Introduction

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. In January 2009, Uganda assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.

Geographical Location

Located in Eastern Africa, Uganda is bordered by the DROC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, and Tanzania. Slightly smaller than Oregon, it has a total area of 241,038 sq. km. It is landlocked, fertile, well-watered country, mostly plateau with a rim of mountains and has many lakes and rivers. It's lowest point of elevation is Lake Albert, 621 m. and the highest point is Margherita Peak on Mt. Stanley, 5,110 m. Uganda's natural resources include copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, and gold. Agricultural products include coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers, beef, goat meat, milk and poultry. Industries include sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement, and steel production.

Climate

The climate in Uganda is tropical with semiarid in the northeast. It is generally rainy with two dry seasons: December to February and June to August. 21.57% of the land is arable with 8.92% used for permanent crops. There are no natural hazards. Environmental issues include: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; and widespread poaching.

Population

The population is 32,369,558 (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 than would otherwise be expected. July 2009 est.) The growth rate is 2.692%, with a birth rate of 47.84 births per 1000 and a death rate of 12.09 deaths per 1000 (2009 est.). 35% of the population lives in poverty. Ethnic groups include 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). Infectious diseases include bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, plague, sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, and rabies.

Languages

English is the 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. 66.8% of the population age 15 and over can read and write.

Religion

Religions include 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).