Geography and Environment of Uganda

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. Kampala has over a million residents and lies near the shores of Lake Victoria about 20 miles north of the Equator. Its altitude ranges from 3,622 to 4,500 feet. Built on a number of low-lying hills, the city is surrounded by green rolling countryside dotted with small farms. These farms grow mostly matooke bananas, cassava, and maize, the main staple foods of Uganda.

Detailed geography