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Country Fact File : Uganda
Volunteer with Rhinos in Uganda

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Country Fact File

Uganda Flag From the moment you land at Entebbe’s modern and efficient international airport, with its breathtaking equatorial location on the forested shore of island-strewn Lake Victoria, it is clear that Uganda is no ordinary safari destination. Dominated by an expansive golf course leading down to the lakeshore, and a century-old botanical garden alive with the chatter of acrobatic monkeys and colourful tropical birds, Entebbe itself is the least obviously urban of all comparably sized African towns. Then, just 40km distant, sprawled across seven hills, there is the capital Kampala. The bright modern feel of this bustling, cosmopolitan city reflects the ongoing economic growth and political stability that has characterised Uganda since 1986, and is complemented by the sloping spaciousness and runaway greenery of its garden setting.
Ecologically, Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. Where else but in this impossibly lush country can one observe lions prowling the open plains in the morning and track chimpanzees through the rainforest undergrowth the same afternoon, then the next day navigate tropical channels teeming with hippo and crocs before setting off into the misty mountains to stare deep into the eyes of a mountain gorilla? Certainly, Uganda is the only safari destination whose range of forest primates is as impressive as its selection of plains antelope. And this verdant biodiversity is further attested to by Uganda’s status as by far the smallest of the four African countries whose bird checklist tops the 1,000 mark!

Location	Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Area	236,040 sq km
Border Countries	Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania
Climate	Tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain	Mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Highest Point	Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Environmental Issues	Draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread
Population	27,269,482 (July 2005 est)
Ethnic Groups	Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro 3%, Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%, Rundi 2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%
Religions	Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Languages	English (official), Ganda or Luganda, numerous other indigenous languages
Type of Government	Republic
Capital	Kampala
Independence Day	9 October 1962 (from UK)
Chief of State/ Head of Government	President Museveni
Currency	Ugandan shilling (UGX)
Time	GMT +3

Did you know?

The fossilised 20-million-year-old bones of Morotopithecus, the earliest-known ancestor of modern apes and humans, were unearthed in the 1960s near Moroto in Eastern Uganda

Uganda's great natural beauty led Winston Churchill to call it 'the pearl of Africa'.

Uganda has ten national parks, ten wildlife reserves and seven wildlife sanctuaries, some of which are acclaimed as being amongst Africa's best. The country's main wildlife attraction for foreign visitors is the rare mountain gorilla, found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both in the southwest of the country.

Useful Numbers & Web Addresses

International dialing code: +256

British High Commission: 10/12 Parliament Avenue, P O Box 7070, Kampala. Tel: (256) (31) 312000

Ugandan Embassy in UK: Uganda House, 58/59 Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DX. Tel: (020) 7839 5783