World Facts Index
 The
colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide
range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These
differences prevented the establishment of a working political community after
independence was achieved in 1962. The dictatorial regime of Idi AMIN (1971-79)
was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents; guerrilla war and
human rights abuses under Milton OBOTE (1980-85) claimed at least another
100,000 lives. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986 has brought relative
stability and economic growth to Uganda. During the 1990s, the government
promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.
Geography of Uganda
|
Location:
|
Eastern Africa, west of
Kenya |
|
Coordinates:
|
1 00 N, 32 00 E |
|
Area:
|
total: 236,040 sq km
water: 36,330 sq km
land: 199,710 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than
Oregon |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya
933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km |
|
Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
|
Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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tropical; generally rainy
with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in
northeast |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly plateau with rim of
mountains |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Lake
Albert 621 m
highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m |
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Natural resources:
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copper, cobalt, hydropower,
limestone, salt, arable land |
|
Environment current issues:
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draining of wetlands for
agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water
hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread |
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Geography - note:
|
landlocked; fertile,
well-watered country with many lakes and rivers
|
Population of Uganda
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Population:
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31,367,972 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 50% (male 7,091,763/female 6,996,385)
15-64 years: 47.8% (male 6,762,071/female 6,727,230)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 266,931/female 351,374) |
|
Median age:
|
15 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
3.37% |
|
Infant mortality:
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66.15 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 52.67 years
male: 51.68 years
female: 53.69 years |
|
Fertility rate:
|
6.71 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Ugandan(s)
adjective: Ugandan |
|
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 national language, taught
in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts),
Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native
language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo
languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 69.9%
male: 79.5%
female: 60.4%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Uganda |
|
Government type:
|
republic |
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Capital:
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Kampala |
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Administrative divisions:
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56 districts |
|
Independence:
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9 October 1962 (from UK) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 9 October (1962) |
|
Constitution:
|
8 October 1995; adopted by the interim,
284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had
been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved upon the promulgation of
the constitution in October 1995 |
|
Legal system:
|
in 1995, the government restored the legal
system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta
MUSEVENI; note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime
minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly (303 members - 214 directly
elected by popular vote, 81 nominated by legally established special interest groups
[women 56, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 8 ex officio members; members serve
five-year terms) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and
approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president) |
Economy
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular
rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and other
minerals. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing
over 80% of the work force. Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues.
Since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and
international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy
by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops,
increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages.
The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting
production and export earnings. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a
solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of
infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced
inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled
Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Growth continues to be solid, despite
variability in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export, and a
consistent upturn in Uganda's export markets. In 2000, Uganda qualified for
enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief worth $1.3 billion
and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the
original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2 billion.
|
GDP:
|
$29.13 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
4% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$1,800 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 31.1%
industry: 22.2%
services: 46.9% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
8.1% |
|
Labor force:
|
13.17 million |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 82%, industry 5%, services 13% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $1.845 billion
expenditures: $1.904 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 0.9%
hydro: 99.1%
other: 0% |
|
Industries:
|
sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles,
cement |
|
Agriculture:
|
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava
(tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry, cut flowers |
|
Exports:
|
coffee, fish and fish products, tea; gold,
cotton, flowers, horticultural products |
|
Export partners:
|
Kenya 15.5%, Belgium 9.8%, Netherlands 9.6%, France 7%,
Germany 4.9%, Rwanda 4.1% |
|
Imports:
|
capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum,
medical supplies; cereals |
|
Import partners:
|
Kenya 33.2%, UAE 7.9%, South Africa 6.7%, India 6%, China
5.2%, UK 4.4%, US 4.1% |
|
Currency:
|
Ugandan shilling (UGX) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |