Nairobi

Province

Nairobi is the capital of Kenya with 3,138,369 inhabitants ( census of August 2009), which covers an area of about 693 square kilometers. Nairobi is also the capital of one of the eight provinces of the country.

The city's name comes from the Maa- expression Engare Nyarobie, which means " cool river ".

• 2.1 Historical Overview
• 2.2 Population development

• 3.1 Town twinning

• 4.1 Structures
• 4.2 Nairobi National Park
• 4.3 Langatta Giraffe Center
• 4.4 Karen Blixen Museum
• Daphne Sheldrick 's Orphanage 4.5

• 5.1 Economics
• 5.2 traffic
• 5.3 Railway

Geography

Geographical location

Nairobi is located in the south of Kenya at Nairobi River, a tributary of the Athi. Built on an average of 1624 m, it is one of the highest capital cities in Africa. Nairobi is situated just south of the equator on the geographical coordinates of latitude 1 ° 19 ' south and longitude 36 º 49 ' East.

Climate

The city is located in the tropical climate zone, but has a very pleasant climate for Europeans because of their altitude. The average annual temperature is 19 degrees Celsius and the annual rainfall 1024.2 millimeters on average.

The warmest month is March with an average of 20.5 degrees Celsius, the coldest July with 16.8 degrees Celsius on average. Most precipitation falls in the month of April with an average of 219.4 millimeters, the fewest in July with 17.5 millimeters on average.

Boroughs

About 60 percent of residents of Nairobi live in slums, of which there are more than 200. In the northeast of the city is the oldest slums of the city, located in the Mathare Valley. Along the railway line in the southwest, is also the Kibera slum, with about 200,000 inhabitants. Previous estimates, if it were the largest slum in Africa, with up to 1 million people were refuted with a census. More Korogocho slums and the accumulations in Kariobangi.

In the south of Nairobi is the cosmopolitan suburb of Karen, named after the Danish writer Karen Blixen and farmer who lived there for many years.

History

Historical Overview

Nairobi emerged from a railway warehouse and supply depot, which established the British administration in Uganda in 1896 in the marshy area in central Kenya. A year earlier, had started from Mombasa from the construction of the railway line, which was to connect the coast and Uganda together. The place in the highlands, inhabited by Maasai and Kikuyu, had been chosen for the railway camp because of the surrounding rivers and the favorable climate. 1899 transferred the management of the Uganda Railways its headquarters to Nairobi, the same year also attracted the administration of Ukamba province of Machakos to Nairobi. In December 1901, a first city council was formed. At this time, the place still had the character of a giant tent camps, one observer described him as " the most lawless and dangerous place in Africa."

Six years later, Nairobi became the capital of the British protectorate East Africa ( as the later colony of Kenya until 1920 was called ), and thus replaced Mombasa from. Even at this stage she had grown enormously. More than 1200 whites were now living here. Nairobi was a commercial and cultural center for the growing number of European settlers in the nearby highlands and the basis for the booming hunting tourism. The construction of most of the buildings had the Indian businessman and building contractor Alibhoy Mulla Jeevanjee assumed that had already proven itself through a contract with Uganda Railways over the shipment of Indian construction workers and their supply.

The city, which was originally scheduled for the European and Indian inhabitants of the colony, but also attracted many Africans, who provided the vast majority of residents from the beginning. In addition to African and Indian railway workers who lived in barracks applied to Sudanese and Somali traders and soldiers settled, support from all parts of East Africa and the auxiliary soldiers of the colonial troops, mainly Maasai, Nandi and Baganda from the neighboring colony. Moreover, attracted numerous Kikuyu from the surrounding area in the city. They lived on the edges of the city, in illegal neighborhoods, some of which were torn down quickly, others remained for a while. In 1921 there were about 12,000 Africans in eight different African neighborhoods were among those Mombasa, Masikini, Kaburini, Kariokor and Kibera, Pumwani and Pangani. In these districts the African origins of the first organized anti-colonial movement emerged. In particular, the tearooms Panganis in the eastern suburbs and - on Sundays - the sports ground of the district were meeting places for political activists, to Pangani in 1938 was demolished.

Early immigrants flocked to the city of Nairobi. They settled often on the edge of the city, in many places formed so slumartige states. The city has one of the world's highest crime rates.

In the early 1990s the popular opposition grew against the former Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, which had several riots resulted. Again and again demonstrate in the city and the students of the universities.

On August 7, 1998 213 people were killed in a terrorist attack on the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. Today is located on the site of a memorial with green chapel.

In January 2007, the seventh World Social Forum took place in Nairobi, in which the residents of Korogocho found an opportunity to make the world public opinion to their life situation closely.

On September 21, 2013, Islamist extremists of the Somali Al- Shabaab militias in the Westlands district a raid on the Westgate Shopping Centre, in which at least 68 people were killed.

Population Development

The following overview shows the numbers of inhabitants by the respective territorial status.

International

Nairobi is a very internationally influenced city:

• Nairobi is one of the four cities with an office of the United Nations ( alongside New York, Vienna and Geneva )
• The environmental program of the United Nations (English: United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP), has its global headquarters in Nairobi.
• Similarly, even the United Nations Human Settlements HABITAT programs be world headquarters in the Kenyan capital.
• In addition, have 22 regional offices of UN agencies and foundations based in Nairobi, such as the FAO or UNHCR. Further information at the Unic - Nairobi (United Nations Information Centre).
• 1996 was founded by the world headquarters of UNEP and HABITAT co-management organization, the United Nations Office, Nairobi ( UNON ).
• Other international organizations and media have their seats in Nairobi.

