ABSTRACT
Kenya, an independent nation since 1963, lies on the east coast of Africa, with the equator nearly dividing it in half. Its population, characterised by an annual growth rate of more than 3.5 per cent, was estimated to be about 25 million in 1990. Thus, with an area of 583,000 km2, its population density was about 43 people per square kilometre. The population is concentrated on the southwestern highlands and plateaux, which have fertile soils, adequate rainfall and a mild temperature. Nairobi (500 km from the coast), the capital city, lies on the eastern fringe of this fertile region. Although tourism and manufacturing industries are important in the economy, agriculture plays the dominant role with maize, pulses, coffee, tea, pyr-ethrum, livestock and horticulture being particularly significant.
