Welcome to the country of Kenya, another stop on the September World Race!
Kenya is a land full of intrigue, from the unique rituals and jewelery of the Maasai tribe to the majestic animals on the savanna. Here are a few facts you may not have known about Kenya:
Total size: 580,367 sq km, slightly more than twice the size of Nevada.
- Population: 39,002,772
- Won independence from the United Kingdom on December 12, 1963
- Until 1920 Kenya was called the British East African Protectorate. It was then named after Mount Kenya.
- Almost 80% of the population considers themselves Christians with 45% of that specifying Protestant and about 33% specifying Catholicism. Muslims make up approximately 10%, and those practicing indigenous beliefs makes up the other 10%.
Approximately 40% of the population is unemployed and at least 50% of the population is living below the poverty line.
- There are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya.
- Women account for almost two-thirds (65%) of adults living with AIDS.
- About 38% of the female population in Kenya is “circumcised” as a rite of passage. It is a practiced that has been banned by the government, but still continues in secrecy.
- The Maasai tribe is the most well known tribe in Kenya, but there are more than 40 different tribes.
A Maasai myth states that their rain God, Ngai granted all cattle to them. Because the cattle were given specifically to them, they also believe that it is their right to steal cattle from other tribes.
- A high infant mortality rate among the Maasai has led to babies not truly being recognized until they reach an age of “three moons”.
