Research paper
Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa bordering the Indian Ocean. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west and Sudan to the northwest. According to Index Mundi (Kenya Demographics Profile, 2013) “the population of Kenya today is about 44 million people; most of the population70% - young people under the age of 30 years (There are more than 5 children in each Kenyan family)”. Three quarters of population are engaged in agriculture (24% of GDP), but most of the country is unsuitable for agriculture. The main crops are the corn (2.2 million tons), potatoes (1 million tons), and bananas (510 tons). Crops such as tea, coffee, wheat and cotton are exported; revenues of which are unstable due to frequent droughts, poor harvests and falls in their prices in the world market. Other crops grown in the country are rice, tomatoes, pineapple and etc.
Natural resources of Kenya: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower resources. Arable land represents 7% of the country, 37% permanent pastures, forests 30%. Industry is represented by enterprises for processing agricultural raw materials (including meat and dairy, textiles), mining, chemical, oil, wood industries, enterprises producing cement, paper, automotive parts, metal products. China is the largest producer of antimony, graphite, tungsten and zinc. Among other resources - bauxite, charcoal, oil, diamond, gold, iron ore, lead, magnetite, natural gas, phosphates, tin, uranium etc. (Country profiles, 2013, sections of China and Kenya). By usage of mineral resources per capita, level of China in the world is relatively low, that’s why it deals mostly with imports.
Major environmental problems of Kenya: water is polluted by urban and industrial waste, resulting in the use of pesticides and fertilizers; water quality is deteriorating; forests are cut down, the soil erosion occurs and as a result, desertification. Deforestation is negatively affecting the rural population, whom often becomes harder to find the necessary firewood. There are movements to plant a lot of trees that are actively supported by local environmentalists. Poaching inflicts a great damage to nature; despite the strict measures taken by the Government, this problem cannot be resolved. Tony Yang’s (2012) study found the following: “The most urgent problems of China: environmental degradation in the coastal water area, unbalanced structure of the ecosystem of the sea, reducing the number of rare animals and plants, increased marine disasters, "invasion" of alien beings that bring a lot of damage”. In order to protect its marine ecological system, the government will strengthen control over the import of foreign creatures and create marine reserves and special aquariums.
References
Kelli Barrett. (14 May 2013). From Kenya to China: The Spread of Innovative Water Solutions.
Country profiles. (2013). http://www.mongabay.com/reference/new_profiles/163kn.html
Tony Yang. (2012). Local problems leading to global disasters?
Kenya Demographics Profile. ( 2013). http://www.indexmundi.com
