbers of large animals in the famous Amboseli National Park (At the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro) and Maasai Mara National Reserve (scene of the annual migration of half a million Wildebeests from the Serengeti plains -the greatest concentration of large animals on earth). East of the Rift Valley, most rain falls in two distinct periods: the so-called 'long rains' (March to May) and the 'short rains' (November to December). Dry rains make access and wildlife viewing easier; but rains bring a flush of green to the savannas, and trigger the breeding of many species.
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