Uganda
Republic of Uganda
republicIndependence 9 October 1962 (from the UK)
Uganda as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 136 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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. During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections. In January 2009, Uganda assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2009-10 term.
Geography
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
20 fieldsLand useshare of 241,038 sq km
Climate
- tropical;
- generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August);
- semiarid in northeast
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.3 cu km/yr (43%/17%/40%)
- per capita:
- 10 cu m/yr (2002)
Environment - current issues
- draining of wetlands for agricultural use;
- deforestation;
- overgrazing;
- soil erosion;
- water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria;
- widespread poaching
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Environmental Modification
People
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2002 census)
Religions(2002 census)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.71 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria, plague, and African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies (2009)
Languages
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
Government
Republic; President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986); President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 332 seats, elected 23 February 2006seats by party
Capital
- name:
- Kampala
- geographic coordinates:
- 0 19 N, 32 25 E
- time difference:
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
80 districts; Abim, Adjumani, Amolatar, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bukedea, Bukwa, Bulisa, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Dokolo, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kampala, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibale, Kiboga, Kiruhara, Kisoro, Kitgum, Koboko, Kotido, Kumi, Kyenjojo, Lira, Luwero, Lyantonde, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namutumba, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Oyam, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sembabule, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe
Constitution
8 October 1995; amended in 2005 note: the amendments in 2005 removed presidential term limits and legalized a multiparty political system
Legal system
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
- head of government:
- President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Apolo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); note - the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators
- elections:
- president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2011)
- election results:
- Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 59.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 37.4%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (332 seats; 215 members elected by popular vote, 104 nominated by legally established special interest groups [women 79, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5], 13 ex officio members; serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- last held 23 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2011)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 191, FDC 37, UPC 9, DP 8, CP 1, JEEMA 1, independents 36, other 49
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Political parties and leaders
- Conservative Party or CP [Ken LUKYAMUZI];
- Democratic Party or DP [Kizito SSEBAANA];
- Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Kizza BESIGYE];
- Justice Forum or JEEMA [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA];
- National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI];
- Peoples Progressive Party or PPP [Bidandi SSALI];
- Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Miria OBOTE]
note: a national referendum in July 2005 opened the way for Uganda's transition to a multi-party political system
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Lord's Resistance Army or LRA [Joseph KONY];
- Young Parliamentary Association [Henry BANYENZAKI];
- Parliamentary Advocacy Forum or PAFO;
- National Association of Women Organizations in Uganda or NAWOU [Florence NEKYON];
- The Ugandan Coalition for Political Accountability to Women or COPAW
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURCAT, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Perezi Karukubiro KAMUNANWIRE
- chancery:
- 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 726-1727
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Steven BROWNING
- embassy:
- 1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
- telephone:
- [256] (414) 259 791 through 93, 95
- FAX:
- [256] (414) 258-794
Flag description
- six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red;
- a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side
Economy
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and other minerals, and recently discovered oil.
51 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and other minerals, and recently discovered oil. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee 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. During 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs.
Growth continues to be solid, despite variability in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export, and a consistent upturn in Uganda's export markets. In 2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2 billion.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
45.7 (2002) · 37.4 (1996) country comparison to the world: 41
Central bank discount rate
19.42% (31 December 2008) · 14.68% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 16
Commercial bank prime lending rate
20.45% (31 December 2008) · 19.11% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 20
Stock of money
$1.488 billion (31 December 2008) · $1.347 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 78
Stock of quasi money
$1.485 billion (31 December 2008) · $1.258 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 90
Stock of domestic credit
$1.464 billion (31 December 2008) · $640.3 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 98
Agriculture - products
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Current account balance
-$1.088 billion (2008 est.) · -$744.7 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Exports - commodities
coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.301 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $2.56 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Debt - external
$1.835 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $1.498 billion (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Exchange rates
Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar - 1,658.1 (2008 est.), 1,685.8 (2007), 1,834.9 (2006), 1,780.7 (2005), 1,810.3 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- seriously inadequate;
- mobile cellular service is increasing rapidly, but the number of main lines is still deficient;
- e-mail and Internet services are available
- domestic:
- intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile-cellular systems for short-range traffic
- international:
- country code - 256;
- satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat;
- analog links to Kenya and Tanzania
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Uganda Peoples Defense Force (UPDF): Army (includes Marine Unit), Air Force (2007)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
- 18-26 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty;
- 18-30 years of age for professionals;
- 9-year service obligation;
- the government has stated that recruitment below 18 years of age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces";
- Ugandan citizenship and secondary education required (2009)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 6,532,894
- females age 16-49:
- 6,352,416 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders;
- Uganda hosts 209,860 Sudanese, 27,560 Congolese, and 19,710 Rwandan refugees, while Ugandan refugees as well as members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) seek shelter in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Garamba National Park;
- LRA forces have also attacked Kenyan villages across the border
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 215,700 (Sudan);
- 28,880 (Democratic Republic of Congo);
- 24,900 (Rwanda)
- IDPs:
- 1.27 million (350,000 IDPs returned in 2006 following ongoing peace talks between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda) (2007)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Uganda.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/uganda/2009.