Area: 236,040 sq km, (slightly smaller than Oregon, US and about the same size as the UK). Location: Uganda is in East Africa, the DRC lies to the east and Kenya to the west.
Capital City: Kampala
Population: Just over 30 million people live in Uganda
Language: English (official national language), Ganda or Luganda, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, and Arabic.
Religion: Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%.
Climate: The climate is tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August). Average daily temperatures rarely exceed 29 Celsius (84 F).
When to Go: June – August and December – February.
Currency: Uganda Shilling
Uganda’s Main Attractions:
Winston Churchill referred to Uganda as the “Pearl of Africa” for its “magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life”. While Uganda’s political turmoil during the 1970’s and 1980’s caused it to lag behind neighboring Kenya and Tanzania as prime tourist destinations, this lovely country is staging a comeback with its excellent attractions, here’s a sampling:
- Gorilla Safaris are a huge draw for tourists visiting Uganda. You can see rare mountain gorillas in two of Uganda’s National Parks; Bwindi and Mgahinga.
- Uganda’s National Parks offer excellent safaris and fantastic birding opportunities. Two of the best parks include Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park.
- Rwenzori Mountains, one of Africa’s finest trekking destinations, the “Mountains of the Moon” offer snow-capped peaks and fantastic trails.
- Kampala, Uganda’s capital is a pleasant place to base your visit from, with good nightlife and friendly restaurants and bars.
Travel to Uganda: Uganda’s International Airport: Entebbe International Airport (Airport code EBB) is located just outside the town of Entebbe on Lake Victoria and 21 miles (35 km) from Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
Getting to Uganda: There are direct flights from Europe and regional flights from Kenya and Tanzania. You can also catch a long-distance bus from Kenya and Rwanda.
Uganda Embassies/Visas: Most nationalities do require a tourist visa before entering the country, but many nationalities can obtain the visa upon arrival at the International Airport.