The most widely spoken languages ​​are Kiswahili and English. In the slums, the youth language Sheng common.

Twinning

• United States Denver, United States

Culture and sights

Structures

Interesting are the National Museum with an extensive collection of African Prehistory, the Railway Museum - 1.293419444444436.822363888889, the Houses of Parliament, City Hall, the Court and the National Theatre and the National Library.

Nairobi National Park

The Nairobi National Park was opened in 1946. The park is only 7 km away from the city center, 120 km ² and is home to a variety of animals: 80 species of mammals and over 500 bird species were recorded. The park is fenced on three sides, the fourth side is bounded by the River Athi. The largest part of the park consists of open level. In the park you will find a few of the last black rhino, Maasai giraffe, buffalo, bush pigs; Thomson and Grant gazelles and predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, panthers and hyenas. The most common types in the Nairobi National Park are black-backed jackal, wildebeest, hartebeest and zebra.

Langatta Giraffe Center

This giraffe center is maintained by AFEW (African Fund for Endangered Wildlife ) in Langatta district. Especially for children is the main attraction in the feeding of Rothschild giraffes from " eye to eye " of a tower. Compared to the Center begins a 1-2 km long nature trail in an original forest area. Data on the plants and animals along the way, you can learn either from a brochure or of one of the Ranger, which offer guided tours.

Karen Blixen Museum

Here lived the Danish writer Karen Blixen, the film adaptation of her novel by the Africa - became world famous dark alluring world under the title Out of Africa. Her house was purchased by the Kenyan government and in 1986 a museum, partly with original furniture, but partly also with props from the movie Out of Africa. In this home of a former coffee plantation (on the territory of today, the district is Karen ) Karen Blixen spent 14 years until her lover Denys Finch Hatton died. The farm itself went bankrupt, so Karen Blixen they gave up and returned back to Denmark.

Daphne Sheldrick 's Orphanage

The elephant orphanage in Nairobi is located in Nairobi National Park and can be approached via the Magadi Road, the entrance fee for the national park is omitted. Here, the biologist Daphne Sheldrick are mainly reared elephants but also individual rhino babies under expert guidance, which were due to poaching or other circumstances orphaned. Because visitors greatly impair the work of the nurses and biologists, the doors open for guests only 11:00 to 12:00 clock and by appointment. You can watch elephant orphanage while playing, while nurses and biologists give lectures about animals.

Economy and infrastructure

Economy

Nairobi is the economic and communications hub of the country Kenya, where it really stand out for its high rate of growth in total African comparison.

Major industrial products in Nairobi are textiles, clothing, transportation, construction materials and food products. Also, tourism has increased lately, so this high economic significance for Nairobi is attached. As an automobile producer to Nyayo Motor Corporation tried in the 1980s and '90s. But due to financial predicament the project failed.

Traffic

Almost all the traffic in Nairobi is carried by road, railways hardly plays a role. The tram system is currently under construction. The traffic is regulated by traffic lights very little and rarely by traffic cops. The lanes are narrow, unmarked and often have no sidewalks on.

The transport is handled by buses or matatus. This ride fixed routes and encourage passers- by acclamation to ride on. There are also solid stops. For cross-country trips there own buses, but also many matatus are used.

Also located in the southeast of Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which is the largest and busiest airport in East and Central Africa. On the southwestern outskirts closest airport Nairobi Wilson International, which is mainly used for general aviation.

Railway

Kenya Railways used throughout the meter gauge of 1000 mm with different rail weights depending on the route. For the importance in the sharp decline in passenger traffic (in 3 classes) they used different routes ( with the exception of connecting railways Voi - Taveta and Kisumu Butere ) all emanate from Nairobi:

• Nairobi - Mombasa
• Nairobi - Kisumu
• Nairobi - Nanyuki
• Nairobi - Kampala (Uganda) - only freight.

In general, diesel locomotives are used; a renovated steam train runs every second Saturday in the month as a tourist day trip from Nairobi to Naivasha (return mostly with same voltage). Another steam locomotive is currently being restored by private individuals and is made ​​available for film shootings; This locomotive was last used in 1986 during the filming to Out of Africa.

The railroad was sold in late 2005 to a South African investor group that run the highly dilapidated railway from 2007 and to raise us up to new life. Due in December 2005 issued injunctions Kenyan and Ugandan courts over unpaid pension payments for railway employees of the transfer of ownership has been postponed for the time being.

Education

In Nairobi, there is the University of Nairobi ( UON ), Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology ( JKUAT ) ( opened in 1956 ), a polytechnic ( opened in 1961 ), the Catholic University of East Africa and several research institutes, making it also known as the " capital formation " of the country is called.

The UON is classified by the German Academic Exchange Service ( DAAD) as one of the best universities in sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa). Various international research facilities can be found here, as the renowned International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology ( ICIPE ).

Sons and daughters of the town

• Richard Dawkins, English zoologist, ethologist and evolutionary biologist
• Shafique Keshavjee, theologian and professor
• Kevin Kimani, football player
• Sharon Laws, British cyclist
• Richard Leakey, paleoanthropologist
• McDonald Mariga, football player
• Wangechi Mutu, artist
• Catherine Ndereba, marathon runner and Olympic athlete
• Mercy Apondi Obiero, Women's Weightlifting
• Kévin Oliech, Football Player
• Dennis Oliech, Football Player
• George Owino, football player
• Kiran Shah, film actor and stuntman
• Simon Shaw, English rugby union national team
• Roger Whittaker, British singer and songwriter