Kenya
Come see the vast unknown terrain of Kenya
By Connor Schultz
The Basics
We are located in the Eastern part of Africa. We have a high, low season, and shoulder season. The high season is dry and very hot occuring durin July-October, and January to Febrauary. The low season has long periods of rain occuring during March - May. The shoulder season has short periods of rain and happens in late October - November. The climate in Kenya is Tropical, which has large regional climate variations. There are two physical characteristics unique to our country, which is the Yatta Plateau the largest plateau in the country. The second landmark is the Rift Valley which runs the entire length of Kenya.
How to Fit in
Our offical national language is English, but Swahili is largely spoken too. We have many folkways here. The Maasai people believe that because the gods gave them cattle that they have the right to steal from other tribes. They also reject cash, economy, and refuse to settle in a single location because they believe that following food source is spiritual. The Sambura people believe that eating meat is special and can only eat it on special occations like holidays. Finally the Turkana people believe that by covering their necks with bright collorful beads it adds charm to their looks. National there are also taboos. They include a strong disapline on females if the mutilate their genitalia or cut themselve. The last taboo is for journeys, if you see a bird and it squaks on the left side of the road you must turn around and immediately go home, its a sign of bad luck. The highest value held by the Maasai people is their cattle and will only kill and eat it when it is no longer well enough to travel with the tribe.
Digging Deeper into Culture
One of the newer subcultures making its way into Kenya is Goths. They are a growing subculture due to new bands in Kenya that are influencing the people to sway away from thier original culture. The other more outrageous growing subculture is Ukukhotana, which is teenagers who are wearing bright colored clothes and being destructive at bus stop, throwing rocks at it and scaring passengers away. The widest known cultural landscape is the sacred Mijikenda Kaya forests. They were home to the Mijikenda people early in the 15-16 century and are now abandonded. They are protected now by elderly ansectors of those people, with the eleven different villages ranging 200 meters along the coast. The biggest evidence of of cultural diffusion in Kenya is the internet. The internet was made availible in Kenya in the late1990's and started with three thousand users, and simnce then the increase in internet users has grown by 300 people each month. The cultural change is linked to internet. The internet has changed Kenya from being a simple economy to being overly complicated with many people not knowing what a computer and internet is, to needing it and casuing their life to revolve around it.
Works Cited
"Encyclopedia of the Nations." Kenya. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
"African Subcultures – Being Different through Music, Clothes and Values." African Perspectives. N.p., 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
"4 Most Outrageous Fashion Subcultures in Africa." Too Late For Worms. N.p., 31 July 2014. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.
"Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests." - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.