ARCHIVE // UG // 2000
Uganda
2000 Edition — sovereign
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Communications
Internet users
(Internet Service Providers (ISPs))
[time series]
3 (1999)
Broadcast media
(Radio broadcast stations)
[time series]
AM 19, FM 4, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios
[time series]
2.6 million (1997)
Telecommunication systems
(Telephone system)
[time series]
seriously inadequate; two cellular systems have been introduced, but a sharp increase in the number of main lines is essential; e-mail and Internet services are available domestic: intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations, fixed and mobile cellular systems for short range traffic international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog links to Kenya and Tanzania
Telephones - fixed lines
(Telephones - main lines in use)
[time series]
54,074 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular
[time series]
9,000 (1998)
Broadcast media
(Television broadcast stations)
[time series]
8 (plus one low-power repeater) (1999)
Televisions
[time series]
315,000 (1997)
Economy
Agricultural products
(Agriculture - products)
[time series]
coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; beef, goat meat, milk, poultry
Budget
[time series]
revenues: $959 million expenditures: $1.04 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY98/99 est.)
Exchange rates
(Currency)
[time series]
1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
Debt - external
[time series]
$3.1 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid
(Economic aid - recipient)
[time series]
$839.9 million (1997)
Economic overview
(Economy - overview)
[time series]
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 1990-99, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled Indian-Ugandan entrepreneurs. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, growing corruption within the government, and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth.
Electricity - consumption
[time series]
622 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - exports
[time series]
115 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - imports
[time series]
0 kWh (1998)
Electricity - production
[time series]
792 million kWh (1998)
Electricity - production by source
[time series]
fossil fuel: 0.88% hydro: 99.12% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1998)
Exchange rates
[time series]
Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,525.8 (January 2000), 1,454.8 (1999), 1,240.2 (1998), 1,083.0 (1997), 1,046.1 (1996), 968.9 (1995)
Exports
[time series]
$471 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities
[time series]
coffee, fish and fish products, tea; electrical products, iron and steel
Exports - partners
[time series]
EU 51% (Netherlands 6%, Switzerland 6%, Germany 5%, Belgium 4%), Kenya 5% (1998)
Fiscal year
[time series]
1 July - 30 June
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
(GDP)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $24.2 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
(GDP - composition by sector)
[time series]
agriculture: 44% industry: 17% services: 39% (1997 est.)
Real GDP per capita
(GDP - per capita)
[time series]
purchasing power parity - $1,060 (1999 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
(GDP - real growth rate)
[time series]
5.5% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
[time series]
lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 33.4% (1992)
Imports
[time series]
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities
[time series]
vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals
Imports - partners
[time series]
Kenya 12%, UK 6%, Japan 4%, India 4%, South Africa (1998)
Industrial production growth rate
[time series]
9.3% (FY98/99)
Industries
[time series]
sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
[time series]
7% (1999)
Labor force
[time series]
8.361 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
[time series]
agriculture 82%, industry 5%, services 13% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line
[time series]
55% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
[time series]
NA%
Geography
Area
[time series]
total: 236,040 sq km land: 199,710 sq km water: 36,330 sq km
Area - comparative
[time series]
slightly smaller than Oregon
Climate
[time series]
tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Coastline
[time series]
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
(Elevation extremes)
[time series]
lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m
Environment - current issues
[time series]
draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching is widespread
International environmental agreements
(Environment - international agreements)
[time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geographic coordinates
[time series]
1 00 N, 32 00 E
Geography - note
[time series]
landlocked
Irrigated land
[time series]
90 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
[time series]
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
Land use
[time series]
arable land: 25% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 9% forests and woodland: 28% other: 29% (1993 est.)
