Nairobi - Nairobi (English spelling)

The capital of Kenya, East Africa. It is located on a plateau at an altitude of 1,798 meters in the southern part of the country. With a population of 2,391,600 (estimated in 2001), it is the largest city in East Africa. Although it is located near the equator, the average monthly temperature is 15-20°C throughout the year, and the climate is cool. It is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country, and serves as the gateway not only to Kenya but also to East Africa. International organizations are also concentrated in the city, and international conferences are often held there, and in recent years, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was held in 2000. It is a distribution center for coffee, tea, sisal, and other products, and is home to food industries such as canned goods and flour mills, as well as industries such as soap, pottery, paper, lumber, and leather. It is also known as a world-class tourist resort, and the nearby Nairobi National Park (wildlife sanctuary) is the center of the city, attracting many tourists. The city center is lined with high-rise buildings, and the streets are well-maintained, creating an orderly urban landscape. The city is home to the National Museum of Kenya, the University of Nairobi, Uhuru Park, and the Botanical Gardens. Nairobi International Airport is located 14 km northeast of the city.

During the British colonial period in 1899, this area with good water resources was designated as a base for the construction of a railway line extending from Mombasa to Uganda, and Indian traders and African workers settled there. In 1905, it became the administrative center of British East Africa, and the population grew rapidly thereafter. After independence, the influx of population into Nairobi became even more rapid, and people from all over the country began living in simple houses on the outskirts. By tribe, the Kikuyu are the largest with 190,000 people, followed by the Ruiya, Luo, and Kamba, each with over 60,000 people. They tend to form residential areas by tribe, but facilities such as electricity and water are scarce and the living conditions are poor, differing greatly from those in urban areas and those of whites and Asians.

[Ken Akasaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東アフリカ、ケニアの首都。同国南部の標高1798メートルの高原に位置する。人口239万1600（2001推計）で、東アフリカ最大の都市である。赤道付近にあるが、月平均気温が年間を通じて15～20℃で、気候は冷涼である。同国の政治、経済、文化の中心地で、ケニアのみならず東アフリカの玄関口としての役割を果たしている。国際機関も集中し、しばしば国際会議が開催され、近年では2000年にワシントン条約の締約国会議が行われた。コーヒー、紅茶、サイザル麻などの集散地であり、缶詰、製粉などの食品工業やせっけん、陶器、製紙、製材、皮革などの工業が立地する。世界的な観光保養地としても知られ、近くのナイロビ国立公園（野生動物保護区）はその中心で多くの観光客を集めている。都心部には高層ビルが建ち並び、街路が整備され整然とした都市景観を示す。市内にはケニア国立博物館、ナイロビ大学、ウフル公園、植物園などがある。市の北東14キロメートルにはナイロビ国際空港がある。

　イギリス植民地時代の1899年、モンバサからウガンダに延びる鉄道建設のため、水利のよいこの地が基地に定められ、インド人商人やアフリカ人労働者が居住した。1905年イギリス領東アフリカの行政中心地となり、以後急速に人口が増加した。独立後、ナイロビへの人口流入はいっそう急激となり、国内各地から集まった人々が周辺部の簡易住宅に住んでいる。部族別ではキクユが19万と最大で、ついでルイヤ、ルオ、カンバがそれぞれ6万を超える。彼らは部族ごとの居住区を形成する傾向が強いが、電気、水道などの設備が乏しく生活環境が劣悪で、都心部や白人、アジア人の居住区とは大きな差がある。

［赤阪　賢］

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