Nairobi began in 1899 as a supply depot and workers' camp on the British-built Uganda Railway. The site was chosen for its fresh water and relatively mild climate compared with the surrounding plains, and it grew rapidly, becoming Kenya's capital upon independence in 1963.

Nairobi is unique among world capitals for Nairobi National Park, which sits right at the edge of the city — lions, rhinos and hippos roam a natural savannah with the downtown skyline visible in the background, a sight unmatched anywhere else.