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Uganda flag

Uganda

Capital:Kampala
Population:48.6M
Currency:Uganda Shilling (UGX)
Language:English (official language, Ganda or Luganda , other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic)
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Quick Look Factsheet

A multi-page overview of Uganda.

Uganda Factsheet

Customs and Culture

Cultural Attributes

Ugandans are very involved in the social life of their communities. Sociability is shown through their ritualized greetings that may take up to ten minutes. To not greet someone is considered rude.

Children in Uganda

The Source of the Nile

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5 more cultural topics for members

Social Customs & Etiquette · Diet · Family · Dating Customs · Recreation

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Holidays

  • Independence Day

    10/9

    Independence Day

  • Christmas

    12/25

    Christmas

    Christmas dinner may consist of beef or chicken with matoka (mashed or cooked banana served with groundnut sauce). Although no gifts are exchanged, men customarily purchase new dresses for their wives at this time.

Dates of Interest

  • June 3rd

    A food festival that celebrates the popular Ugandan street food known as "rolex." A rolex is a chapati (flatbread) filled with eggs, vegetables, and sometimes meat. The festival features competitions, food vendors, and live music.

How do people greet each other in Uganda?

Greetings are an essential social norm and may be quite lengthy, with people commonly shaking hands or hugging depending on familiarity, and asking about each other's health and well-being.

Do

  • Greet everyone you meet
  • Shake hands or hug based on how well you know the person
  • Ask about the person's health and well-being

Don’t

  • Skip greeting someone, as it is considered rude

Good to know

  • Ritualized greetings can take up to ten minutes

What is the food and eating culture like in Uganda?

Staples vary by region: millet and sorghum are common in the north, while cassava, manioc, sweet potatoes, and plantains are common in the south and east.

Good to know

  • Matooke (plantains) is a staple served with sauces made from peanuts, green leaves, mushrooms, tomatoes, fish, white ants, or grasshoppers

What should I wear in Uganda?

Western-style clothing is commonly worn.

Good to know

  • In southern Uganda, women may wear a busuuti, a floor-length short-sleeved dress with a square neckline, two buttons, and a waist sash

How important is family in Uganda?

Marriage and family, including the extended family, are very important in Ugandan life.

Good to know

  • A marriage fee (bride price) is usually paid
  • The national ideal in recent years is to have only one wife
  • Allegiance to the extended family is maintained

What do people do for fun in Uganda?

Soccer is the most important sport, with cricket, rugby, track and field, and boxing also popular.

Good to know

  • Urban families enjoy restaurants where they can watch traditional dancing
  • Okwesa is a strategy game played on a wooden board with stones or beans placed in pockets
  • Verbal games such as riddles are played in the evenings

Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Sources: CountryReports

Photos of Uganda

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Travel and Tourism

Travel Alert Status
Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Currency
Ugandan shilling (UGX)
Time Difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate
The average temperature in Kampala ranges from a high of 85 degrees F at noon to a low of 60 at night. The temperature changes more during the course of each day than it does from season to season. The hottest weather occurs from October through March. Kampala has an annual rainfall of about 63 inches. During the rainy seasons—March to April and September to October—the weather is cooler. Frequent, heavy thunderstorms last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. It seldom rains an entire day, even during the so-called rainy seasons. Wind gusts that accompany downpours are sometimes strong enough to knock down tree limbs and even an occasional tree. Red murram dust, which can be a particular problem during dry periods, effects Kampala dwellers when venturing beyond the main asphalt roads.
Airports
27
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Recipes

Featured Dish

Pasta Frola

Dessert

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History

Historical Eras

  1. Bantu & Early Kingdoms

    500 BCE – 1894

    Bantu-speaking peoples migrated into the Great Lakes region and gradually established sophisticated kingdoms, most notably Buganda and Bunyoro. By the 18th century Buganda had emerged as the dominant regional power, expanding at Bunyoro's expense. Arab and Swahili traders arrived by the 1840s, introducing Islam, while British explorer John Hanning Speke reached the Buganda court in 1862 and Christian missionaries followed in 1875 under King Mutesa I.