Location
[time series]
Eastern Africa, west of Kenya
Map references
[time series]
Africa
Maritime claims
[time series]
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
[time series]
NA
Natural resources
[time series]
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land
Terrain
[time series]
mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Government
Administrative divisions
[time series]
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
[time series]
Kampala
Constitution
[time series]
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
Country name
[time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Uganda conventional short form: Uganda
Data code
[time series]
UG
Diplomatic representation from the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Martin G. BRENNAN embassy: Parliament Avenue, Kampala mailing address: P. O. Box 7007, Kampala telephone: [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795 FAX: [256] (41) 259794
Diplomatic representation in the US
[time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Edith Grace SSEMPALA chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100 through 7102, 0416 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727
Executive branch
[time series]
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since seizing power 29 January 1986); Prime Minister Apollo NSIBAMBI (since 5 April 1999); 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 elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 9 May 1996 (next to be held by 31 May 2001); note - first popular election for president since independence in 1962 was held in 1996; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI elected president; percent of vote - Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI 74%, Paul Kawanga SSEMOGERERE 24%, Muhammad MAYANJA 2%
Flag
(Flag description)
[time series]
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
Government type
[time series]
republic
Independence
[time series]
9 October 1962 (from UK)
International organization participation
[time series]
ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Judicial branch
[time series]
Court of Appeal, judges are appointed by the president; High Court, judges are appointed by the president
Legal system
[time series]
in 1995, the government restored the legal system to one based on English common law and customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Legislative branch
[time series]
unicameral National Assembly (276 members - 214 directly elected by popular vote, 62 nominated by legally established special interest groups and approved by the president - women 39, army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 3; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 27 June 1996 (next to be held NA 2001); election results: NA; note - election campaigning by party was not permitted
National holiday
[time series]
Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Political parties
(Political parties and leaders)
[time series]
only one political organization, the National Resistance Movement or NRM [President MUSEVENI, chairman] is recognized; note - the president maintains that the NRM is not a political party, but a movement which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans note: of the political parties that exist but are prohibited from sponsoring candidates, the most important are the Ugandan People's Congress or UPC [Milton OBOTE]; Democratic Party or DP [Paul SSEMOGERERE]; and Conservative Party or CP [Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI]; the new constitution requires the suspension of political party activity until a referendum is held on the matter in 2000
Suffrage
[time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background
[time series]
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 another 100,000 lives. During the 1990s the government has promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.
Military
Military and security forces
(Military branches)
[time series]
Army, Navy, Air Wing
Military expenditures - dollar figure
[time series]
$95 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures
(Military expenditures - percent of GDP)
[time series]
1.9% (FY98/99)
Military manpower - availability
[time series]
males age 15-49: 4,952,945 (2000 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
[time series]
males age 15-49: 2,687,924 (2000 est.)
People
Age structure
[time series]
0-14 years: 51% (male 5,986,645; female 5,936,754) 15-64 years: 47% (male 5,443,613; female 5,448,563) 65 years and over: 2% (male 240,819; female 261,166) (2000 est.)
Birth rate
[time series]
48.04 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate
[time series]
18.44 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Ethnic groups
[time series]
Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%, Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%, Batobo 3%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 23%
Infant mortality rate
[time series]
93.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Languages
[time series]
English (official national language, taught in grade schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages, preferred for native language publications in the capital and may be taught in school), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic
Life expectancy at birth
[time series]
total population: 42.93 years male: 42.22 years female: 43.67 years (2000 est.)
Literacy
[time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 61.8% male: 73.7% female: 50.2% (1995 est.)
Nationality
[time series]
noun: Ugandan(s) adjective: Ugandan
Net migration rate
[time series]
-2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 1998, Uganda was host to 205,000 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including: Sudan 190,000, Rwanda 7,500, and Democratic Republic of the Congo 5,400; refugees began returning to their countries of origin in 2000
Population
[time series]
23,317,560 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 2000 est.)
Population growth rate
[time series]
2.72% (2000 est.)
Religions
[time series]
Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Sex ratio
[time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate
[time series]
6.96 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
[time series]
Ugandan military forces are supporting the rebel forces in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]
Transportation
Airports
[time series]
26 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
[time series]
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
[time series]
total: 22 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 7 (1999 est.)
Heliports
[time series]
1 (1999 est.)
Roadways
(Highways)
[time series]
total: 27,000 km paved: 1,800 km unpaved: 25,200 km (of which about 4,800 km are all-weather roads) (1990 est.)
Merchant marine
[time series]
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091 GRT/8,229 DWT ships by type: roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999 est.)
Ports
(Ports and harbors)
[time series]
Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell
Railways
[time series]
total: 1,241 km narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge note: a program to rehabilitate the railroad is underway (1995)
Waterways
[time series]
Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward, Victoria Nile, Albert Nile