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.

East-Central Africa, west of Kenya, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

1 00 N, 32 00 E

Africa

slightly smaller than Oregon

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

mostly plateau with rim of mountains

copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold

90 sq km (2003)

66 cu km (1970)

NA

draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching

landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers

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)

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

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)

33,640,833 (July 2012 est.)

3.3% (2012 est.)

45.8 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

11.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

KAMPALA (capital) 1.535 million (2009)

310 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

6.14 children born/woman (2012 est.)

8.2% of GDP (2009)

0.117 physicians/1,000 population (2005)

0.39 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 38% of population

rural: 49% of population

total: 48% of population

urban: 62% of population

rural: 51% of population

total: 52% of population

6.5% (2009 est.)

1.2 million (2009 est.)

64,000 (2009 est.)

16.4% (2006)

3.2% of GDP (2009)

republic

111 districts and 1 capital city*; Abim, Adjumani, Agago, Alebtong, Amolatar, Amudat, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Buhweju, Buikwe, Bukedea, Bukomansimbi, Bukwa, Bulambuli, Bulisa, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Butambala, Buvuma, Buyende, Dokolo, Gomba, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kalungu, Kampala*, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kibuku, Kiruhura, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitgum, Koboko, Kole, Kotido, Kumi, Kween, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Lamwo, Lira, Luuka, Luwero, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mitoma, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namayingo, Namutumba, Napak, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntoroko, Ntungamo, Nwoya, Otuke, Oyam, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rubirizi, Rukungiri, Sembabule, Serere, Sheema, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe, Zombo

9 October 1962 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

8 October 1995; amended 2005

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly (375 seats; 238 members elected by popular vote, 112 women directly elected, 25 nominated by legally established special interest groups [army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], additional ex-officio members may be nominated by the President; members serve five-year terms)

Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI]; Democratic Party or DP [Norbert MAO]; Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Muntu MUGISHA]; Inter-Party Co-operation or IPC (a coalition of opposition groups); Justice Forum or JEEMA [Asuman BASALIRWA]; National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]; Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI]; Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Olara OTUNNU]

Lord's Resistance Army or LRA [Joseph KONY]; Parliamentary Advocacy Forum or PAFO; National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON]; The Ugandan Coalition for Political Accountability to Women or COPAW

ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a grey crowned crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side; black symbolizes the African people, yellow sunshine and vitality, red African brotherhood; the crane was the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under the UK

grey crowned crane

Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, small deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals, and recently discovered oil. Uganda has never conducted a national minerals survey. 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. Since 1990 economic reforms ushered in an era of solid economic growth based on continued investment in infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, lower inflation, better domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Uganda has received about $2 billion in multilateral and bilateral debt relief. In 2007 Uganda received $10 million for a Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program. The global economic downturn hurt Uganda's exports; however, Uganda's GDP growth has largely recovered due to past reforms and sound management of the downturn. Oil revenues and taxes will become a larger source of government funding as oil comes on line in the next few years. Rising food and fuel prices in 2011 led to protests. Instability in South Sudan is a risk for the Ugandan economy because Uganda's main export partner is Sudan, and Uganda is a key destination for Sudanese refugees.

$50.59 billion (2012 est.)

$48.56 billion (2011 est.)

$46.2 billion (2010 est.)

$20.46 billion (2012 est.)

4.2% (2012 est.)

5.1% (2011 est.)

6.1% (2010 est.)

$1,400 (2012 est.)

$1,400 (2011 est.)

$1,400 (2010 est.)

16.55 million (2012 est.)

NA%

24.5% (2009 est.)

44.3 (2009)

45.7 (2002)

24.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

14.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

-3.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

26.8% of GDP (2012 est.)

27.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

14.7% (2012 est.)

18.7% (2011 est.)

14% (31 December 2010 est.)

9.65% (31 December 2009 est.)

20.7% (31 December 2012 est.)

21.83% (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.283 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.831 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.162 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.058 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$3.296 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.927 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$7.727 billion (31 December 2011)

$1.788 billion (31 December 2010)

$3.745 billion (31 December 2010)

coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry

2% (2011 est.)

-$2.28 billion (2012 est.)

-$1.631 billion (2011 est.)

$2.735 billion (2012 est.)

$2.519 billion (2011 est.)

coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold

Kenya 11.6%, Rwanda 9.7%, UAE 9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.8%, Netherlands 7%, Germany 6.7%, Belgium 4.6%, Italy 4.3% (2011)

$5.528 billion (2012 est.)

$5.002 billion (2011 est.)

capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals

Kenya 14.9%, UAE 14%, India 11.1%, China 9.3%, South Africa 5.6%, Japan 4.4% (2011)

$2.705 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.617 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.126 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$3.486 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$NA

$NA

Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar -

2,493.4 (2012 est.)

2,522.8 (2011 est.)

2,177.6 (2010 est.)

2,030 (2009)

1,658.1 (2008)

1 July - 30 June

2.445 billion kWh (2009 est.)

2.217 billion kWh (2009 est.)

75 million kWh (2010)

29 million kWh (2010 est.)

529,000 kW (2009 est.)

37.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

59.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2.6% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

16,930 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

23,950 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

2.014 million Mt (2010 est.)

464,800 (2011)

16.697 million (2011)

public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and TV networks; Uganda first began licensing privately-owned stations in the 1990s; by 2007 there were nearly 150 radio and 35 TV stations, mostly based in and around Kampala; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available in Kampala (2007)

.ug

32,683 (2012)

3.2 million (2009)

46 (2012)

(there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores) (2011)

Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell

Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF): Army (includes Marine Unit), Uganda Air Force (2010)

18-26 years of age for voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; no conscription; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that recruitment under 18 years of age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"; Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2010)

2.2% of GDP (2006)

Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders; Uganda hosts 209,860 Sudanese, 27,560 Congolese, and 19,710 Rwandan refugees, while Ugandan refugees as well as members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) seek shelter in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Garamba National Park; LRA forces have also attacked Kenyan villages across the border