Indholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2025 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

When most people think of Kenya, they picture magnificent elephants and fierce lions roaming the savannas (grasslands). Kenya’s wildlife is certainly amazing, but this East African nation consists of so much more. It is a land as complex and diverse as its people, who are represented by 70 different ethnic groups. Here are five facts about this beautiful African country. 1 Remains of fossilized hominids (members of the primate family) have been found in present-day Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Their discovery has led many archaeologists and paleontologists to believe that East Africa is where humankind originated. 2 Many of the world’s top runners come from Kenya. Sports scientists have studied those runners to find out what makes them the best in the world. Some of those findings point to the runners’ unique…

In Kenya, lions and giraffes live only minutes from the nation’s largest and bustling capital city of Nairobi. The Swahili word harambee (hah-RABM-bay) fittingly describes this diverse East African nation. Harambee refers to a “spirit of cooperation” or “pulling together.” About 70 distinct African ethnic groups live in Kenya. Europeans, Asians, and Arabs also call it home. In simple terms, Kenya can be divided into four land regions: the Lake Victoria basin in the southwest, the Rift Valley running north-to-south along the western part of the country, the eastern plateau, and the semiarid and arid areas found in the north and the south and on the coastline. These diverse geographic regions fit together like puzzle pieces to create one unique landscape. The coastline in the southeast stretches for 373 miles…

Nairobi is both Kenya’s capital city and its largest city. Its name comes from the Maasai words Enkare Nairobi, which mean “stream of cold water.” Nairobi’s nickname—Green City in the Sun—captures how the city has plenty of green grasslands and hills plus three rivers that run through it to go with its African warmth and sunshine. Nairobi started out as a stop on the railroad built by the British in the late 1800s. The railroad connected interior parts of present-day Uganda and Kenya with the port city of Mombasa. Mombasa was the original capital of British East Africa. Nairobi was used as a storage depot and a place to shift trains from one track to another. Because of Nairobi’s high elevation, people there did not often get sick from malaria…

Mount Kenya is the tallest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest peak in all of Africa. It is an extinct volcano that last erupted three million years ago. In the past, the mountain was estimated to reach a height of 23,000 feet (7,000 meters). Today, the mountain’s highest peaks range from about 4,500 to 17,000 feet (1,370 to 5,199 meters). It was covered by an ice cap for thousands of years, which has eroded and softened its sharp peaks over time and led to the creation of its now familiar peaks and valleys. Located about 85 miles (137 kilometers) north of the nation’s capital city, Nairobi, Mount Kenya is one of the largest sources of water for much of the country. It also is one of the country’s biggest attractions.…

Archaeologists have made fascinating discoveries about human evolution in Kenya. Located in the northern part of the country, Lake Turkana is the largest permanent desert lake in the world. A desert lake is a shallow body of water that forms in a desert after it rains. In ancient times, rivers flowed into the lake’s basin carrying sediment. The fossils and bones that washed in were well preserved. Among them, archaeologists have found some of the oldest-known hominid and archaeological fossils. Research at Lake Turkana has been ongoing since the early 1900s, and today digging sites extend 30 miles (48 kilometers) inland from the lake’s shores. One of the most exciting discoveries came in 1995. A team led by famed British paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey found a fossil named Australopithecus anamensis. It…

When I grow up, I want to be a runner.” These words have been uttered by thousands of Kenyan children. To young people, running offers a way out of a life of poverty. World-class Kenyan runners are heroes to the many children who dream of a better life. The prize money won in a single race can change the trajectory of a Kenyan’s life. A large percentage of Kenya’s top runners are members of the Kalenjin tribe, one of the country’s more than 70 different ethnic groups. The Kalenjin people live in high-elevation villages in the Rift Valley in western Kenya. Within this group of approximately 6.4 million people, there are 11 different ethnic groups. One of these groups, the Nandi, has become synonymous with high-performance long-distance running. Although the…

Like most African nations, Kenya is male-dominated. Men historically have run the government and owned the land, livestock, and businesses. But this is changing. In 2010, the nation’s constitution was redrafted for a second time. It specifically gave women the same legal rights as men regarding land ownership, freedom of movement, court access, inheritance, and nationality. The government-backed Women Enterprise Fund (WEF), set up in 2007, also helps women start or grow their own business. It is part of the government’s effort to support gender equality. Between 2009 and 2011, Kenya made great improvements in working toward expanding gender equality—making sure men and women have the same opportunities. But cultural change is slow. Many women and judicial officials are unaware of the new laws and policies. In large Kenyan cities…

