4/22/2003

Kenya is a diverse and developing country. With a population of more than 52 million people, Kenya is home to 47 different ethnic groups that typically speak their mother tongues within their own communities. The two official languages, Swahili and English, are used in varying degrees of fluency throughout the population. The majority of Kenyans claim to be Christian (83%), with Islam identified by 15% of the population. Indigenous beliefs are practiced by 1.7% of the population, although many self-identifying Christians and Muslims maintain some traditional beliefs and customs Kenya has one of Africa's largest Hindu populations with around 300,000 adherents. With a long pastoral tradition, agriculture is the largest economic sector in Kenya with tea, coffee, sisal, and pyrethrum, the main cash crops. Tourism is the second-largest industry centered around game viewing safaris in the 60 national game preserves. Kenya is an emerging marketplace with developing telecommunication, micro-finance, industrial, and manufacturing sectors. In 2007, the Kenyan government unveiled Vision 2030, an economic development program it hopes will put the country in the same league as countries like Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.