Kenya is one of the most famous countries in Africa, with hundreds of miles of coastline and breathtaking beaches. It shares borders with Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the southwest, and Sudan to the northwest. It is also bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south.

1. Despite the underdeveloped agricultural sector in the country, over 75% of the population is engaged in farming. Kenya’s main export crop is coffee. In addition to coffee, farmers also grow tea, maize, wheat, sugarcane, pineapples, cashews, and flowers.

2. Kenya was a British colony and was under British protectorate from 1895 to 1963.

3. Despite being one of the world’s major coffee exporters, the locals prefer drinking tea as they consider it an exclusively export product.

4. Kenya is home to the Maasai people. The Maasai are a group of indigenous tribes living in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. They are known for their jumping dance and warrior skills.

5. Kenya has two official languages – English and Swahili.

6. Kenya’s savannah is home to lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalos. Millions of tourists visit Kenya annually to go on safaris and see these animals. As a result, tourism is the largest source of foreign currency in Kenya.

7. Kenya has the island of Lamu, where motor vehicles are prohibited.

8. Kenyans are renowned for their long-distance running abilities. In 2012, at the London Olympics, athlete David Rudisha broke the world record by completing the 800m race in just 1 minute and 40 seconds.

9. The highest point in the country is Mount Kenya, which is also the second-highest peak in Africa.

10. Every 15th Kenyan is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

11. The majority of Kenyans are Christians (82%).

12. The average life expectancy in Kenya is 58 years.

13. On average, a Kenyan woman gives birth to at least 4-5 children.

14. Coffee and tourism are the main sources of income in Kenya.

15. Kenya does not have public transportation – at least not government-run. Locals and tourists travel on vans similar to minibusses, called matatus.

16. Kenya does not experience the four seasons that we are familiar with. It only has two seasons – rainy and dry.

17. Every third Kenyan suffers from unemployment.

18. In Kenya, it is still customary to pay a dowry for a bride. Before taking a girl to the altar, a young man must give her parents a minimum of 10 cows as a gift.