Kenya

American  

[ken-yuh, keen-] / ˈkɛn jə, ˈkin- /

noun

1. a republic in E Africa: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British crown colony and protectorate. 223,478 sq. mi. (578,808 sq. km). Nairobi.

2. Mount, an extinct volcano in central Kenya. 17,040 feet (5,194 meters).

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Kenya British  

/ ˈkɛnjə, ˈkiːnjə /

noun

1. a republic in E Africa, on the Indian Ocean: became a British protectorate in 1895 and a colony in 1920; gained independence in 1963 and is a member of the Commonwealth. Tea and coffee constitute about a third of the total exports. Official languages: Swahili and English. Religions: Christian majority, animist minority. Currency: shilling. Capital: Nairobi. Pop: 44 037 656 (2013 est). Area: 582 647 sq km (224 960 sq miles)

2. Local name: Kirinyaga.  an extinct volcano in central Kenya: the second highest mountain in Africa; girth at 2400 m (8000 ft) is about 150 km (95 miles). The regions above 3200 m (10 500 ft) constitute Mount Kenya National Park . Height: 5199 m (17 058 ft)

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Kenya Cultural  

1. Republic in eastern Africa bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, Tanzania to the southwest, and Uganda to the west. Its capital and largest city is Nairobi.

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Discover More

The Great Rift Valley in Kenya is the site of some major archaeological discoveries, including remains of the earliest known humans.

Other Word Forms

• Kenyan
  adjective

Example Sentences

Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, will build a 700,000-barrels per day east African oil refinery in Lamu on the Kenya coast, a senior company official said Tuesday, ending speculation over the mega-project's location.

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

It is, for example, contributing $1.6bn to the overall deal with Kenya, external - with the East African nation pledging $850m over five years.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Realizing they were unmoved, he stalled by asking for time to consult on the fee, while calling senior officials at the Kenya Copyright Board.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

A multi-billion-dollar rare earth minerals deal between Kenya and the United States was challenged in a Kenyan court Monday, accused of lacking transparency.

From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026

And now, out of the blue, she invited me to go and visit her in Kenya, where her parents had just bought a farm.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall