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.

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, Democratic Republic of Congo 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
Extremes lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m
Extremes highest point: Margherita (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

Natural resources:

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

Irrigated land: 90 km² (1989 est.)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Ugandan(s)
Adjective: Ugandan

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate: -2.8 migrant(s)/1000 population (1996 est.)
Note: Uganda is host to refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including Democratic Republic Congo, 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

Environment
Current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
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
International agreements note: Landlocked

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 40.29 years (1996 est.), 36.58 years (1995 est.)
Male: 39.98 years (1996 est.), 36.26 years (1995 est.)
Female: 40.6 years (1996 est.), 36.91 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 61.8%
Male: 73.7%
Female: 50.2%

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

Independence: 9 October 1962 (from U.K.)

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); election last held 9 May 1996 (next to be held NA); results_Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul K. SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%; note_this was the first popular direct presidential election since independence in 1962
Head of government: Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: Unicameral National Assembly:Elections last held in 1980; note_the National Assembly was dissolved in July 1985 following a military coup and was succeeded on 1 February 1986 by the interim National Resistance Council, initially consisting of 23 appointed members, but by early-1989 enlarged to 278 members, of whom 210 were indirectly elected; the National Resistance Council, which had served as Uganda's acting legislature for more than 10 years, was dissolved on 15 June 1996 to prepare for the popular election of a new legislature on 27 June 1996 in keeping with the provisions of the new constitution

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, High Court

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, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

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 growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

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:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 15% (1994), 1.5% (1992; accounts for 5% of GDP

Labor force: 8.361 million (1993 est.)
By occupation Agriculture: 86%
By occupation Industry: 4%
By occupation Services: 10% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA

Budget
Revenues: $574 million (1994/95 est.), $365 million (1989 est.)
Expenditures: $1.07 billion, including capital expenditures of $328 million (1994/95 est.), $545 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1989 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July_30 June

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external:

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1_1,032.6 (November 1995), 979.4 (1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1,133.8 (1992), 734.0 (1991), 428.85 (1990), 223.1 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 162,000 kW
Production: 603 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 30 kWh (1990)

Telephone system: 54,900 telephones (1989 est.); fair system
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave and radio communications stations
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $56 million, 1.7% of budget (FY93/94)

Airports: 21
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 7
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 (1995 est.)

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/NA DWT