HIDDEN TREASURE: KENYA

Even if you've never been to Kenya, chances are you know what it looks like. Kenya's savannah is familiar from movies, TV shows, books and even adverts on the telly. It's the landscape many people imagine when they think of Africa. Each year millions of people visit Kenya to see its endless savannah and the animals that inhabit it: elephants, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos and more. The Kenyan government has set up more than 50 reserves and parks to protect these animals because Kenya's highland forests are home to many animals found nowhere else in the world! People hoping to spot some amazing African wildlife usually focus on Kenya's lowland savannah. But Kenya's ecosystems also include deserts, swamps, mountain and forests. Each region has its own mix of plants and animals that are suited to the area's particular conditions.

In Kenya, more than 60 languages are spoken and there are more than 40 ethnic groups. Almost everyone there speaks more than one African language. School is free in Kenya, but many children are too busy to go to classes. They help their families by working the land, tending cattle, cooking, or fetching water. Music and storytelling are important parts of Kenyan culture. For centuries, tribes throughout the country have used songs, stories and poems to pass on their beliefs, history, and customs. “Adapted from ngkids website”