Umoja, Nairobi

Nairobi
City
Clockwise from top: Central business district, Nairobi National Park, Parliament of Kenya, Nairobi City Hall and the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): "Green City in the Sun", "Nai", "Nairobbery", "Silicon Savannah" "Nairobae"
Nairobi Show map of Kenya Nairobi Show map of Africa Location in Kenya & Africa
Coordinates: 1°17′S 36°49′E / 1.283°S 36.817°E / -1.283; 36.817Coordinates: 1°17′S 36°49′E / 1.283°S 36.817°E / -1.283; 36.817
Country	Kenya
County	Nairobi County
Founded	1899
Constituencies	List Dagoretti North Dagoretti South Westlands Langata Kibra Roysambu Kasarani Ruaraka Embakasi South Embakasi North Embakasi Central Embakasi East Embakasi West Makadara Kamukunji Starehe Mathare
Government
• Body	Nairobi City County
• Legislature	County Assembly
• Governor	Mike Sonko
• Deputy Governor	Polycarp Igathe
Area
• City	696 km2 (269 sq mi)
Elevation	1,661 m (5,450 ft)
Population (2017)
• City	4,000,000
• Density	4,850/km2 (12,600/sq mi)
• Metro	6,547,547
Demonym(s)	Nairobian
Time zone	EAT/AST/MSK (UTC+3)
Area code(s)	020
Website	nairobi.go.ke

Nairobi (/naɪˈroʊbi/; locally [naɪˈroːbi]) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyrobi, which translates to "cool water", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper has a population of 3,138,369, while the metropolitan area has a population of 6,547,547. The city is popularly referred to as the Green City in the Sun.

Nairobi was founded in 1899 by the colonial authorities in British East Africa, as a rail depot on the Uganda Railway. The town quickly grew to replace Machakos as the capital of Kenya in 1907. After independence in 1963, Nairobi became the capital of the Republic of Kenya. During Kenya's colonial period, the city became a centre for the colony's coffee, tea and sisal industry. The city lies on the River Athi in the southern part of the country, and has an elevation of 1,795 metres (5,889 ft) above sea level.

With a population of 3.36 million in 2011, Nairobi is the second-largest city by population in the African Great Lakes region after Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. According to the 2009 census, in the administrative area of Nairobi, 3,138,295 inhabitants lived within 696 km² (269 sq mi). Nairobi is the 10th-largest city in Africa, including the population of its suburbs.