  2. British Protectorate

    1894 – 1962

    Following the 1890 Anglo-German treaty, Britain formally declared Uganda a protectorate between 1894 and 1900, incorporating multiple kingdoms under colonial administration. Commercial cotton cultivation began in 1904 and became the backbone of the economy, cultivated by African smallholders rather than a settler class. Uganda was granted internal self-government in 1958, and independence arrived in October 1962 with relatively little nationalist conflict compared to neighboring territories.

  3. Early Independence & Obote I

    1962 – 1971

    Uganda's first decade of independence under Prime Minister and later President Milton Obote showed early promise, with new schools, improved infrastructure, and a flourishing economy anchored by Makerere University and the Mulago teaching hospital. Political tensions between the central government and the powerful Buganda kingdom led Obote to suspend the 1962 constitution in 1966, abolish the traditional kingdoms, and rule by executive decree, laying the groundwork for the authoritarian crises to follow.

  4. Amin's Dictatorship

    1971 – 1979

    General Idi Amin Dada seized power in a military coup in January 1971 and imposed a brutal regime responsible for the deaths of an estimated 300,000 opponents, including the expulsion of Uganda's Asian community in 1972 and the decimation of professional and intellectual classes. Amin's erratic foreign policy included border clashes with Tanzania in 1972–73 and the seizure of British businesses. A Tanzanian military invasion in 1979, supported by Ugandan exiles, ended his rule and forced him into permanent exile.

  5. Civil War & Obote II

    1979 – 1986

    The post-Amin transitional period proved chaotic, culminating in Obote's contested return to power after disputed 1980 elections. His second government oversaw a devastating civil war against Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army, during which government forces conducted genocidal sweeps of the Luwero Triangle, killing at least 100,000 civilians. A military coup removed Obote in 1985, but instability continued until Museveni's NRA captured Kampala in January 1986.

  6. Museveni & Modern Uganda

    1986 – present

    Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Movement government brought relative stability and economic recovery after two decades of catastrophic misrule, introducing a no-party 'movement system' before transitioning to multiparty politics. Uganda held its first presidential election in sixteen years in 1996, and the country became a key regional actor, though it faced ongoing challenges from the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency in the north and controversy over Museveni's extended rule. Economic growth, regional influence, and contested democratic governance define the contemporary era.

Overview

The baobab tree, ancient symbol of the African plains

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Timeline of Key Events

  1. 500 BCE – 1300

    Bantu-speaking people migrate to the region. They establish the state of Buganda.

    Bantu-speaking people migrate to the region. They establish the state of Buganda.

  2. 1700

    Buganda begins to expand at the expense of Bunyoro.

    Buganda begins to expand at the expense of Bunyoro.

  3. 1840

    Muslim traders from the Indian Ocean coast exchange slaves of Buganda.

    Muslim traders from the Indian Ocean coast exchange firearms, cloth and beads for the ivory and slaves of Buganda.

  4. 1862

    British explorer John Hanning Speke becomes the first European to visit Buganda.

    British explorer John Hanning Speke becomes the first European to visit Buganda.

  5. 1875

    Bugandan King Mutesa I allows Christian missionaries to enter his realm.

    Bugandan King Mutesa I allows Christian missionaries to enter his realm.

  6. 1890

    Britain and Germany sign treaty giving Britain rights to what was to become Uganda.

    Britain and Germany sign treaty giving Britain rights to what was to become Uganda.

  7. 1894 – 1900

    Britain takes control of the area, calling it Uganda.

    Britain takes control of the area, calling it Uganda. Britain recognizes the kabaka, or Buganda tribal king, as ruler, but maintains its authority.

View full timeline (17 events)
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Interesting Facts

  • When a child loses a tooth they leave their tooth behind a pot along the path the rats use. They next day their tooth will be gone and they will find money in that spot. Some rats are poorer than others.

  • John Hanning Speke visited Uganda in 1862; he discovered that Lake Victoria was the source of the Nile. On 14 August 1992, Mbale in Uganda experienced a meteorite fall when many stones fell through the roofs of buildings.

