1996 Edition

Description

six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side

Location

1 00 N, 32 00 E -- Eastern Africa, west of Kenya Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Oregon

land area

199,710 sq km

total area

236,040 sq km

Climate

tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues

draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

1 00 N, 32 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

90 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania 396 km, Zaire 765 km

total

2,698 km

Land use

arable land

23%

forest and woodland

30%

meadows and pastures

25%

other

13%

permanent crops

9%

Location

Eastern Africa, west of Kenya

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

copper, cobalt, limestone, salt

Terrain

mostly plateau with rim of mountains

highest point

Margherita (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m

lowest point

Lake Albert 621 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 50% (male 5,006,615; female 4,972,831) 15-64 years: 48% (male 4,842,908; female 4,874,471) 65 years and over: 2% (male 231,156; female 230,195) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

45.92 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

20.72 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%, Batobo 3%, European, Asian, Arab 1%, other 23%

Infant mortality rate

99.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English (official), Luganda, Swahili, Bantu languages, Nilotic languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

40.6 years (1996 est.)

male

39.98 years

total population

40.29 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

50.2%

male

73.7%

total population

61.8%

Nationality

adjective

Ugandan

noun

Ugandan(s)

Net migration rate

-2.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

note

Uganda is host to refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including Zaire, Sudan, and Rwanda; probably in excess of 100,000 southern Sudanese fled to Uganda during the past year; many of the 8,000 Rwandans who took refuge in Uganda have returned home

Population

20,158,176 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.24% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%

Sex ratio

all ages

1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

6.61 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

39 districts; Apac, Arua, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga, Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Kasese, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero, Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Soroti, Tororo

Capital

Kampala

Constitution

8 October 1995; adopted by the interim, 284-member Constituent Assembly, charged with debating the draft constitution that had been proposed in May 1993; the Constituent Assembly was dissolved on promulgation of the constitution in October 1995

Data code

UG

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI

telephone

[1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet, appointed by the president

chief of state

President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); election last held 9 May 1996 (next to be held NA); results - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul K. SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%; note - this was the first popular direct presidential election since independence in 1962

head of government

Prime Minister Kintu MUSOKE (since 18 November 1994);

FAX

[1] (202) 726-1727

[256] (41) 259794

Flag

six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side

Independence

9 October 1962 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal; High Court

Legal system

in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law and reinstituted a normal judicial system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Uganda

conventional short form

Uganda

National Assembly

elections last held in 1980; note - the National Assembly was dissolved in July 1985 following a military coup and was succeeded on 1 February 1986 by the interim National Resistance Council, initially consisting of 23 appointed members, but by early-1989 enlarged to 278 members, of whom 210 were indirectly elected; the National Resistance Council, which had served as Uganda's acting legislature for more than 10 years, was dissolved on 15 June 1996 to prepare for the popular election of a new legislature on 27 June 1996 in keeping with the provisions of the new constitution

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Other political or pressure groups

Lord's Resistance Army (LRA); West Nile Bank Front (WNBF)

Political parties and leaders

only officially recognized party - National Resistance Movement (NRM), Yoweri MUSEVENI

note

Ugandan People's Congress (UPC), Milton OBOTE; Democratic Party (DP), Paul SSEMOGEERE; and Conservative Party (CP), Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI continue to exist but the new constitution confirms the suspension of political party activity until 2001

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador E. Michael SOUTHWICK

embassy

Parliament Avenue, Kampala

mailing address

P. O. Box 7007, Kampala

telephone

[256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795

Agriculture

coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry

Budget

expenditures

$1.07 billion, including capital expenditures of $328 million (1994/95 est.)

revenues

$574 million

Currency

1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt. Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986 the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. In 1990-94, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, and gradually improving domestic security. The economy again prospered in 1995 with rapid growth, low inflation, growing foreign investment, a trimmed bureaucracy, and the continued return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs.

Electricity

capacity

162,000 kW

consumption per capita

30 kWh (1990)

production

603 million kWh

Exchange rates

Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,032.6 (November 1995), 979.4 (1994), 1,195.0 (1993), 1,133.8 (1992), 734.0 (1991)

Exports

$424 million (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities

coffee 97%, cotton, tea

partners

US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%

External debt

$3.2 billion (1994)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

55%

industry

12%

services

33% (1995)

GDP per capita

$900 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

7.1% (1995 est.)

Imports

$870 million (c.i.f., 1994)

commodities

petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals, transportation equipment, food

partners

Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%

Industrial production growth rate

15% (1994)

Industries

sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.1% (1995)

Labor force

8.361 million (1993 est.)

by occupation

agriculture 86%, industry 4%, services 10% (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Wing

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $56 million, 1.7% of budget (FY93/94)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

4,359,286

males fit for military service

2,365,157 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

2.04 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

fair system

domestic

microwave radio relay and radiotelephone communications stations

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

54,900 (1989 est.)

Television broadcast stations

9 (1987 est.)

Televisions

193,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

21

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

7

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

5

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

5 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

3,480 km

total

30,320 km

unpaved

26,840 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

total

3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/2,743 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell

Railways

narrow gauge

1,241 km 1.000-m gauge note:: a program to rehabilitate the railroad is underway (1995)

total

1,241 km single track

Waterways

Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward; Victoria Nile, Albert Nile