ABOUT UGANDA

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF UGANDA
Uganda is seen as basin shaped rising between the western and eastern arms of the rift valley. The country lies across the equator and is bordered by Tanzania in the south, Sudan in the north, Kenya in the east, Zaire in the west and Rwanda in the southwest.

The topography/Relief of Uganda is generally flat with an altitude of 1,000m in most parts of the country; however its location on the great African plateau and across the equator gives it a remarkable biological and physical diversity.
Uganda is naturally endowed with water bodies and fertility, 25% of the area is covered with lakes, rivers and swamps. The water bodies include Lake Victoria being the largest lake in Africa, the source of the River Nile the world’s longest river, Lake Kyoga in the center of the country, Lakes Edward, George and Albert close to the border of Congo.

Uganda is also a product of the African Continent uplift with the most mountainous part in the southwest that harbors the Rwenzori mountains which form the highest mountain in Africa, other mountains also include Mount Elgon, Virunga, Bufumbira Mountains on the southwestern border of Rwanda, the Northern Volcanoes of Uganda and many more of these physical features make Uganda a very interesting geographical part of Africa.
Capital City of Uganda : Kampala city
Total Area: 236,040 sq km's, 91,135 (SQ MI)

Area under water: 36,330 sq km's.
Area (land): 199,710 sq km's.
Uganda Population: 31 million 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
Languages: English (official) Luganda for Bantu, Nilotic languages and Swahili.
Religions in Uganda : Roman Catholics 33%, Protestants 33%, Moslems 16% and Others 17 (including Pentecostal which has gained a lot of follower.
Average Income; Us $ 200 per annum
Uganda Government; Republic.
Independence Date: 9th of October 1962.
Climate of Uganda: Tropical with both dry and rainy seasons

Accessibility: Getting there

• By Air, Entebbe International Airport
• By Land through Busia and Malaba in the East, Katuna in the west and Mutukula in the South

WILDLIFE IN UGANDA
The National Parks and Game Reserves are a home to many animals such as the antelopes, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, elephants, giraffes, gorillas, leopards, lions and zebras. A thousand species of birds have been recorded.
The mountain gorilla is an endangered species and the Kigezi Game Reserve (Mgahinga) was set up for the protection of the mountain gorilla while the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Gorilla Sanctuary was established to protect the lowland mountain gorilla.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN UGANDA
Good Friday and Easter Monday, which fall on variable dates, are recognized in Rwanda. Other public holidays 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 Chrismas Day
26th Dec Boxing Day