Kenya's Great Rift Valley: You Can see it from Space or Your Balcony

The Great Rift Valley 'runs' through Kenya. It's part of the best known rift valley in the world. It adds to Kenya's geographic beauty.

Great Rift Valley

On a map the valley is 'marked' by a series of lakes. Water that 'runs' down for from the mountain ranges or encarpments form the lakes.. Rift Valleys are the lowlands between highlands or mountain ranges. Kenya's Rift Valley is part of the Rift Valley that runs from Lebanon to Tanzania.

Kenya Rift Valley Model

-------------------------Kenya Rift Valley Model ---------------

Plates of rock have fallen down between faults in the earth, between mountain ranges,or sometimes volcanos.

In Kenya the valley contributes to the alkaline lakes (this is what makes the pink flamingos pink), to the the variety of wildlife, and the distinct tribes, people and culture that exist in Kenya.

The Rift Valley in Kenya varies in elevation from over 1800m.(5900ft.) to 360m.(1180 ft.) Noted lakes in the Kenya rift valley,are Lake Turkana, which borders Ethiopia (elevation 360m.) Lake Turkana is the largest of the Kenyan Lakes. (Lake Victoria is technically part of a different rift valley)

Kenya pink flamingos

Lake Nakuru has been one of the national parks of Kenya since 1968.
It is best known for its
Pink Flamingos.

Lake Naivasha is just northwest of Nairobi. It is the highest(1890m.) of the Kenyan lakes in the Rift Valley.

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