<P> Kenya (/ ˈkɛnjə /; locally (ˈkɛɲa) (listen)), officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africa with its capital and largest city in Nairobi . Kenya's territory lies on the equator and overlies the East African Rift, covering a diverse and expansive terrain that extends roughly from Lake Victoria to Lake Turkana (formerly called Lake Rudolf) and further south - east to the Indian Ocean . It is bordered by Tanzania to the south and south - west, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north - west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north - east . Kenya covers 581,309 km (224,445 sq mi), and had a population of approximately 48 million people in January 2017 . </P> <P> Kenya has a warm and humid tropical climate on its Indian Ocean coastline . The climate is cooler in the savannah grasslands around the capital city, Nairobi; especially those closer to Mount Kenya, which has snow permanently on its peaks . Further inland are highlands in Central and Rift Valley regions where tea and coffee are grown as cash crops which are major foreign revenue earners . In the West are Nyanza and Western regions, there is an equatorial, hot and dry climate which becomes humid around Lake Victoria, the largest tropical fresh - water lake in the world . This gives way to temperate and forested hilly areas in the neighbouring western region . The north - eastern regions along the border with Somalia and Ethiopia are arid and semi-arid areas with near - desert landscapes . Kenya is known for its world class athletes in track and field and rugby . Thanks to its diverse climate and geography, expansive wildlife reserves and national parks such as the East and West Tsavo National Park, Amboseli National Park, Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru National Park, Aberdares National Park and white sand beaches at the Coastal region, Kenya is home to the modern safari and has several world heritage sites such as Lamu and a number of beaches, including in Diani, Bamburi and Kilifi, where international yachting competitions are held every year . </P> <P> The African Great Lakes region, which Kenya is a part of, has been inhabited by humans since the Lower Paleolithic period . By the first millennium AD, the Bantu expansion had reached the area from West - Central Africa . The borders of the modern state consequently comprise the crossroads of the Niger - Congo, Nilo - Saharan and Afroasiatic areas of the continent, representing most major ethnolinguistic groups found in Africa . Bantu and Nilotic populations together constitute around 97% of the nation's residents . European and Arab presence in coastal Mombasa dates to the Early Modern period; European exploration of the interior began in the 19th century . The British Empire established the East Africa Protectorate in 1895, which starting in 1920 gave way to the Kenya Colony . Kenya obtained independence in December 1963, but remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations . Following a referendum in August 2010 and adoption of a new constitution, Kenya is now divided into 47 semi-autonomous counties, governed by elected governors . </P> <P> The economy of Kenya is the largest by GDP in eastern and central Africa . The capital, Nairobi, is also a regional commercial hub . </P>

What part of africa is kenya located in