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The geography of Kenya is varied. Kenya lies across the equator on the eastern coast of the African continent. In the north Kenya is bordered Sudan and Ethiopia, in the east by Somalia, on the southeast by the Kenyan Ocean, on the southwest by Tanzania and to the west by Lake Victoria and Uganda. While much of northeastern Kenya is a flat, bush-covered plain, the remainder of the country has pristine beaches, scenic highlands and lake regions, the Great Rift Valley, and the magnificent Mount Kenya.
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Kenya covers an area of 582, 646 square kilometers. The land stretches from the sea level (Kenyan Ocean) in the east, to 5, 199 meters at the peak of the snow-capped Mount Kenya. From the coast, the altitude changes gradually through the coastal belt and plains (below 152 metres above sea level), the dry intermediate low belt to what is known as the Kenya Highlands (over 900 metres above sea level). This dry belt is broken by residual hills, masses of broken boulders and inselbergs. The wildlife is mostly concentrated here like the famous Amboseli Game Reserve and Tsavo National Parks. The Great Rift Valley bisects the Kenya Highlands into east and west, with Mount Kenya on the eastern side. The Highlands are cool and agriculturally rich. Both large and smallholder farming is carried out in the highlands and the major produce are cash crops are tea, coffee, pyrethrum, wheat and corn. Livestock farming is also practiced here. The Lake Victoria Basin is dominated by Kano plains, which are suited for farming through irrigation. The northern part of Kenya is plain and arid. Pastoralism is the main activity here, although a variety of food crops are cultivated too through irrigation.
Kenya is located approximately 8-10 hours flying time from major European cities, and about 16-20 hours flying time from North American cities.
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