Uganda A landlocked country in East Africa, bounded by Sudan on the north, Kenya on the east, Tanzania and Rwanda on the south, and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west.
Physical
Uganda's tropical climate is alleviated by its height, most of it being over 1000 m (3300 feet) above sea-level. Between lakes Victoria (the source of the Nile), Kyoga, and Albert in the southern half of the country are hills with richly fertile slopes and valleys. The savannah country in the north supports cotton and grain.
Economy
Coffee accounts for about 95% of the country's exports. Other cash crops are cotton, tea, and maize, and there are livestock-raising, fishing, and subsistence crops. Industry concentrates on agricultural processing.
History
During the 18th and 19th centuries the kingdom of Buganda on Lake Victoria became the dominant power in the area under its kabaka (king) Mutesa I. He welcomed the explorers
SPEKE and
STANLEY, hoping for protection against Arab slave and ivory traders. Following Mutesa's death tensions developed between Christians and Muslims, and also between British and German interests. In 1890 there was an Anglo-German agreement that the area be administered by the British, and the newly formed British East Africa Company placed Buganda and the western states Ankole and Toro under its protection. In 1896 the British government took over the protectorate. After World War II nationalist agitation for independence developed, with Mutesa II being deported. In 1962 internal self-government was granted. Uganda was to be a federation of the kingdoms of Ankole, Buganda, Bunyoro, Busoga, and Toro. In September the Prime Minister, Milton Obote, renounced this constitution and declared Uganda a republic. Mutesa II was elected first President, but in 1965 he was deposed by Milton Obote, who became President himself, only to be deposed in turn by General Idi
AMIN DADA (1971). Amin's rule was tyrannical and racist, including the expulsion of Uganda's Asian residents, an economically vital group of entrepreneurs. In 1980, after the invasion by Tanzanian forces and Ugandan exiles, Amin fled the country. Obote returned in 1981, but his failure to restore order led to a coup in 1985, the resulting military regime being overthrown by the National Resistance Army of Yoweri
MUSEVENI, who became President in 1986. Under his presidency Uganda tried to recover from the disastrous years of 1971–80, which had ruined the economy and cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Extensive loans by the World Bank and IMF required demobilization of the armed forces. However, with growing insurgence in the north of Uganda during 1995–96 by the terrorist group, the Lord's Resistance Army, military strength has had to be increased once more. The ban on political parties, imposed when Museveni took power, was renewed in 1992 and endorsed in a new constitution in 1995. In 1994, non-party elections to the Constituent Assembly were won by Museveni's supporters. Museveni won the country's first presidential election in 1996. There are plans to introduce a multiparty system.
Capital: | Kampala |
Area: | 241,040 sq km (93,070 sq miles) |
Population: | 22,167,000 (1998 est) |
Currency: | 1 Uganda shilling = 100 cents |
Religions: | Roman Catholic 49.6%; Protestant 28.7%; traditional beliefs 15.0%; Muslim 6.6% |
Ethnic Groups: | Ganda 17.8%; Teso 8.9%; Nkole 8.2%; Soga 8.2%; Gisu 7.2%; Chiga 6.8%; Lango 6.0%; Rwanda 5.8%; Acholi 4.6% |
Languages: | English (official); Swahili; Ganda; local languages |
International Organizations: | UN; OAU; Non-Aligned Movement; Commonwealth |