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UGANDA
OFFICIAL NAME
Republic of Uganda
CAPITAL CITY
Kampala, population 800,000
Geography
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
236,040 sq km
land area:
199,710 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total:
2,698 km
border countries:
Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
lowest point:
Lake Albert 621 m
highest point:
Margherita (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
Land use:
arable land:
23%
permanent crops:
9%
meadows and pastures:
25%
forest and woodland:
30%
other:
13%
Irrigated land:
90 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification
Geographic note:
landlocked
People
Population:
20,158,176 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
50% (male 5,006,615; female 4,972,831)
15-64 years:
48% (male 4,842,908; female 4,874,471)
65 years and over:
2% (male 231,156; female 230,195) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.24% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
45.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
20.72 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
note:
Uganda is host to refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including Zaire, Sudan, and Rwanda; probably in excess of 100,000 southern Sudanese fled to Uganda during the past year; many of the 8,000 Rwandans who took refuge in Uganda have returned home
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1 male(s)/female
all ages:
1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
99.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
40.29 years
male:
39.98 years
female:
40.6 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.61 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Ugandan(s)
adjective:
Ugandan
Ethnic divisions:
Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%, Batobo 3%, European, Asian, Arab 1%, other 23%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Languages:
English (official), Luganda, Swahili, Bantu languages, Nilotic languages
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
61.8%
male:
73.7%
female:
50.2%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Republic of Uganda
conventional short form:
Uganda
Data code:
UG
Type of government:
republic
Capital:
Kampala
Administrative divisions:
39 districts; Apac, Arua, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Soroti, Tororo
Independence:
9 October 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution:
8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved on promulgation of the constitution in October 1995
Legal system:
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law and reinstituted a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); election last held 9 May 1996 (next to be held NA); results - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul K. SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%; note - this was the first popular direct presidential election since independence in 1962
head of government:
Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994);
cabinet:
Cabinet, appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly:
elections last held in 1980; note - the National Assembly was dissolved in July 1985 following a military coup and was succeeded on 1 February 1986 by the interim National Resistance Council, initially consisting of 23 appointed members, but by early-1989 enlarged to 278 members, of whom 210 were indirectly elected; the National Resistance Council, which had served as Uganda's acting legislature for more than 10 years, was dissolved on 15 June 1996 to prepare for the popular election of a new legislature on 27 June 1996 in keeping with the provisions of the new constitution
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
only officially recognized party - National Resistance Movement (NRM), Yoweri MUSEVENI
note:
Ugandan People's Congress (UPC), Milton OBOTE; Democratic Party (DP), Paul SSEMOGEERE; and Conservative Party (CP), Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI continue to exist but the new constitution confirms the suspension of political party activity until 2001
Other political or pressure groups:
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA); West Nile Bank Front (WNBF)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI
chancery:
5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone:
[1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
FAX:
[1] (202) 726-1727
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador E. Michael SOUTHWICK
embassy:
Parliament Avenue, Kampala
mailing address:
P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
telephone:
[256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795
FAX:
[256] (41) 259794
Economy
Economic overview:
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and 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. In 1990-94, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, and gradually improving domestic security. The economy again prospered in 1995 with rapid growth, low inflation, growing foreign investment, a trimmed bureaucracy, and the continued return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $16.8 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
7.1% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$900 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
55%
industry:
12%
services:
33% (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.1% (1995)
Labor force:
8.361 million (1993 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 86%, industry 4%, services 10% (1980 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$574 million
expenditures:
$1.07 billion, including capital expenditures of $328 million (1994/95 est.)
Industries:
sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
15% (1994)
Electricity:
capacity:
162,000 kW
production:
603 million kWh
consumption per capita:
30 kWh (1990)
Agriculture:
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Exports:
$424 million (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
coffee 97%, cotton, tea
partners:
US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%
Imports:
$870 million (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities:
petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals, transportation equipment, food
partners:
Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%
External debt:
$3.2 billion (1994)
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $NA
Currency:
1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,032.6 (November 1995), 979.4 (1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1,133.8 (1992), 734.0 (1991)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Transportation
Railways:
total:
1,241 km single track
narrow gauge:
1,241 km 1.000-m gauge
note::
a program to rehabilitate the railroad is underway (1995)
Highways:
total:
30,320 km
paved:
3,480 km
unpaved:
26,840 km (1987 est.)
Waterways:
Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile
Ports:
Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Merchant marine:
total:
3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/2,743 DWT (1995 est.)
Airports:
total:
21
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
2
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
1
with paved runways under 914 m:
7
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
5
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
5 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
54,900 (1989 est.)
Telephone system:
fair system
domestic:
microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communications stations
international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios:
2.04 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations:
9 (1987 est.)
Televisions:
193,000 (1992 est.)
Defense
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Wing
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49:
4,359,286
males fit for military service:
2,365,157 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $56 million, 1.7% of budget (FY93/94)
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