Lake Nakuru National Park is sometimes called a bird watcher’s paradise. It is famous for its flocks of millions of pink flamingos. More than 400 other species of birds, such as pelicans, kingfishers, eagles, and herons, live there, too. Bird watchers thrill at the site of grey-crowned cranes, African spoonbills, Abyssinian thrushes, African hoopoes, African paradise flycatchers, and Marabou storks. The park is located in the Rift Valley, just a two-hour drive from the capital city of Nairobi, so it has become a popular tourist attraction. Thousands of years ago, Nakuru was part of one large freshwater lake. That body of water shrank and dried up over time, creating several smaller isolated lakes. Today, Lake Nakuru is a shallow soda (salty rather than freshwater) lake on the floor of the…

Protected Places Kenya has more than 50 parks, reserves, and sanctuaries. They make up about eight percent of Kenya’s land that is set aside for wildlife conservation. These protected places include everything from wetlands, forests, savannas, and deserts and are managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service. Created in 1950, Aberdare National Park is home to the unique Karuru Falls. These 897-foot-tall (273-meter-tall) falls are the highest and tallest waterfalls in Kenya. Hell’s Gate National Park offers rocky outcrops, caves, geysers, and gorges carved by prehistoric water flow. It was established in 1984. Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve was created in 1987 to protect the coral reef and other aquatic life along the coast in the city of Mombasa. The rising sun skims along the treetops at Kakamega Forest National…

Well known for its long neck and legs, the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world. Its coat also has a distinctive spotted-like pattern. In fact, the first people to see giraffes believed that they were a cross between a leopard and a camel. Thus, the animal’s scientific name is Giraffa camelopardalis. So, what characteristics and behaviors make giraffes stand head and shoulders above the rest of the animal kingdom? Their 5- to 6-foot-long (1.5-to 1.8-meter-long) necks allow them to eat leaves high on trees and out of reach of other animals. Their long necks also help them keep a sharp lookout for predators across the savannas. Surprisingly, a giraffe neck contains the same number of cervical vertebrae (bones) as a human neck—seven. Giraffe vertebrae, however, are each…

Kenya’s cuisine—in colors and variety—is like a kaleidoscope. It reflects the cultural diversity, foreign influences, and different lifestyles of the country’s many ethnic groups. Each of the geographic regions has food specialties based on locally grown produce, herds of livestock, and lake or coastal fishing. Some of the most fertile land in Africa is in Kenya. Kenya produces staple crops such as wheat, corn, potatoes, green vegetables, sweet potatoes, and many varieties of fruit. About 80 percent of Kenyans work at least part-time in agriculture or pastoralism, which is related to the agricultural practices of crop production and raising livestock. Seventy-five percent of Kenya’s population lives in rural areas and is poor. The vast majority are farmers who rely on a small plot of land and access to local markets…

Kenya is known internationally for its wildlife. But that wildlife faces shrinking habitats and population loss from decades of hunting and poaching. Kenya’s national parks and preserves provide vast spaces for its animals to roam freely. Here are some of the common large animals that can be seen on safari in Kenya. Lion The East African lion is Kenya’s national animal. The largest of all the big cats, lions mostly live in savannas and grasslands. They generally form a pride of about 20 animals. A pride may include several male lions and several adult female lions (lionesses), with one lead lioness. The rest of the pride includes either cubs or not-yet-fully grown lions. Lionesses generally do the bulk of the hunting. Lions are carnivorous and nocturnal (active at night). They…

When Wangari Maathai was born in 1940, few Kenyan girls received an education. Her parents were poor farmers living in a small rural village. But they realized how intelligent their daughter was, and they enrolled her in school. Maathai excelled and was awarded a scholarship to continue her studies in the United States. After earning undergraduate and master’s degrees, she returned to Kenya. She earned a PhD from the University of Nairobi, becoming the first woman in Eastern and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. Maathai’s interest in the environment began after she noticed that her homeland was no longer green and fertile. Vegetation was disappearing. Streams were drying up. Forests were being cleared to make way for farms and plantations. Kenya’s once predictable seasons were becoming unpredictable. In…

Lake Nakuru National Park isn’t just for the birds. More than 50 mammals live there, too. In 1983, the park became Kenya’s first sanctuary for endangered black rhinoceroses. Other endangered wildlife, such as white rhinoceroses and Rothschild’s giraffes, eventually were added to the sanctuary. The park was recently enlarged and fenced to better protect these and other animals from poachers. Poachers try to capture wild animals for their ivory, horns, skin, and meat. Rangers monitor the health of all the animals living in the park. Other animals that can be spotted in the park include hippopotamuses, hyenas, baboons, zebras, and monkeys. A small group of rare, tree-climbing lions live in a forested area below the Flamingo Hill section of the park. The lionesses enjoy sleeping in the trees. Caves under…