• Officially known as the Republic of Uganda, Uganda is a landlocked country of over 30 million people in East Africa which borders the nations of Kenya to the east, Sudan to the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Rwanda and Tanzania to the south. The Nile River runs through northern Uganda, and the southern border of Uganda encompasses part of the northern shore of Lake Victoria.

• Fast Facts:

  1. Capital: Kampala
  2. Government: Democratic Republic
  3. Population: 27,616,000
  4. Currency: Ugandan Shilling (UGX)
  5. Exchange Rate: 1,715.50
  6. Official Language: English, Swahili

• Brief History

  After achieving its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962, Uganda entered a period of civil and political unrest, culminating in the seizing of power by dictator Idi Amin in 1971. During Amin's rule from 1971 to 1979, over 300,000 Ugandans lost their lives, and Amin forcibly exiled the nation's substantial Indian ethnic population. The current President, Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986. In recent years, Uganda has become embroiled in the civil war in the neighboring Congo.

• Culture

  Over forty different languages are spoken in Uganda, although most Ugandans communicate in English. Christianity is the largest single religion in Uganda, being the faith of 84% of the population, with adherents of Islam comprising 12% of the population.

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