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Geography and Environment

Uganda is located on a fertile plateau in the center of Africa at an average altitude of 4,000 feet. The plateau is bordered on the east by the Kenya Highlands and Mount Elgon (14,178 feet) and on the west by the Rwenzori Mountains (16,791 feet). It is crossed diagonally from southeast to northwest by the Nile River, which begins its journey to the Mediterranean near the town of Jinja on Lake Victoria, about 50 miles from the capital, Kampala.
Terrain
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Climate
The average temperature in Kampala ranges from a high of 85 degrees F at noon to a low of 60 at night. The temperature changes more during the course of each day than it does from season to season. The hottest weather occurs from October through March. Kampala has an annual rainfall of about 63 inches. During the rainy seasons—March to April and September to October—the weather is cooler. Frequent, heavy thunderstorms last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. It seldom rains an entire day, even during the so-called rainy seasons. Wind gusts that accompany downpours are sometimes strong enough to knock down tree limbs and even an occasional tree. Red murram dust, which can be a particular problem during dry periods, effects Kampala dwellers when venturing beyond the main asphalt roads.
Natural Hazards
NA
Current Environmental Issues
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; poaching is widespread
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People & Demographics

Religion

Languages Spoken

English (official language, Ganda or Luganda , other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic)

  • Arabic
  • English
  • Swahili

Population

Population
48,582,334
Population in Major Urban Areas
KAMPALA (capital) 1.659 million
Nationality Noun
Ugandan(s)
Ethnic Groups
Baganda 17%, Ankole 8%, Basoga 8%, Iteso 8%, Bakiga 7%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Batoro 3%, Bunyoro 3%, Alur 2%, Bagwere 2%, Bakonjo 2%, Jopodhola 2%, Karamojong 2%, Rundi 2%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 8%

Education

Literacy Definition
age 15 and over can read and write

Health Information

Life Expectancy at Birth
Life expectancy at birth in Uganda has improved significantly over recent decades, reflecting advances in healthcare access, disease control, and maternal and child health programs. As of the most recent estimates, the average life expectancy at birth in Uganda stands at approximately 63 to 65 years overall, with women tending to live slightly longer than men. Female life expectancy hovers around 66 years, while male life expectancy is closer to 62 years. This represents a remarkable turnaround from the late 1980s and early 1990s, when life expectancy in Uganda fell sharply — dropping to as low as 44 to 46 years at its worst point, largely due to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Uganda became one of the first African nations to mount an aggressive and largely successful public health campaign against HIV/AIDS, and the subsequent reduction in HIV prevalence played a major role in driving life expectancy back upward through the 2000s and 2010s. Despite this progress, Uganda still faces considerable challenges that keep life expectancy below the global average of around 73 years. The country has a high burden of infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, and respiratory infections, which remain leading causes of death. High rates of maternal mortality continue to be a concern, though improvements in prenatal care and skilled birth attendance have helped lower these figures in recent years. Childhood mortality, while declining, also continues to weigh on overall life expectancy statistics, given Uganda's very young population profile. Uganda's rapidly growing population — one of the fastest-growing in the world — places ongoing pressure on an already-strained healthcare system. Rural communities in particular face limited access to hospitals, trained medical personnel, and essential medicines. Government initiatives, alongside significant support from international health organizations, are working to address these gaps through expanded health infrastructure and community health worker programs. Looking ahead, continued investment in preventive care, nutrition, clean water access, and maternal health services will be critical in sustaining and further improving life expectancy trends across the country.
Major Infectious Diseases — degree of risk
very high

