General
Information
|
Total Land Area: |
199,650 km2 |
|
Land boundaries: |
2,698 km |
|
Coastline: |
0 km
(Landlocked) |
|
Capital: |
Kampala |
|
Other Large
Cities: |
Jinja, Mbale,
Masaka |
|
Official
Language: |
English |
|
National
Currency Unit: |
Ugandan Shilling
(UGX) |
|
National Day: |
October 9 |
Location and
Geography
Uganda is located in
the heart of
Sub-Saharan Africa
and lies astride the
Equator. It is
bordered by Kenya in
the East, Rwanda,
Tanzania and the
Democratic Republic
of the Congo in the
South and Sudan in
the North. Uganda
occupies a fertile
plateau where the
River Nile
originates and the
largest fresh water
lake of Africa -the
Lake Victoria- is
located. Mountains
mark the limits of
the plateau region.
Forests and
woodlands take up
about one third of
the land area. About
a quarter of the
land is arable. The
climate is tropical
and generally rainy.
During the rainy
season the weather
is cool and
overcast.
Demography
|
Population:
|
24.80 million
(2002) |
|
Crude Birth
Rate:
|
49 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Crude Death
Rate:
|
18 per thousand
people (2002) |
|
Infant Mortality
Rate:
|
83 per thousand
(2002) |
|
Life Expectancy:
|
Male: 43 years,
Female: 44 years
(2002) |
|
Urban
Population:
|
15.0 percent
(2002) |
|
Adult Literacy:
|
68.00 percent
(2001) |
Economy
Agriculture is the
main economic
activity and source
of employment in
Uganda. Thanks to
fertile lands and
regular rainfall
many crops are being
raised: cassava,
millet, corn, sweet
potatoes, beans,
coffee, sugar, tea,
and tobacco.
Rehabilitation of
coffee plantations
has been the main
stimulus to economic
growth in recent
years. The natural
resources of the
country are copper,
cobalt, limestone
and salt. The
industrial sector is
mainly involved in
import substitution
and the main
production areas are
food processing,
textiles, soap,
cement, brewing,
metal products,
vehicle assembly and
steel. The country
has a potential
tourism sector.
|
GDP at Current
Market Prices:
|
6010 million US$
(2002) |
|
Per Capita GDP:
|
242 US$ (2002) |
|
Share of Sectors
in GDP:
|
32.0%
Agriculture,
22.0% Industry,
46.0% Services,
(2002) |
|
Total Exports:
|
324 million US$
(2002) |
|
Total Imports:
|
994 million US$
(2002) |
|
Major Exports
Items: |
Coffee, gold,
cotton, tea and
corn |
|
Major Imports
Items: |
Transportation
equipment,
petroleum, and
medical
supplies, iron
and steel |
|
Major Trading
Partners: |
Kenya,
Switzerland,
Netherlands,
South Africa and
UK |
|
