Uganda

Overview

Uganda is a country of 3 colours: The bright blue of the sky, the dark red of the soil and the deep green of the vegetation. Situated around the north west shores of Lake Victoria, Uganda has experienced two brutal dictatorships, in the shape of Amin and Obote but is now free to develop under the leadership of President Museveni. This isn't to say things aren't hard, but the people of Uganda have a great national pride and are desperately trying to build their country up. HIV/AIDS is a major problem as is the lingering remnants of the Lords Resistance Army in the north of the country and this, combined with the lack of infrastructure, have made it a country still slightly off the tourist map. Often seen as a poor man's alternative to Kenya or Tanzania Uganda has just as much to offer and more, depending on what you're looking for.

If it's adventure that you want, look no further than Jinja, where you can go white water rafting at the source of the Nile and experience some of the biggest white water in the world (they have their own rating system it's so big!). If you want an alternative to climbing Kili then try the Rwenzori Mountains - just as big, harder or easier climbing depending on what you want and a fraction of the people trying to get to the top. Or if you want to explore the natural world you can take a once in a lifetime...more

History

Africans of three main ethnic groups--Bantu Nilotic and Nilo-Hamitic constitute most of the population. The Bantu are the most numerous and include the Baganda which with about 3 million members (18% of the population) constitute the largest single ethnic group.

The people of the southwest comprise 30% of the population divided into five major ethnic groups: the Banyankole and Bahima 10%; the Bakiga 8%; the Banyarwanda 6%; the Bunyoro 3%; and the Batoro 3%). Residents of the north largely Nilotic are the next largest group including the Langi 6% and the Acholi 4%. In the northwest are the Lugbara 4% and the Karamojong 2% occupy the considerably drier largely pastoral territory in the northeast. Europeans Asians and Arabs make up about 1% of the population with other groups accounting for the remainder. Uganda's population is predominately rural and its density is highest in the southern regions.

Until 1972 Asians constituted the largest nonindigenous ethnic group in Uganda. In that year the Idi Amin regime expelled 50 000 Asians who had been engaged in trade industry and various professions. In the years since Amin's overthrow in 1979 Asians have slowly returned. About 3 000 Arabs of various national origins and small numbers of Asians live in Uganda. Other nonindigenous people in Uganda include several hundred Western missionaries and a few diplomats and business people.

When Arab traders moved inland from their enclaves along the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa and reached the interior of Uganda in the 1830s they found several African kingdoms...more