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 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
Water: 36,330 km²
Land: 199,710 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 Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

Natural resources: copper cobalt hydropower limestone salt arable land

Land use
Arable land: 25.34%
Permanent crops: 8.77%
Other: 65.89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 90 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: landlocked; fertile well-watered country with many lakes and rivers


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Population
Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 2.94% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: 35% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ugandan
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%

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
0-14 years: 50.9% (male 6,314,371; female 6,265,681)
15-64 years: 47% (male 5,803,430; female 5,789,713)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 247,798; female 278,080) (2002 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.94% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 47.15 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 17.53 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate
Note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 2001, Uganda was host to 178,815 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including: Sudan 155,996, Rwanda 14,375, and Democratic Republic of the Congo 7,459 (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 89.35 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 43.81 years
Female: 44.67 years (2002 est.)
Male: 42.97 years

Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1.1 million (2001 est.)
Deaths: 110,000 (1999 est.)

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: 62.7%
Male: 74%
Female: 54% (2000 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
Note: there may be eleven more districts: Kaberamaido, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kayunga, Kyenjojo, Mayngc, Nakapiripiti, Pader, Sironko, Wakiso, Yumbe

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
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 Apollo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); 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
Election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 69.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 27.8%
Elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 12 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); note - first popular election for president since independence in 1962 was held in 1996; prime minister appointed by the president

Legislative branch
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted
Elections: last held 26 June 2001 (next to be held May or June 2006);

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders
Note: the new constitution requires the suspension of political parties while the Movement organization is in governance; of the political parties that exist but are prohibited from sponsoring candidates, the most important are the Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Milton OBOTE]; Democratic Party or DP [Paul SSEMOGERERE]; Conservative Party or CP [Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI]; Justice Forum [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; and National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]

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 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
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Edith Grace SSEMPALA
In the us fax: [1] (202) 726-1727
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 726-7,100 through 7,102, 0416
In the us chancery: 5,911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,011
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jimmy KOLKER
From the us embassy: 1577 Ggaba Rd., Kampala
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 7,007, Kampala
From the us telephone: [256] (41) 234-142
From the us fax: [256] (41) 258-451

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. 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. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo corruption within the government and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth. 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. Growth for 2001 was held back because of a continued decline in the price of coffee Uganda's principal export.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.1% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1200 (2001 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 44%
Industry: 18%
Services: 38% (2000 est.)

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

Industries: sugar brewing tobacco cotton textiles cement

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1999) (1999)

Labor force: 12 million (2001 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 82%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 13% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 35% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4%
Highest 10: 21% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 37 (1996)

Budget
Revenues: $959 million
Expenditures: $1.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.5% (2001 est.)

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: $367 million f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: coffee fish and fish products tea; gold cotton flowers horticultural products
Partners: Germany 12.0% Netherlands 10.2% US 8.7% Spain 8.0% Belgium 7.1% (2000)

Imports: $1.26 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: capital equipment vehicles petroleum medical supplies; cereals
Partners: Kenya 43.1% US 7.0% India 6.8% South Africa 6.1% Japan 3.4% (2000)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $3.4 billion (2001 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1738.7 (January 2002) 1755.7 (2001) 1644.5 (2000) 1454.8 (1999) 1240.2 (1998) 1083.0 (1997)


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Electricity
Production: 1.599 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 1%
Production by source hydro: 99%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 1.314 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 174 million kWh (2000)
Imports: 1 million kWh (2000)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 50,074; however 80,868 main lines have been installed (1998)
Mobile cellular: 9,000 (1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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
Domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short range traffic
International: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ug
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 60,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $121.3 million (FY01)
Percent of gdp: 2.1% (FY01)

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: 27 (2001)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 7 (2002)

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 (2001)

Roadways

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

Merchant marine
Total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/8,229 DWT
Ships by type: roll on/roll off 3
Note: these ships are in cargo and passenger (ferry) service on Uganda's inland waterways (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Tutsi Hutu and other ethnic groups political rebels and various government forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region transcending the boundaries of Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Rwanda and Uganda

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs