Africa’s Friendliest Country.......

Uganda’s reputation as ‘Africa’s Friendliest Country’ stems partly from the tradition of hospitality common to its culturally diverse populace, and partly from the remarkably low level of crime and hassle directed at tourists. But this amiable quality extends beyond the easygoing people. Uganda’s eco-friendliness is attested to by the creation of six new national parks under the present administration, as well as a recent mushrooming of community-based eco-tourism projects at the grassroots level, while the mood of social enlightenment is characterised by the progressive and much lauded policies towards curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and promoting women’s rights. The climate, too, is highly agreeable, reflecting the combination of an equatorial location and medium to high altitudes, while amenities such as hotels and game lodges now rank with the very best Africa has to offer.

From the moment you land at Entebbe’s modern and efficient international airport, with its breathtaking equatorial location on the forested shore of island-strewn Lake Victoria, it is clear that Uganda is no ordinary safari destination. Dominated by an expansive golf course leading down to the lakeshore, and a century-old botanical garden alive with the chatter of acrobatic monkeys and colourful tropical birds, Entebbe itself is the least obviously urban of all comparably sized African towns. Then, just 40km distant, sprawled across seven hills, there is the capital Kampala. The bright modern feel of this bustling, cosmopolitan city reflects the ongoing economic growth and political stability that has characterised Uganda since 1986, and is complemented by the sloping spaciousness and runaway greenery of its garden setting.

Ecologically, Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. Where else but in this impossibly lush country can one observe lions prowling the open plains in the morning and track chimpanzees through the rainforest undergrowth the same afternoon, then the next day navigate tropical channels teeming with hippo and crocs before setting off into the misty mountains to stare deep into the eyes of a mountain gorilla? Certainly, Uganda is the only safari destination whose range of forest primates is as impressive as its selection of plains antelope. And this verdant biodiversity is further attested to by Uganda’s status as by far the smallest of the four African countries whose bird checklist tops the 1,000 mark!

Situated at the geographical heart of the African continent, Uganda has long been a cultural melting pot, as evidenced by the 30-plus different indigenous languages belonging to five distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts. The country’s most ancient inhabitants, confined to the hilly southwest, are the Batwa and Bambuti Pygmies, relics of the hunter-gatherer cultures that once occupied much of East Africa to leave behind a rich legacy of rock paintings, such as those at the Nyero Rock Shelter near Kumi.

At the cultural core of modern-day Uganda lie the Bantu-speaking kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro, Ankole and Toro, whose traditional monarchs – reinstated in the 1990s after having been abolished by President Milton Obote in 1967 – still serve as important cultural figureheads. According to oral tradition, these centuries-old kingdoms are offshoots of the mediaeval kingdoms of Batembuzi and Bacwezi, which lay in the vicinity of present-day Mubende and Ntusi, where archaeological evidence suggests that a strongly centralised polity had emerged by the 11th century. Three former kings of Buganda are buried in an impressive traditional thatched building at the Kasubi Tombs in Kampala.

People and Culture

Elsewhere, Uganda’s cultural diversity is boosted in the northeast by the presence of the Karimojong, traditional pastoralists whose lifestyle and culture is reminiscent of the renowned Maasai, and in the northwest by a patchwork of agricultural peoples whose Nilotic languages and cultures are rooted in what is now Sudan. The Rwenzori foothills are home to the hardy Bakonjo, whose hunting shrines are dedicated to a one-legged, one-armed, one-eyed pipe-smoking spirit known as Kalisa, while the Bagisu of the Mount Elgon region are known for their colourful Imbalu ceremony, an individual initiation of young boys to manhood that peaks in activity in and around August of every even numbered year.

Yet there is more to the country than wildlife – far more! There is the mighty Nile, punctuated by the spectacular Murchison Falls, and the setting for some of the world’s most thrilling commercial white-water rafting. There are the snow-capped peaks of the Rwenzori, which provide a tantalising challenge to dedicated mountaineers, as well as the Virunga Volcanoes and Mount Elgon, both of which offer highly rewarding hiking opportunities through scintillating highland scenery. More sedately, the myriad islands of Lake Victoria and Bunyonyi are idyllic venues, as are the myriad forest-fringed crater lakes that stud the rift valley floor and escarpment around Fort Portal. Whether you’re a first time safari-goer or a seasoned African traveller, Uganda – with its unique blend of savannah and forest creatures, its rare wealth of montane and lake habitats – is simply dazzling.

