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Population: About 34 million people Capital City: Nairobi Other Important Cities: Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret Money: The Kenyan shilling National Language: English and Swahili are the official languages. There are also numerous local languages. National Holiday: Independence Day, December 12 (1963) Head of Government: The president of Kenya Head of State: The president of Kenya Famous People: Jomo Kenyatta: first president of Kenya, from 1964 to 1978 Mwai Kibaki: third president of Kenya Louis and Richard Leakey: anthropologists (father and son) Wangari Maathai: winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 Daniel arap Moi: president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002 James Ngugi wa Thiong’o: writer Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor: writer Paul Tergat: Olympic marathon runner 28 National Song: “Oh God of All Creation” (or “Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu”).

32 Africa, 4, 18 animals, 7, 8–9, 11, 17, 21 area, 4 coffee, 7, 21 education, 18 ethnic groups, 11, 12, 14, 18 farming, 7, 11, 21 food, 17, 21, 22–23, 26 games, 25 government, 12–13 Great Rift Valley, 11 history, 11–13, 14 holidays, 26 immigrants, 11 Kenyatta, Jomo, 12 languages, 11, 18 maize, 22 mountains, 7 Nairobi, 23 plants, 7, 9 savannas, 7, 9, 11 sports, 25 tourism, 21 Welcome to the World! These introductory books allow readers to take a private journey to some of the most fascinating places on Earth—from Australia’s dusty outback to the tropical forests of Indonesia, from the ancient temples of China to the bustling streets of Japan.

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