page_title: Marsabit
section_title: Overview
hierarchical_section_title: Marsabit / Overview
caption_attribution_description: Tracks Chalbi Desert, Marsabit County
context_page_description: Marsabit is a town in the northern Marsabit County in Kenya. It is situated in the former Eastern Province and is almost surrounded by the Marsabit National Park and Marsabit National Reserve. The town is located 170 km east of the center of the East African Rift, at 37°58' E, 2°19' N at an elevation of between 1300 and 1400 metres. It serves as the capital of Marsabit County, and lies southeast of the Chalbi Desert in a forested area known for its volcanoes and crater lakes and others.
context_section_description: The town of Marsabit is an outpost of urban civilization in the vast desert of northern Kenya. The town is situated on an isolated extinct volcano, Mount Marsabit, which rises almost a kilometer above the desert. The hills here are heavily forested, in contrast to the desert beyond, with their own "insular" eco-system. The town currently has a population of about 5,000.
  The town is mainly inhabited by the Cushitic-speaking Borana Oromo people. There are also very few Nilotic Turkana and Bantu Ameru residents. Additionally, there are also few non-Cushitic-speaking traders.
  Marsabit has an airstrip and a mountain peak (Mount Marsabit), with "singing" wells just outside the town. Elephants can also often be seen in the local wildlife refuge that surrounds the town, occasionally breaking down fences and causing damage to local farmers' crop beds.
  The name is possibly from the Amharic word 'Marsa bet' (Meaning Marsa's home/house) and is believed to have been named after a farmer named 'Marsa' (ethnically Burji) who was brought to Marsabit from Mega (in Ethiopia) by the Consul to assist in consolidation of farming and permanent settlement on the slopes of Mount Marsabit.
caption: Marsabit is located southeast of the Chalbi Desert.
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