Life Expectancy

Life Expectancy at Birth
Life expectancy at birth in Uganda has improved significantly over recent decades, reflecting advances in healthcare access, disease control, and maternal and child health programs. As of the most recent estimates, the average life expectancy at birth in Uganda stands at approximately 63 to 65 years overall, with women tending to live slightly longer than men. Female life expectancy hovers around 66 years, while male life expectancy is closer to 62 years. This represents a remarkable turnaround from the late 1980s and early 1990s, when life expectancy in Uganda fell sharply — dropping to as low as 44 to 46 years at its worst point, largely due to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Uganda became one of the first African nations to mount an aggressive and largely successful public health campaign against HIV/AIDS, and the subsequent reduction in HIV prevalence played a major role in driving life expectancy back upward through the 2000s and 2010s. Despite this progress, Uganda still faces considerable challenges that keep life expectancy below the global average of around 73 years. The country has a high burden of infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, and respiratory infections, which remain leading causes of death. High rates of maternal mortality continue to be a concern, though improvements in prenatal care and skilled birth attendance have helped lower these figures in recent years. Childhood mortality, while declining, also continues to weigh on overall life expectancy statistics, given Uganda's very young population profile. Uganda's rapidly growing population — one of the fastest-growing in the world — places ongoing pressure on an already-strained healthcare system. Rural communities in particular face limited access to hospitals, trained medical personnel, and essential medicines. Government initiatives, alongside significant support from international health organizations, are working to address these gaps through expanded health infrastructure and community health worker programs. Looking ahead, continued investment in preventive care, nutrition, clean water access, and maternal health services will be critical in sustaining and further improving life expectancy trends across the country.
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Government & Politics

Country Identity

Country Name
Uganda
Full Country Name
Republic of Uganda

Government Structure

Government Type
republic
Legal System
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Executive Branch
chief of state: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power on 26 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 26 January 1986); Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 14 June 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister assists the president in the supervision of the cabinet cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected legislators with approval from Parliament elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in 2026) election results: Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 58.6%, Robert Kyagulanyi SSENTAMU (also known as Bobi WINE) 34.8%, other 6.6%
Legislative Branch
Unicameral Parliament of Uganda (556 members — 353 constituency representatives directly elected by popular vote, 146 district woman representatives, 10 Uganda People's Defence Forces representatives, 5 representatives for youth, 5 representatives for workers, 5 representatives for persons with disabilities, and 13 ex officio members including the Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, and the Attorney General; members serve five-year terms) Elections: Last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in 2026) Election results: Percent of vote by party — National Resistance Movement (NRM) approximately 58%, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) approximately 12%, independent candidates approximately 27%, other parties approximately 3%; seats by party — NRM 336, FDC 32, National Unity Platform (NUP) 57, Uganda People's Congress (UPC) 9, Democratic Party (DP) 9, independents and others 113
Judicial Branch
Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the president and approved by the legislature); High Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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 upon the promulgation of the constitution in October 1995
Independence
9 October 1962 (from UK)
National Holiday
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)

Capital City

Capital Name
Kampala
Capital - geographic coordinate
0 19 N, 32 33 E
Capital Time Difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

the site of the original British settlement was referred to by its native name as Akasozi ke'Empala ("hill of the impala" [plural]); over time this designation was shortened to K'empala and finally Kampala

Military

Branches: Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF): Land Forces (includes Marine Unit), Uganda Air Force

Embassy / Diplomatic Mission

U.S.Embassy Kampala

1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala

Telephone: 256-414-259-791 or 256-414-306-001

Facsimile: 256-414-258-451

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Economy

Uganda possesses substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and significant recently discovered oil reserves in the Albertine Rift Basin.

Snapshot

Currency Name and Code
Uganda Shilling (UGX)
GDP — official exchange rate
$7,909,000,000 (USD)
GDP Real Growth Rate
5.3%
Gini Index
43
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News & Weather

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Latest News

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Climate Overview

The average temperature in Kampala ranges from a high of 85 degrees F at noon to a low of 60 at night. The temperature changes more during the course of each day than it does from season to season. The hottest weather occurs from October through March.

Kampala has an annual rainfall of about 63 inches. During the rainy seasons—March to April and September to October—the weather is cooler. Frequent, heavy thunderstorms last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. It seldom rains an entire day, even during the so-called rainy seasons. Wind gusts that accompany downpours are sometimes strong enough to knock down tree limbs and even an occasional tree. Red murram dust, which can be a particular problem during dry periods, effects Kampala dwellers when venturing beyond the main asphalt roads.

