Are you looking forward to your kids learning more about Kenya?
This fantastic East African country attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
But what is Kenya known for?
Well, for a start, Kenya is known for the Great Wildebeest Migration that occurs in the Maasai Mara.
But there’s much more to discover about this fascinating country!
That’s why we’ve listed below 22 interesting facts about Kenya that you might not know.
And to spice things up, let’s make it a bit of a challenge.
Get everybody to write on a piece of paper how many of these facts they knew before reading this post and see who knew Kenya the best!
22 Interesting Facts About Kenya
- Kenya has two official languages, Kiswahili (also called Swahili) and English. However, more than 68 languages are spoken across the country!
- The first African woman to ever win a Nobel Prize was from Kenya. Her name was Wangari Muta Maathai.
- The country’s national animal is the East African lion, which is one of the ‘’Big Five’’.
- Kenya is known for being home to the ‘’Big Five’’ including the East African lion, the leopard, the black rhinoceros, the African elephant, and the Cape buffalo. But it’s also home to the ‘’Marine Five’’, which are the orca, the great white shark, the humpback whale, the tiger shark, and the giant manta ray.
- Lake Turkana, located in northern Kenya, is the world’s largest permanent desert lake.
- Kenya was granted the world’s leading safari destination award in 2021 for the seventh year in a row.
- Kenyan marathon runners dominate long-distance races around the world. And they all come from the same area; the Rift Valley region!
- ‘’Jambo’’ is the equivalent of ‘’hello’’ in English and is the most popular way to greet people in Kenya.
- In Kenya, people drive on the left-hand side of the road, just like in England.
- Kenya used to be a British colony between 1920 and 1963.
- Ugali is a staple meal in Kenya. It’s a soft cornmeal dough typically served with vegetables or meat.
- Coffee is the country’s most valuable export, so very few Kenyans actually drink it as they prefer to sell it.
- There’s a Kenyan version of monopoly. It’s called Kumiliki. Kumiliki is made with carved soapstone figures and carved huts and hotels. The board is a picture of specific Kenyan regions (there are a few versions). Just like with Monopoly, you roll the dice and buy properties as you go while giving or collecting money from the other players.
- Kenya is home to the roller dung beetle, which can roll dung into a well-rounded ball and use it as food storage.
- Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Kenya.
- Kenya’s flag features a white and black Maasai shield with two crossed spears.
- Nairobi is the country’s capital, and the three biggest cities are Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.
- Kenya is home to Maasai Mara, a large game reserve. The Maasai Mara hosts the biggest wildebeest migration on Earth. This great migration can be seen from space and is so impressive that it has been classified as one of the ‘’ Seven New Wonders of the World.
- Kenya is the largest rose producer in the world and is often referred to as the ‘’Flower Garden of Europe’’. Also, every year, millions of Kenyan roses are turned into oil to create luxury perfumes such as Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris.
- The oldest known human fossil (dubbed the Turkana Boy) was discovered in the northern part of Kenya near the Turkana lake.
- Now, while spotting the ‘’Big Five’’ is the ultimate goal for many visitors, they’re not as common and, therefore, as easy to spot as other animals. But what’s the most common animal in Kenya, you ask? The striped and spotted hyenas are the two most common animal species found in Kenya.
Explore Kenya From Home With The Landmark Kids
Got you and the kids intrigued about Kenya, and you’d like to know more about this East African country?
You’re in the right place as we have exactly what you need!
At The Landmark Kids, we design monthly subscription boxes filled with puzzles and mysteries that will take your children on a cultural journey across a specific country as they solve each clue. And this month, our mystery box is about Kenya!
So, sign up now!