ABOUT UGANDA
Uganda is a landlocked and beautiful country and is mostly referred to as the “The Pearl of Africa” and this is because of its beauty and nature that’s why also its slogan was changed to “Uganda Gifted by Nature” during the hosting of CHOGM. Uganda borders 5 countries which are Sudan, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Rwanda. The capital city of Uganda is Kampala and other cities found in the country include, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, Mbale and many more. Uganda is under the rule of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) which is headed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Size: the country has a total area and size of 236,040 sq km's, 91,135 (SQ MI). The area under water is 36,330 sq km's and the area under land is 199,710 sq km's.
Population: the country’s population in 2009 was estimated to be 31million people with a growth rate of 2.7%, birth rate of 47.8/1000, infant mortality rate of 64.8/1000, life expectancy of 52.7 and density per sq mi is 392
Geography
Uganda Geographically is bordered by Congo on the west, Sudan on the north, Kenya on the east, and Tanzania and Rwanda on the south. The country lies across the equator and is divided into three main areas that is swampy lowlands, a fertile plateau with wooded hills, and a desert region. Uganda has been called a land of lakes because there are many lakes covering almost a third of the country. Lake Victoria which is the largest in Africa dominates the southern part of the country. The equator crosses the country at a place called Kayabwe
Languages
English is the official language and other languages spoken include Luganda, Swahili and other Tribal languages depending on the tribe
Money Unit
The unit of currency is the Ugandan Shilling. The US dollar ($) is the hard currency of preference. Other currencies preferred in the country include the British Pound and the EURO
Religions
The most famous region in Uganda are Christians, Muslims and some have indigenous beliefs. However today born-again Christians are also rampant and have built as many churches as possible.
Wildlife
Uganda has 10 National Parks and many game reserves. The National Parks and Game Reserves are home to many animals such as the antelopes, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, elephants, giraffes, gorillas, leopards, lions and zebras. A thousand species of birds have be
en recorded. Above all the country is a home to the world’s famous biggest Ape and man’s shiest friend the Mountain Gorillas which are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Culture
The country has more than 30 indigenous languages belonging to distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts. The country’s most ancient inhabitants, confined to the hilly southwest, are the Batwa and Bambuti Pygmies who were hunter-gatherer.
What to See/Uganda’s Attractions
Uganda’s most attraction are the endangered Mountain gorillas, primates, Big Five animals and a lot of bird species found in different parts of the country. There is also water falls for White water Rafting at Bujagali Falls, Karuma falls, Kalagala falls and many more. The country also hosts the source of River Nile, cultural performances from different cultural groups, Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake, and also Lake Victoria with many Islands which favors Honey moon holidays like the Ssese Islands
What to do in Uganda
Activities to do in Uganda include
- Gorilla trekking
- Wildlife and Game viewing in most of the national parks
- Chimpanzee Tracking
- Boat Rides
- Mountaineering/Hiking
- Bird Watching safaris
- White water Rafting
- Cultural safaris
- Nature/Forest/Village walks
- Bungee Jumping Kayaking and Canoeing tours and City tours
Public Holidays in Uganda
Apart from Good Friday and Easter Monday, which fall on variable dates, other public holidays in Uganda are
- 1st Jan New Year’s Day
- 26th Jan NRM Liberations Day
- 8th Mar Women’s Day
- 1st May Labour Day
- 3rd Jun Uganda Martyrs Day
- 9th Jun National Heroes’ Day
- 9th Oct Independence Day
- 25th Dec Christmas Day
- 26th Dec Boxing Day
