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The Rift valley runs the length of the country from Lake Turkana to Lake Natron on the border with Tanzania. The Rift Valley has a series of lakes, arid and rugged landscapes and volcanic landforms and in areas active hot springs and geothermal activity. The land above the Rift Valley in Central Kenya is over 1,500 metres which creates a pleasant climate.
In the centre is Mount Kenya the second highest mountain in Africa and in Tanzania but on the border is Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa. Good views of Kilimanjaro can be seen from Amboseli national park.
The north of Kenya is a large desert and home to nomadic tribes. The gateway is Marala and Marsabit an oasis in the middle of the desert. The Kenyan coast has many beaches, coral reefs, creeks and coral islands. The coastal strip is largely flat and then rises inland into rolling hills.
Game viewing is the big draw card for visitors. Kenya has 16 managed national parks, reserves and game reserves. Tsavo East and Tsavo West National parks between Nairobi cover a land area that is about the size of Wales. The most visited park is the Masai Mara and borders the Serengeti plains that lie in Tanzania. In July and August the annual wildebeest migration takes place. Along with open range,and Kenya has forested reserves that include the Aberdares and Kakamega Forest in the west of Kenya.
A second draw card is the Kenyan coast along the Indian ocean. Extensive coral reefs that are very close to the shore line, palm fringed beaches with white sands and world class resorts make for a perfect holiday. The entry point is Mombassa and beaches are found to the south and north of Mombassa and finish in the north in the Lamu archipelago a world heritage site.
Kenya is mostly dry with 75% of the land area arid or semi arid. The coastal area is warm and humid and cool and humid in the central highlands and hot and dry in the north and east of Kenya. Rainfall is seasonal with most rain during April to July due to the southeasterly monsoon. In the central highlands there is additional rain falling in October to December. The peak months for rain are April and November.
The Republic of Kenya is a multi party democracy having a National Assembly. The President is both head of State and head of a Government consisting of 224 seats. Kenya is a secular state primarily Christian with about 6% practicing Islam. The Kenya flag is made up black to represent the people, red to symbolise independence and green for the land and fertility.
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