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Demographics
- Nairobi |
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| Sites to See | Where to Stay | Map |
The headquarters of the province are
known by the same name - Nairobi - which is the largest
capital city of Kenya and the seat of the government. The city has grown
from a settlement which started in June 1899, when the then railway
line which the British had started to build from Mombasa, in 1896 reached
its present site. The site formed a naturally convenient railhead from
whence to start the arduous ascent into the Rift Valley enroute to Port
Florence (Kisumu) from where a steamer connection would reach Uganda,
the destination.
In July 1899, the small village became not only the railway headquarters
for the IBEA Co. but also the government administrative headquarters
for the British administration of the vast area between Mombasa and
Uganda. From this humble beginning as a railway administrative centre,
it has grown to be the commercial, financial, industrial, medical, collecting,
distributive and political hub for Kenya. It lies 139 km (87 miles)
south of the Equator and 480 km (300 miles) west of the Indian
Ocean.
Like New York, the city centre is constantly renewing itself. Side by
side you can see all the stages of its hustling growth since it was
a railway construction camp, a pioneers' town. In 1902 the famous wildlife
authority, Colonel Meinertzhagen recorded in his diary - 'The
only shop is a small tin hut which sells everything ... The only hotel
here is a wood and tin shanty. It stands in the only "street".'
Today Nairobi is a metropolis of modern architecture with many internationally
recognised hotels. The tallest building is the Times Tower soaring
to 300 m high, seconded by the Kenyatta International Conference
Centre rising to 270 m high.
Apart from visitors, hardly anyone lives in central Nairobi, though almost everyone works there. They live in the suburbs, thus giving the city at least two rush-hours a day - in the morning and the evening. A majority of Nairobians prefer to have lunch in the centre.
Being the main city, some of the major infrastructural facilities are found here with the largest airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, being found here. Most of the foreign embassies are also to be found here. See Diplomatic Representation for more details. Again most of the tour operating companies you might use on your tours of the country will very likely have their bases here.|
Quick
Facts |
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Land
Area Of The Province |
696 Sq. km. |
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Sites
to Visit |
Nairobi Landscapes |
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Rating
by Popularity |
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Road
Network Situation: |
Being the capital city, Nairobi has a relatively good road network |
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Cultural
Diversity: |
Varied |
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Total
Population (1999 census): |
2,143,254 people |
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Climatic
condition: |
February and March are the warmest (46oC mean maximum temperature) but the relative humidity of 75% makes one think April and November are the hottest. July to mid-December is the coolest. |
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Consuls:
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Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Britain, Greece, India, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. See more at Diplomatic Representation |
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Main
Staple Food: |
Diverse |