Senegal (2006) | Kenya (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 11 regions (regions, singular - region); Dakar, Diourbel, Fatick, Kaolack, Kolda, Louga, Matam, Saint-Louis, Tambacounda, Thies, Ziguinchor | 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,467,021/female 2,422,385)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 3,346,756/female 3,378,518) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 174,399/female 198,042) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years:
41.95% (male 6,524,776; female 6,381,192) 15-64 years: 55.26% (male 8,529,842; female 8,471,609) 65 years and over: 2.79% (male 376,151; female 482,346) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish | coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs |
Airports | 20 (2006) | 230 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006) |
total:
22 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 11
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
total:
208 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 109 under 914 m: 84 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km water: 4,190 sq km |
total:
582,650 sq km land: 569,250 sq km water: 13,400 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than South Dakota | slightly more than twice the size of Nevada |
Background | Independent from France in 1960, Senegal was ruled by the Socialist Party for forty years until current President Abdoulaye WADE was elected in 2000. Senegal joined with The Gambia to form the nominal confederation of Senegambia in 1982, but the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out, and the union was dissolved in 1989. A southern separatist group sporadically has clashed with government forces since 1982, but Senegal remains one of the most stable democracies in Africa. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping. | Revered president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when current President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but are viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. The country faces a period of political uncertainty because MOI is constitutionally required to step down at the next elections that have to be held by early 2003. |
Birth rate | 32.78 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 28.5 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.657 billion
expenditures: $1.926 billion; including capital expenditures of $357 million (2005 est.) |
revenues:
$2.91 billion expenditures: $2.97 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | name: Dakar
geographic coordinates: 14 40 N, 17 26 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Nairobi |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind | varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior |
Coastline | 531 km | 536 km |
Constitution | new constitution adopted 7 January 2001 | 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Senegal
conventional short form: Senegal local long form: Republique du Senegal local short form: Senegal former: Senegambia (along with The Gambia); Mali Federation |
conventional long form:
Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya former: British East Africa |
Currency | - | Kenyan shilling (KES) |
Death rate | 9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 14.35 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $3.529 billion (2005 est.) | $6.2 billion (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Janice L. JACOBS
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Rue Kleber, Dakar mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar telephone: [221] 823-4296 FAX: [221] 822-2991 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnnie CARSON embassy: US Embassy, Mombasa Road, Nairobi mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831 telephone: [254] (2) 537-800 FAX: [254] (2) 537-810 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Amadou Lamine BA
chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-0540 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6315 consulate(s) general: Houston, New York |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham NZIBO chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101 FAX: [1] (202) 462-3829 consulate(s) general: offices in Los Angeles and New York are closed; mission to the UN remains open |
Disputes - international | The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau attempt to stem Senegalese citizens from the Casamance region fleeing separatist violence, cross border raids, and arms smuggling | administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary |
Economic aid - recipient | $449.6 million (2003 est.) | $457 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and ambitious economic reform program with the support of the international donor community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform program, with real growth in GDP averaging over 5% annually during 1995-2004. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy. However, Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance. Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief program, Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt. | Kenya is well placed to serve as an engine of growth in East Africa, but its economy has been stagnating because of poor management and uneven commitment to reform. In 1993, the government of Kenya implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform that included the removal of import licensing, price controls, and foreign exchange controls. With the support of the World Bank, IMF, and other donors, the reforms led to a brief turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996, and inflation remained under control. Growth slowed after 1997, averaging only 1.5% in 1997-2000. In 1997, political violence damaged the tourist industry, and Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program lapsed due to the government's failure to maintain reform or address public sector corruption. Severe drought in 1999 and 2000 caused water and energy rationing and reduced agricultural sector productivity. A new economic team was put in place in 1999 to revitalize the reform effort, strengthen the civil service, and curb corruption. The IMF and World Bank renewed their support to Kenya in mid-2000, but a number of setbacks to the economic reform program in late 2000 have renewed donor and private sector concern about the government's commitment to sound governance. Long-term barriers to development include electricity shortages, inefficient government dominance of key sectors, endemic corruption, and high population growth. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.239 billion kWh (2003) | 4.075 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 146 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 1.332 billion kWh (2003) | 4.225 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
31% hydro: 67% nuclear: 0% other: 2% (1999 est.) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m |
Environment - current issues | wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing | water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Wolof 43.3%, Pular 23.8%, Serer 14.7%, Jola 3.7%, Mandinka 3%, Soninke 1.1%, European and Lebanese 1%, other 9.4% | Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1% |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 78.733 (December 2000), 76.176 (2000), 70.326 (1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997), 57.115 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Abdoulaye WADE (since 1 April 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Macky SALL (since 21 April 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term) under new constitution; election last held under prior constitution (seven-year terms) 27 February and 19 March 2000 (next to be held 27 February 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Abdoulaye WADE elected president; percent of vote in the second round of voting - Abdoulaye WADE (PDS) 58.49%, Abdou DIOUF (PS) 41.51% |
chief of state:
President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote from among the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; in addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the vote in at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area to avoid a runoff; election last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president election results: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI reelected; percent of vote - Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.6%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.5%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 11.1%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-K) 8.4%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.8% |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | fish, groundnuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton | tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products, fish, cement |
