FACTS ABOUT UGANDA

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT UGANDA

1.                 The official name of Uganda is the “Republic of Uganda”.

2.                 Kampala is the capital city of Uganda.

3.                 The total population of Uganda is 38,319,241.

4.                 The natives of Uganda are called Ugandans.

5.                 The Ugandan shilling (UGX) is official currency of Uganda.

6.                 Uganda shares a border with Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.

7.                 Until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, the people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers.

8.                 Sir Winston Churchill called Uganda “the Pearl of Africa”. He visited the country when it was under the British rule.

9.                 Almost half of the country’s population is under the age of 14, which makes it one of the youngest countries in the world.

10.            HIV/AIDS is a major threat to the population of the Ugandans.

11.            In Uganda, motorcycles are used as taxis to ferry people from one place to another. However, these taxis are not recommended for tourists as they can be dangerous. These are locally known as “boda-boda”.

12.            Agriculture is an important part of the country’s economy as it employs the majority of the Ugandans (almost 1/3^rd).

13.            Mountain gorillas in Uganda are a major attraction for tourist all over the world. It is estimated that half of their population lives in Uganda.

14.            Uganda welcomes over 800,000 tourists each year.

15.            Uganda is under the rule of one and the same president— Yoweri Museveni–since 1986.

16.            In 2005, presidential term limits were lifted and a 19-year ban on multi-party politics was also lifted. However, the lifting of the ban on presidential term limit was not welcomed by the Ugandans.

17.            In the area, the United States of America (9,833,517 sq km) is almost 41 times larger than Uganda (241,038 sq km).

18.            Uganda has plenty of lakes and rivers and hence it is a well-watered country.

19.            Large families are preferred in Uganda.

20.            If the country’s population keeps on rising at the same rate, the country might have to face difficulties in supporting its population with respect to food, employment, healthcare, housing, education and more.

21.            Uganda is one of the world’s poorest and least-developed countries.

22.            Uganda is also short on skilled health care workers because of the lack of opportunity for medical professionals to pursue their careers in the country.

23.            Doctors and nurses from the country have immigrated to other countries in search of better job opportunities.

24.            Deforestation, soil erosion, overgrazing and hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria are some of the environmental issues that Uganda is currently facing.

25.            Uganda is losing a lot of its forest cover due to the increasing demand for charcoal and firewood to sustain life.

26.            Unemployment is a huge concern in Uganda and many locals find work with local cottage industries and many are still unemployed.

27.            The supreme court of Uganda has a chief justice and at least 10 other justices.

28.            Uganda is also famous for its coffee.

29.            Coffee and cotton are the cash crops that bring in a significant amount of revenue to the country.

30.            In fact, Uganda is among the top ten coffee producing countries in the world with Brazil topping the list and Vietnam at the second spot.

31.            There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Uganda.

32.            The bicycle is a hot favorite among the local population. People use it on a daily basis.

33.            The first post-independence election in Uganda was held in 1962.

34.            Uganda receives regular rainfall and there is ample fertile land in the country, which is the reason why the majority of its population is engaged in agriculture and related work.

35.            The Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) are having a conflict in the north of the country because of which the country is suffering.

36.            Uganda is believed to have the potential to feed all of the Africa if it was commercially and sensibly farmed. But due to political instability and erratic political management, the country itself is susceptible to starvation in the future.

37.            Strong emphasis is paid on primary school education; however, secondary school education is not available to almost 85% of the children.

38.            The world famous River Nile originates in Uganda. It is also known as the father of African rivers. The river passes through 11 countries. The river is approximately 6,853 kilometers long.

39.            According to World Bank, in 2015, Uganda had 84% of its population living in the rural areas.

40.            Uganda shares Lake Victoria with Tanzania and Kenya. Lake Victoria is also Africa’s largest fresh water lake.

41.            Uganda was under military rule for more than 20 years after its independence from Britain and before the appointment of Yoweri Museveni as the president of the country in 1986.

42.            In 2013, Uganda had 19.7% of its population living below the poverty line.

43.            Bantu speakers constitute the largest portion of the population of Uganda.

44.            Uganda has been ranked at the number one tourist spot for the year 2012 by Lonely Planet, a travel website and a premium travel media publisher in the world.

45.            CNN listed Uganda among the top 16 holiday destinations for 2016.

46.            Uganda is the world’s second most populous landlocked country after Ethiopia.

47.            A UN secretary for humanitarian affairs declared the war in the northern Uganda as the “largest neglected humanitarian emergency in the world”.

48.            Uganda is a cash-based economy as the infrastructure in the country is not developed to support cashless transactions as in the other developing and developed countries.

49.            In 2014, the country’s first female-only gym was inaugurated in Uganda by 25-year-old Mildred Apenyo.

50.            Uganda hosts more refugees than any other country in Africa. There are more than 21 million refugees in the world and 86% of them have found shelter in developing nations.

51.            Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley is the highest peak of Uganda. Mount Stanley (5,109m) is also the third highest mountain is Africa after Kilimanjaro (5,895m).

52.            Lake Albert is the lowest point in Uganda at 621m.

53.            It is estimated that Ugandans drink 11.93 liters of alcohol per person per year, making it the second top country in Africa for that matter.

54.            Uganda Exports: coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products and gold.

55.            Uganda Imports: capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies and cereals.

56.            The internet country code for Uganda is .ug.