The Lake Basin is hot and moist and receives heavy rainfall from the lake. Its vegetation is mainly savanna woodland. The vast mass of the lake water creates its own local weather systems. Kenya is therefore one of the most prosperous agricultural countries in Africa. It is the third largest tea producer in the world and the biggest producer of pyrethrum in addition to a great variety of horticultural crops.
Tourism is today the highest single foreign exchange earner.
The industry has grown from a few thousand tourists a year at independence, to over 826,000 visitors in 1993. Climate The country's altitute ranging from sea level to 5,199 meters makes its climate vary greatly from high humid temperatures of the coast to the often cold and wet regions of Aberdares, Cherangani and Mau escarpments, Mt. Elgon and the freezing points at the top of Mt. Kenya. With the equator traversing the country, there are no four seasons as in Europe but two rain seasons at almost the same time of the year - short rains from March to May, long rains from the end of October through December. Sunshine is experienced throughout most days of the year although it becomes cooler during the months of June, July and August. The People The Arabs and Persians who brought the Islamic faith and culture to the East Coast carried out trade with the local natives and developed city-like towns.