Kenya (Geography)

Question 0

What are Kenya’s main physical features?

Answer 0

• Lake Victoria
• Chalbi Desert
• Great Rift Valley
• Lake Turkana
• Mount Kenya
• Watamu Bay

Question 1

Where is Kenya and why is it so special?

Answer 1

• Kenya is on the equator
• The landscape varies very much depending on where you are in the country
• It has 4 main areas - Western Highlands, Northern Lowlands, Centeral Highlands and Rift Valley and the Coast

Question 2

What is Kenya’s climate like?

Answer 2

• As it is on the equator, there are no summers or winters. It is just hot all year round
• The rainy season is from April to May
• The dry season is the rest of the year
• But parts of the country are very dry and receive very little rain even in the rainy season

Question 3

What is Kenya’s main biome?

Answer 3

Savannah

Question 4

How is the vegetation adapted to the climate?

Answer 4

Many plant have developed…..
• Longer roots
• Fireproof Bark
• Higher up leaves

Question 5

How can development be measured?

Answer 5

• Literacy rate • GNP
• Infant mortality • Population growth
• People to Doctor • Farming
• Birth and Death rate • Life expectancy
• Health care
• Trade

Question 6

How developed is Kenya?

Answer 6

It is an LEDC

Question 7

How is Kenya’s population distributed and why?

Answer 7

• Nairobi - High - It is the capital city so lots of people live there
• North East - Very low - Little rain so many droughts, rivers often dry up, poor soil and so people and animals are short of food
• The Coast - High / Medium - More rain, good humidity, better water supply, flat land and sandy beaches, Mombasa is a natural harbour and also tourism
• Rift Valley and Central Highlands - Low - Seasonal rainfall but water is still a problem as it is too hot though grass and soil are good
• Western Kenya (lakeshore) - High - On the equator, high temperatures, consistent rainfall, fertile soil and fish in the lake.

Question 8

Why has Kenya’s population grown so quickly?

Answer 8

• Better health care
• Better infant mortality rate
• Better life expectancy
• Lower death rates

Question 9

What is the traditional Maasai way of life?

Answer 9

• They are herders of cows
• They are nomadic - they move around
• The males are very dominant- the women have very little rights and the society is very sexist

Question 10

How is the Maasai way of life changing?

Answer 10

• Many of the young people want to move into the city as there are more opportunities for them
• There is growth in population which puts pressure on the land so the cities have to expand to meet the population demand so the Maasai have restricted space
• The live near national parks where they cannot live so they are restricted
• Because of the restricted space there is not as much room for them to move about when they are on drought
• There have been many droughts recently meeting the cows could not get as much to eat, and they could not eat the cows….