Uganda

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. A constitutional referendum in 2005 cancelled a 19-year ban on multi-party politics.

 

Capital: Kampala

Government: Republic

Economy:

• Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force.
• Coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues.

Population: 33.8 million (UN 2011)

Land Size: 241,038 sq km (93,072 sq miles)

Major Ethic Groups:

• 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)

Religions:

• 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%

Language(s):

• 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

For more information about Uganda, please visit:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ug.html