1. Geography
                            
Located in the Heart of Africa, Kenya shares borders with Ethiopia in the north, Sudan in the Northwest, Uganda in the West and Tanzania in the south. The Indian Ocean lies to the East. The Rift Valley runs through the country north to south. There are four primary regions:
The northern deserts, including Lake Turkana and the Laikipia Plateau.
The southern savannah, including the Masai Mara and the Great Rift Valley.
The coastal lowlands, including Mombasa and the Watamu National Marine Park.
The highlands, including Nairobi and Mount Kenya.

2. Language                               
KiSwahili is the official language, although English is widely spoken in commercial areas. In remote areas, the majority of people will only speak their tribal language.

3. Getting to Kenya                     
Kenya is well served by major international airlines, which fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (Nairobi) or Moi International Airport (Mombasa).

4. Climate                                    
Kenya offers warm days and cool, early mornings and evenings throughout most of the country. At altitude the temperatures are moderate. The Coast is often humid and tropical. There are two primary rainy seasons: the long rains roughly from April to June and the short rains during October and November.

5. Clothing                                  
Informal, lightweight clothing is recommended. Mornings and evenings can be cool at altitude, so bring a sweater or cardigan. A hat is highly recommended due to the sun. On the Kenya coast, ladies are expected to dress modestly in public. Nude or topless sunbathing is not only illegal, but also affects the sensibilities of the Muslim community.

6. Health                                    
Anti-malarial prophylactics should be taken before, during and after your visit to Kenya, especially if you visit the Coast. Good medical facilities are available in the major cities. Membership with groups such as the Flying Doctors is also recommended; Best of Kenya includes Flying Doctor emergency evacuation coverage in all of our safaris, unless otherwise stated. Hotels, camps and lodges should provide either bottled water, or filtered water for drinking. Please do not drink the tap water.

 7. Safety precautions               
Common sense precautions should be taken at all times. Please also check the travel advisories from the US State Department and the British Foreign Office.

 8. Electricity  
220 / 240 volts AC. Plugs are the UK-type, round 2-pin or flat 3 pin.

 

Physical. The United Republic of Tanzania is located in eastern Africa on the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Kenya and includes the island of Zanzibar. The capital, Dar es Salaam, is located along the eastern coast on the Indian Ocean. Tanzania covers an area roughly twice the size of California. The terrain includes coastal plains, a central plateau, and highlands in the north and south. It is home to Mt. Kilimanjaro (the highest point in Africa), Lake Victoria (the second largest lake in the world), and the Great Rift Valley. The climate varies from tropical along the coast to temperate in the highlands. Natural resources include hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, and nickel.

People. More than 37.1 million people live in Tanzania. Kiswahili or Swahili (Kiunguju in Zanzibar) and English are the official languages; Arabic and numerous other local languages are spoken as well. The population is overwhelmingly native African (99%), most of whom are Bantu (95%). Religious practices on the mainland include: Christian (30%), Muslim (35%), and indigenous beliefs (35%).

Tanzania statistics

Geography
Area: 363,950 square miles
Capital: Dar es Salaam (pop 2,347,000)
Environmental concerns: Soil degradation, deforestation, desertification, destruction oral reefs and marine environment
Geographical features: plains along the coast; central plateau; highlands in the north and south
Climate: tropical to temperate

People
37,188,000 people; 99 percent African; 68 % live in rural areas
Annual growth rate: 2.6 percent
Major languages are Kishwahili, Chagga, Gogo, Ha, Haya, Luo, Maasai, English, others
Religions: Christian (30%), Muslim (35%), indigenous beliefs (35%)

Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 51 years; women, 53 years
Infant mortality: 77.8 deaths per 1000 live births
51% of the population live in poverty
1 physician per 20,511 people
HIV/AIDS rate in adults: 8.09%
68% of adults are literate
Compulsory education 7 – 14 years

Government
Tanzania is a republic that became independent on December 9, 1961
Benjamin Mkapa is the head of state and government
6+ political parties
Universal suffrage at 18


Economy
Currency: shillings
Per capita GDP: $610
GDP: $22.1 billion
GDP growth rate: 5%
Inflation rate: 5%
Labor force: 80% agricultural; 20% services and industry

Ahhhh…..You better come over and Find OUT!!!