Videos

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Uganda?
The population of Uganda is approximately 48.6M.
How do people greet each other in Uganda?
Greetings are an essential social norm and may be quite lengthy, with people commonly shaking hands or hugging depending on familiarity, and asking about each other's health and well-being. Do: Greet everyone you meet Shake hands or hug based on how well you know the person Ask about the person's health and well-being Don't: Skip greeting someone, as it is considered rude Ritualized greetings can take up to ten minutes
What is the food and eating culture like in Uganda?
Staples vary by region: millet and sorghum are common in the north, while cassava, manioc, sweet potatoes, and plantains are common in the south and east. Matooke (plantains) is a staple served with sauces made from peanuts, green leaves, mushrooms, tomatoes, fish, white ants, or grasshoppers
What should I wear in Uganda?
Western-style clothing is commonly worn. In southern Uganda, women may wear a busuuti, a floor-length short-sleeved dress with a square neckline, two buttons, and a waist sash
How important is family in Uganda?
Marriage and family, including the extended family, are very important in Ugandan life. A marriage fee (bride price) is usually paid The national ideal in recent years is to have only one wife Allegiance to the extended family is maintained
What do people do for fun in Uganda?
Soccer is the most important sport, with cricket, rugby, track and field, and boxing also popular. Urban families enjoy restaurants where they can watch traditional dancing Okwesa is a strategy game played on a wooden board with stones or beans placed in pockets Verbal games such as riddles are played in the evenings
What is the capital of Uganda?
Kampala is the capital and largest city of Uganda. Situated on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, it serves as the country's political, commercial, and cultural hub. The city grew around a hill that was historically the hunting ground of the Buganda kingdom's kabaka (king), and today it remains the administrative center of the presidential republic.
Where is Uganda located?
Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa, straddling the equator in the heart of the African Great Lakes region. It lies on a high plateau averaging around 1,100 metres above sea level, which gives much of the country a relatively temperate climate despite its equatorial position. The country is widely associated with the upper reaches of the Nile River system.
What countries border Uganda?
Uganda shares borders with five countries. South Sudan lies to the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Rwanda to the southwest, Tanzania to the south, and Kenya to the east. Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake, forms part of the southern boundary and is shared with Tanzania and Kenya.
What religion is practiced in Uganda?
Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are the dominant faiths, each accounting for roughly 33 percent of the population. Indigenous belief systems represent approximately 18 percent of religious practice and in many communities coexist alongside or are blended with Christian observance. Islam is also practiced by a notable minority, particularly in eastern Uganda and around the shores of Lake Victoria.
What is the currency of Uganda?
The currency of Uganda is the Uganda Shilling, with the ISO code UGX. The shilling was reintroduced in 1987 after a period of severe inflation, replacing an earlier shilling at a rate of 100 to one. It is issued and regulated by the Bank of Uganda and is the sole legal tender throughout the country.
What languages are spoken in Uganda?
English is the official language of Uganda and is used in government, education, and formal commerce. Luganda (also called Ganda) is the most widely spoken indigenous language and serves as an informal lingua franca in and around Kampala. Swahili holds co-official status and is used regionally, while numerous Niger-Congo and Nilo-Saharan languages are spoken across the country's many ethnic communities, and Arabic is used in some Muslim communities.
What is Uganda known for?
Uganda is known internationally as a premier destination for mountain gorilla trekking, with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park sheltering roughly half the world's remaining mountain gorilla population. The country is also notable as the location where explorer John Hanning Speke confirmed in 1862 that Lake Victoria is the principal source of the Nile. Uganda is a leading exporter of coffee, its primary cash crop, and is recognized for the warm, elaborately ritualized greeting culture of its people, in which formal exchanges can last up to ten minutes as a mark of deep respect.
What is the history of Uganda's independence?
Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962, following decades of colonial rule. The post-independence era was marked by severe political turbulence, most notably the brutal dictatorship of Idi Amin from 1971 to 1979, during which an estimated 300,000 people were killed. Subsequent instability under Milton Obote claimed at least another 100,000 lives before Uganda moved toward multiparty elections in the 1990s and established its current system as a presidential republic.

Last reviewed 2026

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