Uganda
Capital: Kampala · Eastern Africa
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa.
Photo: Eddy Uganda, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
The opportunity to do whitewater rafting from the longest river on earth is amazing. It is one of the best things to do in Uganda.
Photo: LAKATO SAFARIS, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Male Ugandan kob trying to seduce a female at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Rwenzori Mountains
Photo: Jontycrane, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Did you know?
Uganda is named after the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south, including Kampala, and whose language Luganda is widely spoken; the official language is English, while Swahili is the second official language. The region was populated by people of various ethnicities before Bantu and Nilotic groups arrived around 3,000 years ago. These new inhabitants established influential kingdoms such as the Empire of Kitara. The arrival of Arab traders in the 1830s and British explorers in the late 19th century marked the beginning of foreign influence. The British established the Protectorate of Uganda in 1894, setting the stage for future political dynamics.
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Mt. Speke in the Rwenzori Mountains — as seen from Central Circuit in Uganda (between Bujuku Hut and Scott Elliott Pass). With Dendrosenecio adnivalis (foreground & on…
Photo: Albert Backer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
A lioness in Ishasha Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park (Southwestern Uganda). Ishasha lions are famed for tree climbing, a trait only shared with other…
Photo: Cody Pope, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
History
Much of Uganda was inhabited by Central Sudanic- and Kuliak-speaking farmers and herders until 3,000 years ago, when Bantu speakers arrived in the south and Nilotic speakers arrived in the northeast. By 1500 AD, they had all been assimilated into Bantu-speaking cultures south of Mount Elgon, the Nile River, and Lake Kyoga. According to oral tradition and archaeological studies, the Empire of Kitara covered an important part of the Great Lakes Area, from the northern lakes Albert and Kyoga to the southern lakes Victoria and Tanganyika.
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This is a photo of a National Cultural Site of Uganda with id: Rubaga Cathedral
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This is an image of "African people at work" from
Photo: Boango545, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
This is an image of "African people at work" from
Photo: Tibaweswa Stuart Mathew, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Geography
Uganda is located in southeast Africa between 1º S and 4º N latitude, and between 30º E and 35º E longitude. Its geography is very diverse, consisting of volcanic hills, mountains, and lakes. The country sits at an average of 900 meters above sea level. Both the eastern and western borders of Uganda have mountains. The western Ruwenzori mountain range contains Mount Stanley, the highest peak in both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with an elevation of 5,109 metres (16,762 ft). The east on the border with Kenya has volcanic Mount Elgon with its highest peak, Wagagai (4,321 metres (14,177 ft)), in Uganda.
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I di ume na egwuregwu
Photo: Wtendo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Entebbe International Airport.
Photo: User: (WT-shared) Katanasov at wts wikivoyage, Public domain · source
Entrance road into Makerere campus from the South
Photo: Vebjorl, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Government and politics
The president of Uganda is both head of state and head of government. The president appoints a vice-president and a prime minister to aid them in governing.
The Parliament of Uganda has 557 members. These include constituency representatives, district woman representatives and representatives of the Uganda People's Defense Forces. There are also 5 representatives of the youth, 5 representatives of workers, 5 representatives of persons with disabilities, and 18 ex officio members.
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Children of Uganda — cultural celebrations resumed with the end of the LRA conflict in Northern Region of Uganda. Africa Bureau of the USAID–United States Agency for…
Photo: USAID Africa Bureau, Public domain · source
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a photo with recipients of the U.S. State Department’s 2011 Human Rights Defender Award including Adrian Jjuuko,…
Photo: U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain · source
Economy and infrastructure
The Bank of Uganda is the central bank of Uganda and handles monetary policy along with the printing of the Ugandan shilling.
In 2015, Uganda's economy generated export income from the following merchandise: coffee (US$402.63 million), oil re-exports (US$131.25 million), base metals and products (US$120.00 million), fish (US$117.56 million), maize (US$90.97 million), cement (US$80.13 million), tobacco (US$73.13 million), tea (US$69.94 million), sugar (US$66.43 million), hides and skins (US$62.71 million), cocoa beans (US$55.67 million), beans (US$53.88 million), simsim (US$52.20 million), flowers (US$51.44 million), and other products (US$766.77 million).
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Science and technology
The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy dates from 2009. Its overarching goal is to 'strengthen national capability to generate, transfer and apply scientific knowledge, skills and technologies that ensure sustainable utilisation of natural resources for the realisation of Uganda's development objectives.' The policy precedes Uganda Vision 2040, which was launched in April 2013 to transform 'Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years,' in the words of the Cabinet.
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Demographics
Uganda's population grew from 9.5 million people in 1969 to 34.9 million in 2014. In 2024, the population was 45.9 million. With respect to the census in 2002, the population increased by 21.7 million people in those 22 years. Uganda's median age of 15 years is the lowest in the world. In 2014, Uganda had the fifth highest total fertility rate in the world, at 5.97 children born per woman.
Of Uganda's population, 23.6 million (51.4 per cent) were female and 22.3 million were male. In 2024, 49.5 per cent of Ugandans were under the age of 18, underscoring the country's very young age structure.
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Culture
Owing to the large number of communities, culture within Uganda is diverse. Many Asians (mostly from India) who were expelled during the regime of Idi Amin have returned to Uganda.
Uganda has a number of media outlets that broadcast domestically and globally. They cover news, magazines, sports, business and entertainment.
Popular Ugandan newspapers include:
New Vision
Wikipedia: Uganda – read more, CC BY-SA 4.0