ABSTRACT
On the whole the coastal strip of the mainland is characterized by flat grass and bush country with low ridges, bordered by mangrove swamps along the shores of the many creeks and inlets. The actual sea shore consists partly of sandy beaches and dunes behind, and partly of steep cliffs rising to a height of 2-6 metres. In the rainy season the country, with the exception of the sandy porous soils such as are found in Lamu, has many pools and swamps in the flatter parts. This applies mostly to the area south of Witu; farther north rainfall is scantier. On the whole it can be said that vegetation is richest in Pemba, then in Zanzibar and the mainland between Malindi and Lindi. Less verdant are the south of Tanganyika, the coasts of northern Kenya and Somalia.88
