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Uganda
Physical. Uganda is located in Eastern Africa, and is bordered by Sudan,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Approximately the
size of Oregon, Uganda enjoys a mainly tropical climate, with ample rainfall.
The country consists of two major geographical regions: the plains of the
northeast, and the southern highlands. While the plains are semiarid grassland,
it has been said that you can drop anything into the rich volcanic, well-watered
soils of the south and it will grow. Ugandan agriculture supports a wide array
of foods, including coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava, potatoes, corn, and
millet. Natural resources include copper, cobalt, salt, and limestone.
People. Home to approximately 24,700,000 people, Uganda's population is
predominately rural, and its population density highest in the southern regions.
Africans of three main ethnic groups--Bantu, Nilotic, and
Nilo-Hamitic--constitute most of the population. The Bantu are the most numerous
and include the Baganda, which, with 18% of the population, constitute the
largest single ethnic group. Individual ethnic groups in the southwest include
the Banyankole and Bahima, 10%; the Bakiga, 8%; the Banyarwanda, 6%; the Bunyoro,
3%; and the Batoro, 3%. Residents of the north, largely Nilotic, include the
Langi, 6%, and the Acholi, 4%. In the northwest are the Lugbara, 4%, and the
Karamojong, 2%, occupy the considerably drier, largely pastoral territory in the
northeast.
Government. The 1995 constitution established Uganda as a republic with
an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. The president of Uganda, Yoweri
Museveni, who is the head of state and head of government, leads the executive
branch. In 2000, Ugandans voted to reject multi-party politics in favor of
continuing President Museveni’s “no-party” system. Museveni has remained in
power since 1985 through his tight control of the military and governing
institutions. But his position has been challenged by his involvement in
regional conflicts as well as by domestic rebels, most notably the Lords
Resistance Army (LRA), which continues to terrorize northern Uganda.
Economy. Uganda's economy has great potential. Endowed with significant
natural resources, including ample fertile land, regular rainfall, and mineral
deposits, it appeared poised for rapid economic growth and development at
independence. However, chronic political instability and erratic economic
management produced a record of persistent economic decline that left Uganda
among the world's poorest and least-developed countries.
Agricultural products supply nearly all of Uganda's foreign exchange earnings,
with coffee (of which Uganda is Africa's leading producer) accounting for about
19% and fish 17% of the country's exports in 2002. Exports of non-traditional
products, including apparel, hides, skins, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, cut
flowers, and fish are growing, while traditional exports cotton, tea, and
tobacco continue to be mainstays. Most industry is related to agriculture. The
industrial sector is being rehabilitated to resume production of building and
construction materials, such as cement, reinforcing rods, corrugated roofing
sheets, and paint. Domestically produced consumer goods include plastics, soap,
cork, beer, and soft drinks.
Uganda Statistics
Geography
Area: 91,076 km (about the size of Oregon)
Capital: Kampala (1,274,000)
Environmental concerns: draining of wetlands, deforestation, overgrazing, soil
erosion, widespread poaching
Geographical features: mostly plateau, with a rim of mountains
Climate: generally tropical, but semiarid in the northeast
People
Total: 24,700,000
Ethnic groups: Bantu, Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic
Major languages: English, Swahili, Bantu languages, Nilotic languages
Religions: 66% Christian, 18% indigenous, 16% Muslim
Health and Social Issues
Life expectancies: male 39; female 40
Infant mortality: 89.3/1,000 live births
Physicians available: 1/20,700 people
HIV/AIDS rate in adults: 6.1%
Adult literacy rate: 62%
Communication and Transportation
81,000 main line telephones
25,000 internet users
16,200 miles of highway
745 miles of railroad
27 airfields
51,000 motor vehicles
Government
Type: Republic
Independence date: October 9, 1962 (from UK)
Head of State: President Yoweri Kagura Museveni is both head of state and head
of government
Suffrage: universal at 18
Military
Military expenditures: 2.1% of GDP
Current disputes: continuing ethnic strife in the region
Economy
Currency: Uganda Shillings
Per Capita Income: $1,200
GDP: $29 billion
GDP Growth Rate: 5.2%
Inflation rate: 3.5%
Labor force: 82% agriculture; 13% services; 5% industry
Resources and Industry
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, limestone, hydropower, arable land
Agriculture: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava, potatoes, corn, millet,
pulses, livestock
Industry: sugar, brewing, tobacco, textiles, cement
Exports: $367 million (primary partner is Europe)
Imports: $1.26 billion (primary partners are Kenya, USA, India)
Suggested web sites
www.state.gov/www/background_notes/
www.ugandaweb.com
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