What's the capital of Kenya?
And the answer: Nairobi.
While Kenya has shores on the Indian Ocean, its capital city of Nairobi is located inland, about 350 km from the ocean. The city is the largest in the country, and gets its name from a native Maasai phrase that translates to "cool water," referring to the river that runs through the city.
Nairobi goes by many names, but perhaps its most pleasant is the aptly named "City in the Sun." With a population of around 4.5 million people and metro-region of around 10 million, Nairobi is one of the busiest and biggest cities in East Africa. In recent years, it has become a hub for growing business. The city's effectively laid infrastructure and lovely year-round weather continue to keep Kenya's capital city on the rise.
Nairobi is a relatively young city. In 1899, Kenya's capital city was moved from Masaku to the newly-formed colonial railway settlement of Nairobi. As a governmental center, Nairobi attracted a stream of migrants from rural Kenya, immediately making it one of the largest cities in tropical Africa. It was declared a municipality in 1919, and was granted city status in 1954. After Kenya's independence in 1963, the city only continued to expand.
Nairobi is the industrial center of the country. The railways are the city's largest industrial employer, harkening back to the city's inception as a railway settlement. The city boasts a number of universities, as well as an impressive national park home to many native animals.
Check out some top sites from Kenya's capital city here.
