Kenya is a country in Africa, in East Africa, with about 57.5 million people (2025) and an area of 591,969 square kilometres. Its capital is Nairobi, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of KenyaKenya in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Kenya's 6, in full.
STORYLens 1 of 6
A single highland that reorganized distance running
Since 1980 roughly 40 percent of the world's major honors in men's distance running have gone to Kalenjin athletes, a community of about six million people on the escarpments above the Rift Valley. Altitude is the usual explanation and the weakest one, because highlands are common and this result is not. What is unusual is the infrastructure: camps, pacers, coaches and agents concentrated in a few towns, and a sport that functions as one of the few reliable exits from smallholder farming.
More on escarpments
The town of Iten, perched at about 2,400 meters on the Elgeyo escarpment, advertises itself as the Home of Champions and hosts training camps that draw runners from around the world. Eliud Kipchoge, Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet all come from this community. The Kalenjin are Kenya's third-largest ethnic group, not a majority anywhere except on a start line.
5 more lenses on Kenya in the app
STORY Kenya leapfrogged the banking model most rich countries take for granted
PLACE Kenya straddles the Great Rift Valley and the Indian Ocean
NOW Gen Z protests forced Kenya to confront the cost of its own debt
THREAD Kenya is East Africa's economic and logistic anchor
STORY Kenya's ethnic diversity is both asset and fault line
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Common questions
What is the capital of Kenya?
The capital of Kenya is Nairobi. Nairobi lies at about 1.3 degrees south and 36.8 degrees east. Kenya is in Africa, in the region often called East Africa. It is home to about 57.5 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Kenya?
About 57.5 million people live in Kenya, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 26th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 591,969 square kilometres, that is about 97 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Kenya?
Kenya shares land borders with 5 countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The map on this page outlines each of them around Kenya. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is Kenya?
Kenya covers 591,969 square kilometres, or about 228,560 square miles. That makes it the 47th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 57.5 million gives a density of 97 people per square kilometre.
Kenya is a country in Africa, in East Africa, with about 57.5 million people (2025) and an area of 591,969 square kilometres. Its capital is Nairobi, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
Capital
Nairobi
Continent
Africa
Region
East Africa
Population
57,532,493 2025, World Bank. 26th of 195.
Area
591,969 km² (228,560 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 47th largest of 195.
Population density
97 people per km²
Land neighbours
5: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Official name
Republic of Kenya
UN status
Member state
STORY · from the Geography app
A single highland that reorganized distance running
Since 1980 roughly 40 percent of the world's major honors in men's distance running have gone to Kalenjin athletes, a community of about six million people on the escarpments above the Rift Valley. Altitude is the usual explanation and the weakest one, because highlands are common and this result is not. What is unusual is the infrastructure: camps, pacers, coaches and agents concentrated in a few towns, and a sport that functions as one of the few reliable exits from smallholder farming.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/kenya/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Kenya
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/kenya/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