Exports - partners | Mali 16.9%, India 13.1%, France 9.5%, Spain 6.1%, Italy 5.5%, Gambia, The 4.6% (2005) | Uganda 18%, UK 15%, Tanzania 12%, Pakistan 8% (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $45.6 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 17.2%
industry: 20.9% services: 61.9% (2005 est.) |
agriculture:
25% industry: 13% services: 62% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 6.1% (2005 est.) | 0.4% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 14 00 N, 14 00 W | 1 00 N, 38 00 E |
Geography - note | westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal | the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value |
Highways | - | total:
63,800 km paved: 8,868 km unpaved: 54,932 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 33.5% (1995) |
lowest 10%:
1.8% highest 10%: 34.9% (1994) |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and South American cocaine moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis | widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | food and beverages, capital goods, fuels | machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, iron and steel |
Imports - partners | France 22.8%, Nigeria 11.4%, Brazil 4.5%, Thailand 4.3%, US 4.2%, UK 4% (2005) | UK 12%, UAE 8%, Japan 8%, US 7% (1999) |
Independence | 4 April 1960 (from France); note - complete independence was achieved upon dissolution of federation with Mali on 20 August 1960 | 12 December 1963 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.1% (2005 est.) | 0.5% (2000 est.) |
Industries | agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials, ship construction and repair | small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products processing; oil refining, cement; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 52.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
67.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.7% (2005 est.) | 7% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 5 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 1,200 sq km (2003) | 660 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals | Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president); High Court |
Labor force | 4.82 million (2005 est.) | 9.2 million (1998 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 77%
industry and services: 23% (1990 est.) |
agriculture 75%-80% |
Land boundaries | total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km |
total:
3,446 km border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km |
Land use | arable land: 12.51%
permanent crops: 0.24% other: 87.25% (2005) |
arable land:
7% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 37% forests and woodland: 30% other: 25% (1993 est.) |
Languages | French (official), Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka | English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages |
Legal system | based on French civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court; the Council of State audits the government's accounting office; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991 |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
note: the former National Assembly, dissolved in the spring of 2001, had 140 seats elections: last held 29 April 2001 (next to be held 27 February 2007) note - the National Assembly in December 2005 voted to postpone legislative elections originally scheduled for 2006, they will now coincide with presidential elections in 2007 election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - SOPI Coalition 89, AFP 11, PS 10, other 10 |
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats; 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called "nominated" members who are appointed by the president, but selected by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals)
elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - KANU 107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president - KANU 6, FORD-K 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 59.25 years
male: 57.7 years female: 60.85 years (2006 est.) |
total population:
47.49 years male: 46.57 years female: 48.44 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.2% male: 50% female: 30.7% (2003 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.1% male: 86.3% female: 70% (1995 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania | Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania |
Map references | Africa | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,893 GRT/6,255 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Senegalese Navy (Marine Senegalaise), Senegalese Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Senegal) (2006) | Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $117.3 million (2005 est.) | $197 million (FY98/99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2005 est.) | 1.9% (FY98/99) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
7,712,402 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
4,774,889 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 4 April (1960) | Independence Day, 12 December (1963) |
Nationality | noun: Senegalese (singular and plural)
adjective: Senegalese |
noun:
Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan |
Natural hazards | lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts | recurring drought in northern and eastern regions; flooding during rainy seasons |
Natural resources | fish, phosphates, iron ore | gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 1999 Kenya was host to 223,700 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia 141,000 and Sudan 64,250 |
Pipelines | gas 43 km (2006) | petroleum products 483 km |
Political parties and leaders | African Party for Democracy and Socialism or And Jef (also known as PADS/AJ) [Landing SAVANE, secretary general]; African Party of Independence [Majhemout DIOP]; Alliance of Forces of Progress or AFP [Moustapha NIASSE]; Democratic and Patriotic Convention or CDP (also known as Garab-Gi) [Dr. Iba Der THIAM]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT [Dr. Abdoulaye BATHILY]; Front for Socialism and Democracy or FSD [Cheikh Abdoulaye DIEYE]; Gainde Centrist Bloc or BGC [Jean-Paul DIAS]; Independence and Labor Party or PIT [Amath DANSOKHO]; National Democratic Rally or RND [Madier DIOUF]; Senegalese Democratic Party or PDS [Abdoulaye WADE]; Socialist Party or PS [Ousmane Tanor DIENG]; SOPI Coalition [Abdoulaye WADE] (a coalition led by the PDS); Union for Democratic Renewal or URD [Djibo Leyti KA]; other small parties | Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai KIBAKI]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili or FORD-A [Martin SHIKUKU, secretary general]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or FORD-K [Michael Kijana WAMALWA]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People [Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU [President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI] - the governing party; National Development Party or NDP [Raila ODINGA, president]; SAFINA [Farah MAALIM, chairman]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Dr. Apollo NJONJO, secretary general and Justus NYANG'AYA, chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | labor; Muslim brotherhoods; students; teachers | human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA]; Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY, chairman] |
Population | 11,987,121 (July 2006 est.) | 30,765,916
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 54% (2001 est.) | 42% (1992 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.34% (2006 est.) | 1.27% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 20, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 24, FM 8, shortwave 6 (1999) |
Radios | - | 3.07 million (1997) |
Railways | total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2005) |
total:
2,778 km narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge note: the line connecting Nairobi with the port of Mombasa is the most important in the country |
Religions | Muslim 94%, Christian 5% (mostly Roman Catholic), indigenous beliefs 1% | Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 7%, other 1%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: good system
domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system international: country code - 221; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
unreliable; little attempt to modernize except for service to business domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat |
Telephones - main lines in use | 266,600 (2005) | 290,000 (1998) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.73 million (2005) | 5,345 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 8 (1997) |
Terrain | generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast | low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west |
Total fertility rate | 4.38 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 3.5 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 48%; note - urban youth 40% (2001 est.) | 50% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | 1,000 km (primarily on Senegal, Saloum, and Casamance rivers) (2005) | NA
note: part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of Kenya |