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.

Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N 32 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 236,040 km²
Land: 199,710 km²
Water: 36,330 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: 21.57%
Permanent crops: 8.92%
Other: 69.51% (2005)

Irrigated land: 90 km² (2003)

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 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 3.37% (2006 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% (male 7,091,763/female 6,996,385)
15-64 years: 47.8% (male 6,762,071/female 6,727,230)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male 266,931/female 351,374) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 15 years
Male: 14.9 years
Female: 15.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.37% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 47.35 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 12.24 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 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, 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 66.15 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 69.51 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 62.69 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.67 years
Male: 51.68 years
Female: 53.69 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.71 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 4.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 530,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 78,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

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
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
Note: as of a July 2005, 13 new districts were reportedly added bringing the total up to 69; the new districts are Amolatar, Amuria, Budaka, Butaleja, Ibanda, Kaabong, Kabingo, Kaliro, Kiruhura, Koboko, Manafwa, Mityana, Nakaseke; a total of nine more districts are in the process of being added

Independence: 9 October 1962 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 9 October (1962)

Constitution: 8 October 1995; in 2005 the constitution was amended removing presidential term limits and legalizing a multiparty political system

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 23 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011)