Marble is sedimentary stone where as Granite is metamorphic stone. Kenya has large Marble & Granite deposits of varied colors. The difference aesthetically between Marble and Granite is often easy to tell. Granite tends to form in darer colours (such as black or dark red), and it is rare to find a light coloured Granite. Marble on the other hand tends to be lighter in colour and the most well known marble is white in colour with veining.
Suitable applications of Granite & Marble:
Granite is suitable for both heavy commercial areas as well as low traffic domestic applications. Marble tends to be softer than Granite and for that reason is generally more widely used for lower traffic areas.
Marble is often used in bathrooms, especially vanity tops, tubs & shower walls. However Granite is also suitable for such applications.
Marble is more porous than granite and in European countries especially is often treated with chemical sealers to make it more resistant to staining. Granite on the other hand is less prone to staining and often preferred/recommended for applications such as kitchen work-surfaces for this reason.
Heat resistance
Granite is much more heat resistant than Marble, primarily due to the nature of the stone (Metamorphic vs sedimentary). This is why most specialists recommend Granite for kitchen work-surfaces as opposed to Marble.