Did You Know? 15 Fun Facts About Kenya (and One Bonus Tip!)

WP long wildebeeste in sunrise SLE

The country of Kenya in Africa is rich in fun facts which we’re sure you’ll enjoy learning about.

15 Fun Facts About Kenya (and one bonus tip!):

  1. Kenya lies on the earth’s equator.
  2. After coffee, Kenya’s second biggest income generator is tourism.
  3. For the Kenyans, coffee is considered an export product, not something for local consumption. The local favorites are tea and beer, which they usually drink hot or at room temperature. Hot beer, anyone?
  4. The most famous animals in Africa and popular sights on any Kenya safari are ‘The Big 5’: Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Water Buffalos and Rhinos.
  5. No where in the world is there a movement of animals as immense as the wildebeest migration on the Serengeti Plains in Africa. Over 2 million animals migrate every year from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the greener pastures of the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya during July through to October.
  6. Some of the oldest known paleontological records of man’s history have been found in Kenya.
  7. Kenyans still pay a dowry to the bride’s family before marriage, which starts at 10 cows.
  8. Kenya only has only two seasons – the rainy season and the dry season.
  9. Kenya has been named after Mount Kenya, a very significant landmark in the country, the largest mountain in Kenya and the second highest mountain in Africa.
  10. Kenya is about the size of Texas.
  11. Kenya’s Great Rift Valley was formed about 20 million years ago, when the crust of the Earth split.
  12. Kenya has beautiful white sand beaches along its 300+ mile coastline on the Indian Ocean, with palm trees, blue seas and resorts.
  13. The majority of the people of Kenya are Protestant, followed by Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs and Muslim.
  14. Kenya was ruled by the British for almost 100 years. Kenya gained its independence from British rule in 1963.
  15. The best-known of the Kenyan nomads are the Masai (or Maasai). The Maasai people are tall and slender and are popular for their skill in the use of weapons and their strongly independent ways.

And one bonus tip: In Kenya, hunting is illegal, and has been since 1977.

Join us on a safari to see the great Serengeti Migration in Kenya in 2015!