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5.0 out of 5 stars
PORTRAIT OF KENYA, 8 Jun 2008
This large book has 191 pages, first published in 1988,a large colour map on page 10 and 162 beautiful colour pictures. The book has 7 chapters:-
(1) MAGIC LAND:-
Kenya is an original tropical paradise. 'NYROBI' in maasai means ' place of cold waters'. In 1890 a fort was built at Kibale called FORT SMITH. Joseph Thomson, explorer, could be called Kenya's first tourist. Mount Kenya is Kikuty's secret mountain(kirinyaga). There are 40 different ethinic groups in Kenya. The first National government was sown on 17.8.1907 and the independence came on 12.12.1963. Kenya has 20 mountain peaks, 6 large massifs, many lakes and the longest river is TANA.
(2) WANDERING THROUGH EDEN:-
The Kenyan coast is 480 Km long. In 1497, Vasco da gama visited Malindi and Fort Jesus was built between 1593-1598 at Mombasa. On 7.2.1824, the British made Mombasa a 'protectorate'. The beaches are shelley,Waa,Tiwi,Diani,Nyali,Bambiri and Shanzu. Swahili language is a mixture of arabic,native language,urdu and english. 'Harsmbee' means 'lets all pull together'. Lamu and Malindi are truely magical places in Kenya.
(3) SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO:-
Rebmann was the first european to see snow on Kilimanjaro. Uganda Railways was completed in 1901 and the tarmac road between Mombasa and Nairobi was completed in 1969. Watu are Kenya's oldest trackers and hunters. Yatta plateau is (300 km) worlds longest lava flow. Kilimanjaro is 19,340 ft high. Worlds second largest source of soda is at MAGADI.
(4) CAPITAL NAIROBI:-
Was found on 30.5.1899. Nairobi's (Nyrobi) first permanent structure was a station without a platform. Nairobi had a shantytown origins. It is 5,500 ft above sea level. The purple jacaranda trees give colour to central area. In 1904, Norfolk hotel was built. Coffee is still grown just outside Nairobi at Kiambu, and tea at Limuru.
(5) HEARTLAND OF KENYA:-
Mt Kenya has 2 peaks,Batian(17,058') and Nelion(17,022'). Thomson falls is 8,000ft above sea level(T-falls or Nyahururu). It is 237 ft deep. Sir Percy, Governor in 1913 was probably Nairobi's first jogger. At Aberdares, GURU falls 1000' and KARURA falls 900'. Kikuyu call Mt Kenya KIRI NYAGA(white mountain).
(6) LAND OF MILK AND HONEY:-
Delamere's Njoro,Molo and Elburgon were like English Highlands. Then there was Mau,Londioni,Uasin Gishu plateau,Eldoret,Kericho,Nandi Hills,Kisii and worlds second largest freash water lake Victoria. Coffee, tea and sugar cane grow here.
(7) CRADLE OF MANKIND:-
at turkana and Kerio valley. The pokot share this desert with the turkana,el molo,samburu,randille,somali,gabbra and boran. This nearly 1/3rd of norhern Kenya. IT IS A LAND TO NUMB THE MIND (plains of darkness). In 1967, Richard Leakey found a human skull at Koobi Fora in Sibiloi National Park on the eastern shore of lake Turkana giving clues to mankind's origin.
The strength of the book is its fantastic colour photography. Having born in Kenya and visited there frequently, I enjoyed reading this book.
Read and ENJOY.
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