Map of Uganda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The colonial boundaries created by Britain to delimit Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures. These differences prevented the establishment of a working political community after independence was achieved 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. The rule of Yoweri MUSEVENI since 1986 has brought relative stability and economic growth to Uganda. During the 1990s the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.


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Location: Eastern Africa west of Kenya east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 32 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 241,038 km²
Rank: 81
Land: 197,100 km²
Water: 43,938 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; South 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: gold

Land use
Arable land: 21.57%
Permanent crops: 8.92%
Other: 69.51% (2005)

Irrigated land: 90 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 66 km³ (1970)

Natural hazards: NA

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


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Population: 34,612,250 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 36
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Growth rate: 3.576% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 3
Below poverty line: 35% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ugandan
Adjective: Ugandan

Ethnic groups: Baganda 16.9% Banyakole 9.5% Basoga 8.4% Bakiga 6.9% Iteso 6.4% Langi 6.1% Acholi 4.7% Bagisu 4.6% Lugbara 4.2% Bunyoro 2.7% other 29.6% (2002 census)

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 41.9% Protestant 42% (Anglican 35.9% Pentecostal 4.6% Seventh-Day Adventist 1.5%) Muslim 12.1% other 3.1% none 0.9% (2002 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 49.9%
15-64 years: 48.1% (male 8,383,548/female 8,255,473)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 291,602/female 424,817) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 15.1 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 15.1 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.576% (2011 est.)
Rank: 3

Birth rate: 47.49 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 2

Death rate: 11.71 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 33

Net migration rate: -0.02 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 116

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 13% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Life Conservation 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(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 62.47 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 29
Male: 66.05 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 58.77 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.24 years
Rank: 203
Male: 52.17 years
Female: 54.33 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.69 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 2

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.117 physicians/1000 population (2005)
Rank: 161

Hospital bed density: 0.39 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 177

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.5% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 10
People living with hivaids: 1.2 million (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 8
Deaths: 64,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 8

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria plague and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2009)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.4% (2006)
Rank: 51

Education expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 123

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 66.8%
Male: 76.8%
Female: 57.7% (2002 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


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

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Kampala
Geographic coordinates: 0 19 N 32 25 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 80 districts; Abim Adjumani Amolatar Amuria Amuru Apac Arua Budaka Bududa Bugiri Bukedea Bukwa Bulisa Bundibugyo Bushenyi Busia Butaleja Dokolo Gulu Hoima Ibanda Iganga Isingiro Jinja Kaabong Kabale Kabarole Kaberamaido Kalangala Kaliro Kampala Kamuli Kamwenge Kanungu Kapchorwa Kasese Katakwi Kayunga Kibale Kiboga Kiruhara Kisoro Kitgum Koboko Kotido Kumi Kyenjojo Lira Luwero Lyantonde Manafwa Maracha Masaka Masindi Mayuge Mbale Mbarara Mityana Moroto Moyo Mpigi Mubende Mukono Nakapiripirit Nakaseke Nakasongola Namutumba Nebbi Ntungamo Oyam Pader Pallisa Rakai Rukungiri Sembabule Sironko Soroti Tororo Wakiso Yumbe

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 October 1962 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 9 October (1962)

Constitution: 8 October 1995; amended 2005
Note: the amendments in 2005 removed presidential term limits and legalized a multiparty political system

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI ; Vice President Edward SSEKANDI (since 24 May 2011) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power on 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Amama MBABAZI (since 24 May 2011); note - the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
Elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 18 February 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 68.4% Kizza BESIGYE 26.0% other 5.6%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (372 seats; 215 members elected by popular vote 104 nominated by legally established special interest groups [women 79 army 10 disabled 5 youth 5 labor 5] 13 ex-officio members; members to serve five-year terms); note - the composition of the National Assembly has changed but the the details are not yet available
Elections: last held on 18 February 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 279 FDC 34 DP 11 UPC 9 CP 1 JEEMA 1 independents 37

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: Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or DP [Kizito SSEBAANA]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza BESIGYE]; Inter-Party Co-operation or IPC (a coalition of opposition groups); Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Miria OBOTE]
Note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's transition to a multi-party political system

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU C COMESA EAC EADB FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OIC OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Perezi Karukubiro KAMUNANWIRE
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 Jerry P. LANIER
From the us embassy: 1577 Ggaba Road Kampala
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 7,007 Kampala
From the us telephone: [256] (414) 259 791 through 93 95
From the us fax: [256] (414) 258-794

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; black symbolizes the African people yellow sunshine and vitality red African brotherhood; the crane was the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under the UK

National symbols: grey crowned crane

National anthem
Name: 'Oh Uganda Land of Beauty!'
Lyricsmusic: George Wilberforce KAKOMOA
Note: adopted 1962

National heritage


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Economy overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources including fertile soils regular rainfall small deposits of copper gold and other minerals and recently discovered oil. Uganda has never conducted a national minerals survey. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee 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. Since 1990 economic reforms ushered in an era of solid economic growth based on continued investment in infrastructure improved incentives for production and exports lower inflation better domestic security and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Uganda has received about $2 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief. In 2007 Uganda received $10 million for a Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program. The global economic downturn has hurt Uganda's exports; however Uganda's GDP growth is still relatively strong due to past reforms and sound management of the downturn. Oil revenues and taxes will become a larger source of government funding as oil comes on line in the next few years. Instability in southern Sudan is the biggest risk for the Ugandan economy in 2011 because Uganda's main export partner is Sudan and Uganda is a key destination for Sudanese refugees.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 97
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 66

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 203
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.5%
Industry: 26.5%
Services: 50.9% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: sugar brewing tobacco cotton textiles; cement steel production

Industrial production growth rate: 8.9% (2010 est.)
Rank: 33

Labor force: 15.51 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 38
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: 2.4%
Highest 10: 36.1% (2009)

Distribution of family income gini index: 45.7 (2002)
Rank: 44

Budget
Revenues: $2.544 billion
Expenditures: $3.137 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 110

Taxes and other revenues: 15% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 185

Public debt: 20.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 13.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 135

Central bank discount rate: 9.65% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 34

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 20.96% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 19

Stock of narrow money: $1.881 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 119

Stock of broad money: $3.718 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 127

Stock of domestic credit: $1.801 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 127

Market value of publicly traded shares: $116.3 million (#REF!)
Rank: 117

Current account balance: -$1.064 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 123

Exports: $2.327 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 130
Commodities: coffee fish and fish products tea cotton flowers horticultural products; gold
Partners: Sudan 15.3% Kenya 10.2% Rwanda 8.5% Democratic Republic of the Congo 7.8% UAE 7.7% Netherlands 6.4% Germany 5.4% Belgium 4.1% (2010)

Imports: $3.787 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 125
Commodities: capital equipment vehicles petroleum medical supplies; cereals
Partners: Kenya 17.1% UAE 14.1% China 8.5% India 8.2% South Africa 6.2% Japan 5.9% Germany 4.3% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.995 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 101
Note: excludes gold

Debt external: $2.49 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 131

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 2.176 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 133
Consumption: 1.958 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 137
Exports: 82.04 million kWh (2009)
Imports: 82.04 million kWh (2009 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 139
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 195
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 195
Proven reserves: 14.16 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 79

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 327,100 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 114
Mobile cellular: 12.828 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 56

Telephone system
General assessment: mobile cellular service is increasing rapidly but the number of main lines is still deficient; work underway on a national backbone information and communications technology infrastructure; international phone networks and Internet connectivity provided through satellite and VSAT applications
Domestic: intercity traffic by wire microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communication stations fixed and mobile-cellular systems for short-range traffic; mobile-cellular teledensity about 30 per 100 persons in 2009
International: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania

Broadcast media: public broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) operates radio and television networks; Uganda first began licensing privately-owned stations in the 1990s; by 2007 there were nearly 150 radio and 35 TV stations mostly based in and around Kampala; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available in Kampala (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ug
Hosts: 19,927 (2010)
Hosts rank: 111
Users: 3.2 million (2009)
Users rank: 66

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 2.2% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 67

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-26 years of age for voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; no conscription; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that recruitment under 18 years of age could occur with proper consent and that 'no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces'; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 46 (2010)
Rank: 94
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 41
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 25
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 1244 km
Rank: 82
Narrow gauge: 1244 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 70,746 km
Rank: 67
Paved: 16,272 km
Unpaved: 54,474 km (2003)

Waterways: (there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores) (2009)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Entebbe Jinja Port Bell


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Disputes international: Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups rebels armed gangs militias and various government forces that extend across its borders; Uganda hosts 209,860 Sudanese 27,560 Congolese and 19,710 Rwandan refugees while Ugandan refugees as well as members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) seek shelter in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Garamba National Park; LRA forces have also attacked Kenyan villages across the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 215,700 (Sudan); 28,880 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 24,900 (Rwanda)
Idps: 1.27 million (350,000 IDPs returned in 2006 following ongoing peace talks between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda) (2007)

Illicit drugs