Map of Uganda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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 another 100,000 lives. During the 1990s the government has promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.


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Location: Eastern Africa, west of Kenya

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 236,040 km²
Land: 199,710 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries: total 2,698 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August; semiarid in northeast

Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains

Elevation

Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, salt

Land use
Arable land: 23%
Permanent crops: 9%
Meadows and pastures: 25%
Forest and woodland: 30%
Other: 13%

Irrigated land: 90 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 19,573,262 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.25% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ugandan(s)
Adjective: Ugandan

Ethnic groups: Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%, Batobo 3%, European, Asian, Arab 1%, other 23%

Languages: English (official), Luganda, Swahili, Bantu languages, Nilotic languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 49% (female 4,792,164; male 4,834,757)
15-64 years: 49% (female 4,802,650; male 4,704,159)
65 years and over: 2% (female 215,648; male 223,884) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.25% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 48.03 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 24.35 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)
Note: Uganda is host to refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including Zaire, Sudan, and Rwanda; probably in excess of 100,000 southern Sudanese fled to Uganda during the past year; many of the 8,000 Rwandans who took refuge in Uganda have returned home

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread
Current issues natural hazards: NA
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 112.2 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 36.58 years
Male: 36.26 years
Female: 36.91 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991)
Total population: 56%
Male: 68%
Female: 45%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Uganda
Conventional short form: Uganda

Government type: republic

Capital: Kampala

Administrative divisions: 39 districts; Apac, Arua, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sototi, Tororo

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Constitution: 8 September 1967, in process of constitutional revision

Legal system: government plans to restore system based on English common law and customary law and reinstitute a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 29 January 1986); Vice President Dr. Specioza Wandira KAZIBWE (since 18 November 1994)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Resistance Council: elections last held 28 March 1993 (next to be held end of 1995); results - 284 non-partisan delegates elected to an interim Constituent Assembly with the principal task of writing a final draft of a new constitution for Uganda on the basis of which a regular Constituent Assembly will be elected
Note: first free and fair election in 30 years is to be held by end of 1995

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI
In the us chancery: 5,911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 726-7,100 through 7,102, 0416
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador E. Michael SOUTHWICK
From the us embassy: Parliament Avenue, Kampala
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 7,007, Kampala
From the us telephone: [256] (41) 259,792, 259,793, 259,795
From the us FAX: [256] (41) 259,794

Flag description: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and 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. In 1990-94, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, and gradually improving domestic security. The economy again prospered in 1994 with rapid growth, low inflation, growing foreign investment, a trimmed bureaucracy, and the continued return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $850 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: mainly subsistence; accounts for 57% of GDP and over 80% of labor force; cash crops - coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops - cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock products - beef, goat meat, milk, poultry; self-sufficient in food

Industries: sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (1992; accounts for 5% of GDP

Labor force: 4.5 million (est.)
By occupation: agriculture over 80%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $365 million
Expenditures: $545 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1989 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $237 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: coffee 97%, cotton, tea
Partners: US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%

Imports: $696 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals, transportation equipment, food
Partners: Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.9 billion (1993 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,195 (December 1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1.133.8 (1992), 734.0 (1991), 428.85 (1990), 223.1 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 160,000 kW
Production: 780 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 32 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: NA telephones; fair system
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave and radio communications stations
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $55 million, 1.7% of budget (FY93/94)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 29
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 9
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; principal inland water ports are at Jinja and Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria

Merchant marine: total:3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/NA DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs