Map of Uganda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries

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 hydropower limestone salt arable land

Land use

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: 23,317,560
Growth rate: 2.72% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 55% (1993 est.)

Nationality

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 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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.72% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 48.04 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 18.44 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

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

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 93.25 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 6.96 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (276 members - 214 directly elected by popular vote 62 nominated by legally established special interest groups and approved by the president - women 39 army 10 disabled 5 youth 5 labor 3; members serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal judges are appointed by the president; High Court judges are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: only one political organization the National Resistance Movement or NRM [President MUSEVENI chairman] is recognized; note - the president maintains that the NRM is not a political party but a movement which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C CCC EADB ECA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU NAM OAU OIC OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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 1990-99 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. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo growing corruption within the government and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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: 9.3% (FY98/99)

Labor force: 8.361 million (1993 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 82%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 13% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 55% (1993 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7% (1999)

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: $471 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: coffee fish and fish products tea; electrical products iron and steel
Partners: EU 51% (Netherlands 6% Switzerland 6% Germany 5% Belgium 4%) Kenya 5% (1998)

Imports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: vehicles petroleum medical supplies; cereals
Partners: Kenya 12% UK 6% Japan 4% India 4% South Africa (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.1 billion (1998 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1525.8 (January 2000) 1454.8 (1999) 1240.2 (1998) 1083.0 (1997) 1046.1 (1996) 968.9 (1995)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 792 million kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 622 million kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 115 million kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 9,000 (1998)

Telephone system: seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have been introduced but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $95 million (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 1.9% (FY98/99)

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: 26 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Ugandan military forces are supporting the rebel forces in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs