50 Curiosities of Kenya | Land of the Masai

Kenya is from one of the most dynamic countries in East Africa , highlighted by the importance of its tourism and traditional economic activities such as the cultivation of coffee and tea. Join us in Supercurious to discover some curiosities of Kenya, the country of the Masai! From its impressive safaris to the great Lake Victoria ... There's a lot of Kenya that will fascinate you! ð ??????

50 Curiosities of Kenya | The land of the Masai

one. One of the main curiosities of Kenya is that Masai They are a African native town famous for its rites and dances that lives between Kenya and Tanzania and that preserves its traditional customs and religion . Although their original language is the Maa language, many of them can speak English or Swahili, which has helped their integration with the rest of the population and countries.

curiosities of Kenya 1

two. One of the curiosities of Kenya that most attracts tourists is its natural richness and diversity. In this way, the safaris in Kenya They have become one of the most attractive activities to do in the African country, where you can see elephants, rhinos, giraffes or lions among many other wild animals.

3. Do you like coffee? Even though The main economic activity in Kenya is tourism, also plays an important role in the trade of products such as coffee and the tea , being Europe one of its main buyers. Maybe the coffee you drink every morning comes from here!

Four. Kenya It was a British colony until 1963, the year in which it became an independent republic. Its first president, and the one considered to be the founding father of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, who attracted foreign industry and was primarily responsible for the modernization of Nairobi.

5. Does it sound like Nairobi , maybe for some recent popular Spanish series? Well this is the capital of Kenya, which is also the most important city from a perspective of population and economic activity.

6 The name of Nairobi comes from a traditional phrase of the Masai language " Enkare Nyorobi " , which in Spanish would be something like "the place of fresh waters" referring to its lakes and rivers.

7 Kenya is one of the 3 countries that has shores to Lake Victoria, considered the largest in all of Africa and the second largest freshwater in the entire planet. This lake covers an area of ​​more than 69,000 square kilometers and, in addition to Kenya, also borders the countries of Uganda and Tanzania.

curiosities of Kenya 2

8 One of the curiosities of Kenya is found in his own name, which comes from the name of Mount Kenya, which in Swahili means " luminous mountain . "

9 East Mount Kenya is the highest point in the entire territory of the country, and the second highest in all of Africa , only surpassed by Mount Kilimanjaro, which is located in neighboring Tanzania.

10 One of the most striking curiosities of Kenya that the Maasai carry out is that, during a wedding, the father of the bride will spit on his daughter in the head and chest before she leaves definitively with her husband.

eleven. In the Maasai culture Spitting is a way to keep evil spirits away , so when a father spits on his daughter, he is really giving his blessing and wishing him the best fortune in the world.

12 Another curiosity of Kenya is that two official languages ​​are spoken . On the one hand, we find the Swahili language , which is the national, and on the other the English , which is the language that was popularized during the colonial period in which the English were in the territory that today constitutes the Republic of Kenya.

curiosities of Kenya 3

13 One of the curiosities of Kenya is its high rate of Olympic champions . Among those who stand out Paul Tergat or Catherine Ndereba , two of the people from Kenya who have obtained the most Olympic titles.

14. In this country education is free, but another of the not so nice curiosities of Kenya is that many children can not attend class , because they work on land, with livestock, they cook, they go to look for water ... to help their families, because their situation is precarious since many of these families live under the poverty line.

curiosities of Kenya 4

fifteen. The tourism is the largest source of income in the country , so that when terrorism threatens this country, the whole nation suffers a lot, the emotional and social consequences are as great as the economic ones.

16 Did you know that, Although Kenya receives large profits from its export of coffee, this is not one of the favorite drinks of the country ? There they prefer to take tea infusions.

17 One of the most striking curiosities of Kenya that can be found is that, generally, girls and boys are raised by the community, not only by the father and the mother. The community and the family have great value in the culture of this country .

18 One of the most impressive curiosities of Kenya is that between two and four million years ago, during the Pleistocene, gigantic crocodiles wandered through what is now their territory . The name of this ancient creature is Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni and it measured at least 8.3 meters long!

curiosities of Kenya 5

Recreation of the Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni

19 Although it is a single country, like many others, especially Africans, in Kenya there are more than 42 ethnic communities with its different traditions and symbols, so it enjoys a great cultural richness.

twenty. Another curiosity of Kenya is that, in turn, these 42 ethnic groups are divided into approximately 70 tribes that make life in the country , mostly sedentary but many still retain their traditional nomadic life.

twenty-one. One of the best curiosities in Kenya is that you can find truly beautiful and unusual landscapes, like the one of the Fourteen Waterfalls in the Athi-Galana river; the views of the Amboseli National Park to Mount Kilimanjaro and the spectacular migrations of animals from national parks, which will surely remind you of some scenes of the legendary Disney film "The Lion King".

curiosities of Kenya, Amboseli National Park

22 Art runs through the veins of Kenyans. Reciting poems, singing and telling legends are activities deeply rooted in the culture of this country . These activities served to pass on knowledge from generation to generation and continue to be transmitted in these ways to today.

2. 3. Another of the curiosities of Kenya is that it is one of the countries where, although the State has made efforts to displace some macho traditions, many communities still maintain the culture of paying a dowry for the bride to which you want to marry. It is usually large and it is a real challenge to bring it together.

curiosities of Kenya 6

24 Another of these regrettable traditions that remain despite the efforts of the State (although not too many) is the marriage of minors , where the most affected are girls, married to men of any age range and commonly forced to drop out of school.

25 75% of the population of Kenya lives from agriculture , being its main export product coffee and, secondly, tea.

26 Kenyan men are allowed to have more than one wife, if they wish. That is to say: Bigamy and polygamy are widely allowed for men .

curiosities of Kenya 7

27 Another curiosity of Kenya that needs to be changed is that it is a very unequal country, despite its great natural wealth : there is no middle class here. Kenyan families either are very rich or live below the poverty line.

28 Despite its diversity of cultures, it is curious that over 80% of the population of Kenya is Christian . This is mainly due to the legacy of European colonization and the large number of Catholic missions that have made life in the country.

29 The Fourteen Waterfalls on the Athi-Galana River are one of the highest and dizziest waterfalls in all of Africa. A must see in Kenya.

30 Compared with its neighboring countries, Kenya is a very stable country, which is why it receives many migrants as refugees , displaced by the armed conflicts that cut Africa and the Middle East.

curiosities of Kenya 8

31 Kenya has two only two seasons throughout the year : a rainy one, characterized by floods of valleys and savannas, and another dry one, evidently characterized by the drought.

32. In Kenya there is no public transport system managed by the State as we usually know it in the rest of the countries , which makes it very difficult to mobilize if you do not have good earnings from your work.

33 In your country, do you drive on the right or left side? Important: if you ever have to drive in Kenya, you should know that It is driven on the left side . A bit confusing but another legacy of British colonization. Better go with an agency that organizes transport!

curiosities of Kenya 9

The Fourteen Waterfalls

3. 4. Thanks to its large lakes, rivers and other water sources, most of the country's electric power comes from hydroelectric plants . Therefore, the energy supply is affected to a large extent during times of drought.

35 Are you interested in volcanoes? Have you seen anyone in activity fuming? As you know, they can be very destructive. It is estimated that in 1922 it was the last time a Kenyan volcano erupted , on Mount Kenya.

36 Mombasa is ranked by tourists as one of the most beautiful cities in the world , surrounded by the Indian Ocean and positioning itself as the most important port in Kenya, where most of its exports come from. You can not miss this city when you visit Kenya!

curiosities of Kenya 10

37 Another of the curiosities of Kenya also implies a superstition: it is said that if it pokes the palm of your right hand it means that you will receive money But do not scratch! Even if you have a lot of itching you should avoid it because, if you do, you will be losing that touch of luck.

38 Another Kenyan superstition points to If you accidentally bite your tongue while talking or eating, it means that someone is talking about you . What you will not know is who, that is a curiosity with which you should stay.

39 Unfortunately, there is little history that we know of Kenya before its colonization, however, we know that the Lamu Island is the human settlement that has been inhabited since its oldest creation in the country, founded in 1370 A place you can not miss!

40 Do you keep up with international news? It turns out that Kenya is the country of origin of the father of the former US president, Barack Obama.

41 Greeting is something of vital importance, as well as social life. It is considered impolite not to greet or be interested in someone you cross if you know him , although it is very little. Sometimes greetings among Kenyans can be extended, it is a sign of respect to ask about health, family, etc ... So chance encounters can end in a long conversation with tea.

42 In Kenya the typical dish is uga li , similar to porridge, which is accompanied by vegetables, stew ... Depending on who cooks it!

curiosities of Kenya 11

Ugali with stew and vegetables

43 As you probably know, in Africa football is a much admired sport and having a son who is a good footballer and has the opportunity to travel to Europe can be a way out of poverty for his family. Soccer is one of the most followed and played sports in Kenya.

44 Another interesting curiosity of Kenya is that it is a democratic country : according to its Constitution, the presidential elections are held every 5 years in and only a maximum of two legislatures can be president.

Four. Five. Despite its abundant natural and cultural wealth, around 50% of the total population of the country lives in a precarious situation of poverty .

curiosities of Kenya 12

46 Do you like to observe animals in their natural environment, without the cages of zoos? Pay attention that this curiosity of Kenya you will like: The Masai Mara Natural Reserve is one of the places where more lions will find in the world .

47 One of the curiosities of Kenya that you surely did not know is that in Swahili the word "chai" means, tea, so when someone asks for a "tea chai", in reality, he is asking for a "tea tea" Do not make this mistake by asking for a tea in Kenya!

48 Kenya has the Piedra Llorante de Ilesi. A very high rock formation leaves a small stream of water that gives the impression of tears flowing from the mound, an unmissable landscape in this exotic country.

49 The Rift Valley is located in Kenya and was formed, according to scientific calculations, about 20 million years ago . It is a tremendously ancient and beautiful place.

fifty. Surely you have ridden a horse, but ... Have you ever ridden an ostrich? If you want to ride ostrich you can do it in Kenya , specifically in the Masai Ostrich Farm. What's up?

Other curiosities of Africa | By countries

Do you want to discover more curiosities of Africa ? Then, explore the following list with the most amazing information of the African continent distributed by countries. Expand your knowledge and let yourself be amazed!

  • Curiosities of Egypt
  • Curiosities of Morocco
  • Curiosities of Madagascar
  • Curiosities of Mali
  • Curiosities of Cape Verde
  • Curiosities about Angola

Kenya is presented as a place open to the visitor and the whole world , with some traditions and customs that, in spite of the times, have adapted to contemporary life to survive, there are still elements to change for the improvement of their quality of life as the distribution of wealth and macho traditions, but we can say that we are facing a country that seeks to constantly modernize, with an emerging economy and open to the outside .

Tell us. Did you like our selection of curiosities about Kenya? Do you know any other curiosity about this beautiful country? Do you think we should include it in the list? We will be waiting for your comments with great interest


Loading ..

Recent Posts

Loading ..