Uganda’s Facts and Features

Uganda also called the Pearl of Africa is located across the equator bordered by Kenya in the east, southern Sudan in the north, Tanzania in the south, Zaire in the west and Rwanda in the southwest.

The country comprises of a flat topography of an altitude of 1,000m in most regions of the country, the country comprises of a remarkable biological and physical diversity due to its location on the great African plateau across the equator.

The country is naturally gifted with water bodies and soil fertility, with about 26% of the area is covered with lakes, rivers and swamps, Lake Victoria being the largest lake in Africa. The country also comprises of the source of the River Nile the world’s longest river, Lake Kyoga in the center of the country, Lakes Edward, George and Albert in the west of the country.
The country is also made up of mountainous part in the southwest that include the Rwenzori mountains forming the highest mountain in Africa, other mountains in Uganda include Mount Elgon, Virunga, and so much more.

CLIMATE IN UGANDA
The country’s temperatures range between 26degrees – 29degrees during the day and 16 degrees – 20degrees at night with the hottest months being December, January and February. Apart from some northern parts of Uganda that receives low annual rainfall as low as 100mm, the rest of the country is green throughout the year with an annual rainfall between 1,000mm to 2,000mm with the coolest season being mid-September to November, the March to May.

UGANDA’S POPULATION, LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
Uganda is estimated to have over 24.6 million people, with the largest par of the population living in rural areas and most of them are agriculturalists. The largest country’d population is made of the Bantu-speaking composing of the Baganda most of them living with in the central region of the country.

Other Bantu speaking people include the Bakiga occupying the southwestern part of the country, Batooro in western Uganda at the foothills of Rwenzori Mountains, and the Banyoro of the Bunyoro-Kitala Kingdom.

The Eastern part of the country is mostly dominated by the Bantu speaking Basoga speaking and are mostly agriculturalists occupying the shores of Lake Victoria, its soils are very fertile and agriculture is a major activity. Other tribes in Uganda include the Bagisu settled at the foothills of Mount Elgon are also another major ethnic Bantu group that inhabit one of Uganda’s large town of Mbale. Agriculture is major activity and the main language spoken is Lumasaba quite related to some languages in Kenya. However there are also other Bantu-speaking groups in this area like the Bagwere, Banyole, Basamia and many others.

UGANDA’S TOURISM AND NATIONAL PARKS
Uganda is named the Pearl of Africa because of it’s a unique natural destination as compared to other African countries basically because of its large forested area composed of national parks and wildlife reserves giving home to a large numbers of primates including chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, butterflies and birds. Uganda’s national parks offer a variety of wildlife which includes – Lions, buffalo, elephant, leopard, giraffe and other several species of animals not found anywhere in Africa.

The country comprises of 10 national parks with a number of wildlife and forest reserves. Uganda’s national parks include Bwindi national park, Mgahinga national park Semliki, Queen Elizabeth, Budongo, Kanyiyo and Pabidi forest reserves, Murchison falls national park and several others.

Uganda is also blessed with water bodies including – Lake Victoria, Kyoga, Albert, Edward and several crater lakes especially around the Rwenzori foothills. The existence of such water bodies facilitates a relatively moist climate, with the countryside greener and fertile compared to the semi-desert northern part of Uganda. Around these water bodies are different bird species not easily found anywhere in Africa especially the papyrus gonolek and the shoebill.