Introduction
Uganda achieved independence from the UK 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. During the 1990s, the government promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.
Location
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Geographic coordinates
1 00 N, 32 00 E
Area
total: 236,040 sq km
water: 36,330 sq km
land: 199,710 sq km
Land boundaries
total: 2,698 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 765 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Elevation extremes
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
Irrigated land
90 sq km (1998 est.)
Environment - current issues
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread
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
Geography - note
landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers
Population
26,404,543
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)