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 at least another 100,000 lives. During the 1990s the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.

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.)

Natural hazards: NA

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

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 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 2.96% (2003 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 50.8% (male 6,528,724; female 6,486,736)
15-64 years: 46.8% (male 5,985,911; female 6,024,798)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 266,930; female 339,695) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 14.7 years
Female: 14.8 years (2002)
Male: 14.6 years

Population growth rate: 2.96% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 46.57 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 16.95 deaths/1000 population (2003 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 (2003 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 87.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 80.17 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 95.41 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 44.88 years
Male: 43.42 years
Female: 46.38 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 5% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 600,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 84,000 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 69.9%
Male: 79.5%
Female: 60.4% (2003 est.)

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Kampala

Administrative divisions: 56 districts; Adjumani Apac Arua Bugiri Bundibugyo Bushenyi Busia Gulu Hoima Iganga Jinja Kabale Kabarole Kaberamaido Kalangala Kampala Kamuli Kamwenge Kanungu Kapchorwa Kasese Katakwi Kayunga Kibale Kiboga Kisoro Kitgum Kotido Kumi Kyenjojo Lira Luwero Masaka Masindi Mayuge Mbale Mbarara Moroto Moyo Mpigi Mubende Mukono Nakapiripirit Nakasongola Nebbi Ntungamo Pader Pallisa Rakai Rukungiri Sembabule Sironko Soroti Tororo Wakiso Yumbe

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 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
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
Election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 69.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 27.8%

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

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 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 [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Justice Forum [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; and National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C EADB ECA FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IGAD ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM ITU NAM OAU OIC OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UPU WCO 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 fax: [1] (202) 726-1727
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 726-7,100 through 7,102, 0416
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

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 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 2001-02 was solid despite continued decline in the price of coffee Uganda's principal export. Prospects for 2003 are mixed with probable strengthening of coffee prices yet with halting growth in the economies of major export customers.

Real gdp growth rate: 5.5% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1200 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 43%
Industry: 19%
Services: 38% (2001 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: 6.3% (2002 est.)

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

Unemployment rate: NA%

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

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 37.4 (1996)

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

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.1% (2002 est.)

Exports: $476 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: coffee fish and fish products tea; gold cotton flowers horticultural products
Partners: Belgium 16.2% Netherlands 13.7% Germany 7.5% Spain 5.5% Hong Kong 4.9% US 4.6% UK 4.3% Italy 4.1% Portugal 4.1% (2002)

Imports: $1.14 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: capital equipment vehicles petroleum medical supplies; cereals
Partners: Kenya 45.3% South Africa 6.8% India 5.7% UK 5.5% (2002)

Debt external: $2.8 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1797.55 (2002) 1755.66 (2001) 1644.48 (2000) 1454.83 (1999) 1240.31 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 1.928 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 0.9%
Production by source hydro: 99.1%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 1.62 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 174 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 1 million kWh (2001)

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

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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $124.7 million (FY02)
Percent of gdp: 2.1% (FY02)

Airports: 27 (2002)
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)

Railways
Total: 1,241 km
Narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

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) 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.)

Disputes international: Tutsi Hutu and other ethnic groups associated political rebels armed gangs and various government forces continue fighting in the Great Lakes region transcending the boundaries of Burundi Democratic Republic of the Congo Rwanda and Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources; government heads pledge to end conflict but localized violence continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; conflict in Sudan has extended rebel forces and refugees into Uganda