Geography and Environment of Kenya

The northern and eastern three‑fifths of the country are arid. The southern two‑fifths, where most of the population and nearly all the economic production is centered, consists of a low‑lying coastal area and a plateau varying in altitude from 3,000 to 10,000 feet. Although only about 20% of the land is suitable for cultivation, agriculture is the most important economic activity. The Nairobi area offers the contrasts of green rolling uplands, thorn scrub of the famous game plains, coffee and tea estates, and entry to the Great Rift Valley. Farther afield are the forests and snows of Mount Kenya, the dairy and farm country of the highlands, the tropical beaches of the coastal strip, and the deserts of the northeast. Nairobi is 87 miles south of the Equator and some 300 miles west of the Indian Ocean. The downtown area has an elevation of 5,400 feet, but some residential areas are located at more than 6,000 feet.

Detailed geography