Map of Uganda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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: 1 00 N, 32 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 236,040 km²
Land: 199,710 km²
Water: 36,330 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 2,698 km
Border countries: (5) Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km; , Kenya 933 km; , Rwanda 169 km; , Sudan 435 km; , Tanzania 396 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
Extremes lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
Extremes highest point: Margherita (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, salt

Land use
Arable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 9%
Permanent pastures: 9%
Forests and woodland: 28%
Other: 29% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 90 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population: 20,604,874 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.14% (1997 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%, non-African (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: 50% (male 5,126,249; female 5,092,583)
15-64 years: 48% (male 4,948,859; female 4,963,718)
65 years and over: 2% (male 234,351; female 239,114) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.14% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 45.08 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 20.98 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)
Note: Uganda is host to refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including Sudan, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire; probably in excess of 100,000 southern Sudanese fled to Uganda during the past year; many of the 10,000 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 98.4 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 39.69 years
Male: 39.3 years
Female: 40.1 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.52 children born/woman (1997 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 61.8%
Male: 73.7%
Female: 50.2% (1995 est.)

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, Soroti, Tororo

Dependent areas

Independence: 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 on 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 and reinstituted 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 seizing power 29 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994) 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 elected by popular vote; election last held 9 May 1996 (next to be held by 31 May 2001); note - first popular election for president since independence in 1962; prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul Kawanga SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (276 members serve five-year terms; 214 directly elected by universal suffrage, but 62 are nominated by legally established special interest groups and approved by the president - women 39, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 3)
Elections: elections to the National Assembly (formerly the National Resistance Council) took place on 27 June 1996 (next election to be held in 2001);
Election results: NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, 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, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edith Grace SSEMPALA
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 hoist 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 1995 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: 7.1% (1995 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $900 (1995 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 55%
Industry: 12%
Services: 33% (1995)

Agriculture products: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate: 15% (1994)

Labor force
Total: 8.361 million (1993 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 86%
By occupation industry: 4%
By occupation services: 10% (1980 est.)

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: $766.5 million
Expenditures: $894.3 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY94/95 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
Total value: $555 million (f.o.b., FY94/95)
Commodities: gold, cotton, coffee, tea, corn, fish
Partners: Spain 23%, France 14%, Germany 14%, Italy 10%, Netherlands 8%

Imports
Total value: $1.18 billion (c.i.f., FY94/95)
Commodities: petroleum products, machinery, metals, transportation equipment, cotton piece goods, food
Partners: Kenya 26%, UK 12%, Japan 8%, Germany 8%, India 5.5%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.4 billion (1995 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,030.3 (December 1996), 1,046.1 (1996), 968.9 (1995), 979.4 (1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1,133.8 (1992)


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Electricity
Capacity: 155,000 kW (1995)
Production: 611 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 31 kWh (1995 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 54,900 (1989 est.)

Telephone system: fair system
Domestic: microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communications stations
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $56 million (FY93/94)
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (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: 21 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 11
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 1,241 km
Narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: a program to rehabilitate the railroad is underway (1995)

Roadways

Waterways: Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile

Merchant marine: total:3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/5,943 DWT (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs