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Uganda Information
Uganda is a safe and friendly country in East Africa. You can track mountain gorillas, see the "big five" take a trip down the Nile or enjoy a trek through the "Mountains of the Moon". This Uganda travel guide includes photos, facts, maps, accommodation options, top attractions and general country information.
Uganda Basic Facts:
Land Boundaries:
Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km and Tanzania 396 km.
Geography:
Size 236,040 sq km, slightly smaller than Oregon, US. Uganda is a landlocked country. The terrain is mostly plateau with a rim of mountains. Its highest point is Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley which stands at 5,110 m. Uganda's lowest point is Lake Albert at 621 m. The climate is tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August). The northeast of Uganda is semi-arid and therefore drier. The country is generally very fertile with many lakes and rivers.
Population:
Just over 27 million people live in Uganda. Life expectancy is around 51 years. Birth rate is on average 6.7 per woman. 4.1% of the population is believed to have HIV/AIDS. Literacy rate is just under 70%
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. 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, and Arabic.
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%.
Religion:
Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%.
Political History:
Uganda achieved independence from the UK 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. During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections. |
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Uganda National Parks & Reserves |
Bwindi
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a recently proclaimed World Heritage site, is a magnificent green swathe of dense rainforest, so ancient it survived the last ice age. |
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Mgahinga
Mgahinga is Uganda’s smallest national park. An Mgahinga Safari will take you to the richly forested Virunga Volcanoes for an audience with a mountain gorilla. |
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Queen Elizabeth
Affectionately known as the QEII, the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda offers an East African game park with crater-dotted hills and open grassland. |
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Murchison Falls
There’s much more to a Murchison Falls Safari than a frothing river. The forests are home to chimpanzees and the palm-dotted hills offer rewarding game drives. |
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Kibale Forest
A Kibale Forest Safari offers an excellent opportunity to see chimps – though once you have found them, keeping up can be quite a challenge if they decide to move on through the branches at high speed. |
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Ngamba Island
An Ngamba Island Safari will take you to a beautifully forested island in Lake Victoria. The island is Uganda’s newest sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees. |
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Rwenzori
A Rwenzori safari takes you to beautiful, mist-shrouded jagged mountains, with their ‘Lord of the Rings’ atmosphere - a distinct change in landscape from anywhere else in Uganda... |
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Kampala
Kampala is one of East Africa’s most laid-back and friendly cities and you will undoubtedly pass through it en-route to a safari in Uganda’s national parks. |
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