Flag_of_Uganda.svg

Uganda

 

Population: 35,873,253 (est.)

Language(s): English, Swahili

Capital: Kampala

Interesting Facts:

  • The official currency of Uganda is the Ugandan shilling.
  • Uganda is a predominantly Christian country with a significant (about 12%) Muslim minority.
  • If you need to use the toilet in Uganda you say “I need to make a short call”.
  • Over 80% of workers are employed in the agricultural industry.
  • Southern Uganda has lots of rainfall all year round. While Northern Uganda also has plenty of rain every year, there is a dry season between November and February.
  • There are large reserves of crude oil and natural gas in Uganda that are still mostly untapped.
  • In Uganda you drive on the left hand side of the road.
  • The official motto of Uganda is ‘For God and My Country’.
  • Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda.
  • About half the population live on less that US$1.25 per day (the international poverty line).
  • Uganda’s largest export is coffee.
  • Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Uganda. However, cricket is becoming increasingly popular.

Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania.

Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala. The people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when Bantu-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country. The area was ruled by the British beginning in the late 1800s. Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by intermittent conflicts, most recently a civil war against the Lord’s Resistance Army.

The official languages are English and Swahili. Luganda, a southern language, is widely spoken across the country, although multiple other languages are spoken in the country. The current President of Uganda is Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Source: Wikipedia