Geography

Background

Uganda is a landlocked country, bordered by Sudan to the North, DRC to the west, Rwanda and Tanzania to the South, and Kenya to the East. Lying astride the equator between latitudes 4deg.0' North and 1deg.30' South of the equator, and longitudes 30deg.0' East and 35deg.0' East of Greenwich, covering an area of 242,554 km2.

Topographically much of Uganda can be classified as a plateau, with numerous small hills and valleys and extensive savanna plains. The entire country lies above 900m above sea level generally sloping from South to North. The country lies in a cradle of Mountains on its East Border with Kenya, Mount Elgon, and Mount. Moroto in the North East, and the South-Western Rwenzori Ranges rising to altitudes over 2000m. Uganda is a well watered country with close to 17% or 51,000 sq.km. of its area dedicated to swamp or open water. Much of the country lies in the 'Interlacustrine Region' (Between the lakes) of Africa. This region receives abundant rainfall, and is rich in tillable land, a major determining factor in settlement of the area.

Vegetation in Uganda is extremely diverse a result of the different micro-climates of the country. Vegetation zones can be roughly classified according to the rainfall zones and are generally; Lake region, Northern Region, and the Highlands of the South-East. These are defined according to the climate of the particular areas.

Location

Uganda is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa, west of Kenya, with Geographic coordinates 1 00 N, 32 00 E

Surface Area

Uganda with a total surface area of 236,040 sq km is covered with 36,330 sq km water and 199,710 sq km land.

Land boundaries

With a total border measure of 2,698 km with the following border countries; Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km.

Climate

Uganda's climate is tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

The climate of Uganda cannot be categorised into any single climatic zone, although it has been generally categorised as a 'Modified Tropical' climate. Its central location on the East African Plateau is a major determining factor in the local climate. In reality Uganda has three sub-climatic zones differentiated mainly by altitude and rainfall. Weather data from the following towns are representative of the three regions:

Entebbe - Latitude 00deg.03'N; Longitude 32deg.27'E. Elevation 1,146m (Lake Region):
Gulu - Latitude 02deg.45'N; Longitude 32deg.20' E (Northern Savanna). Elevation 1,109m;
Kabale - Latitude 01deg.15'S; Longitude 29deg.59' E (Southern Highlands). Elevation 1,871m.

Climate of Kampala

Kampala, (0deg.20' N, 32deg.30' E ) is the largest urban centre in Uganda, accounting for 800,000 (1993 estimate) persons or 47% of the urban population. Kampala is located on the Northern shores of Lake Victoria- N'yanza at an altitude of 1,310 meters above sea level. (Map 2) The climate of Kampala is typical of an inland tropical city, modified by altitude, and distance from the sea. The mean temperature of the city is 22deg.C, with a mean maximum of 27deg.C and a mean minimum of 17deg.C, a diurnal range of 10deg.C. The temperature however does vary quite significantly, and temperatures up to 35deg.C and down to 12deg.C are not uncommon. The average humidity over the year is 75% typically high in the morning and low in the afternoon. Daily sunshine hours ranges form a low of 5.7 hours a day during the month of July, to 7.7 hours a day during January (a mean of 6.5 hours per day). Four winds are recognised;

South-East Monsoons

Northerly dry current (Across Egypt and Sudan)
North-Easterly Moist Current
Westerly (Varies from North-West to South-West)
Rain fall maxima are associate with the onset of the South-East Monsoons and the North-Easterly Moist Current, both associated with the annual movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Average rainfall for the city is about 1174mm, most falling during the two wet seasons of March to May, and October to November. Dry seasons are December to February and June to July.

Terrain

The terrain is mostly plateau with rim of mountains. The lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

Natural resources

copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land

Land use

About 25.34% of the land surface is used for arable farming, permanent crops occupying 8.77% and others 65.89% Irrigated land covering 90 sq km

Environment

There are currently several environmental issues the country is dealing with among which are; draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread.

its worth noting the various environmental agreements Uganda is a p arty to i.e Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification