The Republic of Kenya is in East Africa and is bordered by Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and the Indian Ocean.Nairobi is the capital city. The main port is Mombasa.

Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is twice the size of Nevada. In the north, the land is arid; the southwest corner is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of the Great Rift Valley separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal strip.

Much of Kenya is plateaux with highland areas. The Great Rift Valley runs the length of the country. Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano, is the second highest mountain in the continent. The main rivers are the Galana and Tana and lakes include Lake Turkana and Lake Victoria (the Lake Victoria region includes Tanzania and Uganda as well as Kenya).

The Equator runs across Kenya. There are hot and warm seasons: April and May are usually very wet. Noted worldwide for its abundant wildlife, Kenya is a popular stop for tourists, especially those interested in exotic animal safaris.

Kenya's natural environment is varied: coral reefs along the coastline, tropical rainforests, savannah, semi-desert and mountains with alpine regions. Its plant life includes rainforest flora and alpine plants.Like other rainforests, the Kenyan forests have suffered severe deforestation. As part of its conservation programme Kenya has many parks and reserves under the protection of the Wildlife Service.

Kenya's parks and reserves are home to many birds and other wildlife. There are over one thousand species of birds including flamingos and lovebirds. Animals found in the reserves are elephants, lions, cheetahs, leopards, giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, rhinos and the hippopotamus.

Revered by anthropologists as the 'cradle of humanity', Kenya is wild and a little dangerous. If you're adventurous - and sensible - it promises the globe's most magnificent wildlife parks, unsullied beaches, thriving coral reefs, memorable mountain scapes and ancient Swahili cities.

The Swahili word safari (literally, journey) wouldn't mean much to most people if it wasn't for this East African adventure land. No matter how many Tarzan movies you've seen, nothing will prepare you for the annual mass migration of wildebeests in the Masai Mara.

The Swahili word safari (literally, journey) wouldn't mean much to most people if it wasn't for this East African adventure land. Revered by anthropologists as the 'cradle of humanity', Kenya is also the heart of African safari country, boasting the most diverse collection of wild animals on the continent. And no matter how many Tarzan movies you've seen, nothing will prepare you for the annual mass migration of wildebeests in the Masai Mara.