Map of Nyanza
Nyanza is a first-level division of Kenya. Its largest mapped city is Kisumu, with about 395,615 people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Nyanza, and the tables list its 4 mapped cities along with the lakes, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 4
- Largest City
- Kisumu
- Country
- Kenya
Interactive Map of Nyanza
About Nyanza
Nyanza Province (Kenyan English: [ˈɲaːnzə]; Swahili: Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's eight administrative provinces before the formation of the 47 counties under the 2010 constitution. Six counties were organised in the area of the former province.
The region is located in the southwestern part of Kenya around Lake Victoria. It includes part of the eastern edge of the lake and is inhabited predominantly by the Luo people and Kisii people. There are also Bantu-speaking tribes, such as the Kuria, and some Luhya, living in the province. The province derives its name from Nyanza, a Bantu word which means a large mass of water.
The provincial capital was Kisumu, the third-largest city in Kenya. The province had a population of 4,392,196 at the 1999 census within an area of 16.162 km2, or 12.613 km2 of land.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Nyanza Province (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nyanza: Key Facts
| Population | 5,442,711 (2009) |
|---|---|
| Area | 12,477 km² |
| Capital | Kisumu |
Facts from Wikidata Q38589 (CC0).
History of Nyanza: Empires and States
The atlas records 4 polities whose mapped territory included part of Nyanza, from British Africa in 1895 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| British Africa | 1895–1960 CE |
| The British Empire | 1895–1962 CE |
| British East Africa | 1961–1968 CE |
| Republic of Kenya | 1963–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Nyanza
Nyanza on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Largest Cities in Nyanza
4 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kisumu | 395,615 | Nyanza | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Kendu Bay | 91,248 | Nyanza | Populated place |
| 3 | Kisii | 28,547 | Nyanza | Populated place |
| 4 | Karungu | 2,376 | Nyanza | Populated place |
Largest Lakes in Nyanza
1 lake mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Victoria | 69,385 km² | Lake |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Nyanza
1 World Heritage Site mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thimlich Ohinga | 2018 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) (v) |
Nyanza: Quick Answers
- Where is Nyanza?
- Nyanza is a first-level division of Kenya, in Africa. Its mapped cities centre on 0.4922° S, 34.5750° E.
- What is the largest city in Nyanza?
- Kisumu is the largest city mapped in Nyanza, with a metropolitan population of about 395,615.
- How many cities are in Nyanza?
- YearMaps maps 4 cities and towns in Nyanza, with a combined metropolitan population of about 517,786. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the largest lake in Nyanza?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Nyanza is Lake Victoria, at about 69,385 km².