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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

2 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.ug

Internet users [time series]

25,000 (2000)

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]

general assessment: 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]

50,074; however, 80,868 main lines were installed (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]

Ugandan shilling (UGX)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

UGX

Debt - external [time series]

$3.6 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$1.4 billion (2000)

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 1990-2000, 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, corruption within the government, and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth. In 2000, Uganda qualified for enhanced HIPC debt relief worth $1.3 billion and Paris Club debt relief worth $145 million. These amounts combined with the original Highly Indebted Poor Countries HIPC debt relief add up to about $2 billion. Growth for 2001 should be somewhat lower than in 2000, because of a decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

1.06 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports [time series]

174 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports [time series]

1 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production [time series]

1.326 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 0.98% hydro: 99.02% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates [time series]

Ugandan shillings per US dollar - 1,700 (February 2001), 1,830.4 (January 2001), 1,644.5 (2000), 1,454.8 (1999), 1,240.2 (1998), 1,083.0 (1997), 1,046.1 (1996)

Exports [time series]

$500.1 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities [time series]

coffee, fish and fish products, tea; electrical products, iron and steel

Exports - partners [time series]

Spain, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Hungary, Kenya (1999)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 43% industry: 17% services: 40% (1998 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

6% (2000 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 27.5%, US 21.2%, France 19.3, UK 5%, India 4% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

7% (1999)

Industries [time series]

sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6.5% (2000)

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; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; 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]

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]

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

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

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

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 reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 12 March 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); 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 69.3%, Kizza BESIGYE 27.8%

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 726-1727

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[256] (41) 259794

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 and approved by the legislature); 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 May or June 2001); election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - 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 allowed to operate unfettered; note - the president maintains that the NRM is not a political party, but a movement which claims the loyalty of all Ugandans note: the new constitution requires the suspension of political parties while the Movement system is in governanace; 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]; Conservative Party or CP [Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI]; Justice Forum [Muhammad Kibirige MAYANJA]; and National Democrats Forum [Chapaa KARUHANGA]

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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 promulgated non-party presidential and legislative elections.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Air Wing, Marine Unit

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: 5,118,755 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 2,778,457 (2001 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 51.08% (male 6,150,038; female 6,100,880) 15-64 years: 46.78% (male 5,613,499; female 5,607,526) 65 years and over: 2.14% (male 244,216; female 269,553) (2001 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

47.52 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate [time series]

17.97 deaths/1,000 population (2001 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%, Batoro 3%, non-African (European, Asian, Arab) 1%, other 23%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

8.3% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

110,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

820,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

91.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 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: 43.37 years male: 42.59 years female: 44.17 years (2001 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]

-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) note: according to the UNHCR, by the end of 1999, Uganda was host to 218,000 refugees from a number of neighboring countries, including: Sudan 200,600, Rwanda 8,000, and Democratic Republic of the Congo 8,000

Population [time series]

23,985,712 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 2001 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.93% (2001 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: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.88 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

the Ugandan military is deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo in support of rebel forces in that country's civil war; a resurvey of the latitudinal boundary with Tanzania in 2000 revealed a 300-meter discrepancy that both sides are currently adjudicating

Transportation

Airports [time series]

28 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 24 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)

Heliports [time series]

1 (2000 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 27,000 km paved: 1,800 km unpaved: 25,200 km (of which about 4200 km are all-weather roads) (1990)

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 note: these ships are in cargo and passenger service on Uganda's inland waterways (2000 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