Uganda is the Pearl of Africa, a country with fantastic natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures. Travelling through Uganda you will be captivated by its beauty, overwhelmed by the friendliness of its people and intrigued by all that Uganda has to offer.

• Location

Uganda lies astride the Equator in Eastern Africa between longitudes 29 ½° East and 35° East and between latitudes 4 ½° North and ½° South, at an average altitude of 1,100 meters above sea- level. The total area is 236,580sq.Km. 
We are bordered by the Republic of South Sudan to the North, the Republic of Kenya to the East, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the West, and the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Rwanda to the South.
Overview
Ecologically, Uganda is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. Where else but in this uniquely lush destination can one observe lions prowling the open plains in the morning and track chimpanzees through the rainforest undergrowth the same afternoon, then the next day navigate tropical channels teeming with hippos and crocodiles before setting off into the misty mountains to visit the majestic mountain gorillas? Uganda is the only safari destination whose range of forest primates is as impressive as its selection of plain antelopes. Besides the wide biodiversity, Uganda is also blessed with a vast bird population of more than 1,000 species.

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Facts and History

Set at the equator, Uganda is made up of four regions(Central, Eastern, Northern and Western) on an area of 236, 580    sq km, with its capital at Kampala.
The country is fortunate to harbour Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world forming the source of the Nile, the second largest river in the world.
Population
Approximately 31,367, 972 (2008 est) with a 3.6 percent population growth.
People and culture
Uganda has long been a cultural melting pot, as evidenced by the existence of more than 30 different indigenous languages belonging to five distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts.

Common Languages

• English(Official language)
• Kiswahili
• Luganda
• Runyankole,Rukiga or Rutoro

Religions

• Roman catholic (41%)
• Anglican (40%)
• Islam (5%)
• Other beliefs (14%)

Climate
Uganda experiences a temperate climate even though the majority of the country is within the Tropics with temperatures between 16 - 26'C for the majority of the year(April - November). However, during the warmer months (December - March) temperatures reach in excess of 30'C.

Governance
The Republic of Uganda is a sovereign democratic state governed by the 1995 Constitution. The President is Head of State and the Executive comprising of 26 government Ministers. Voting qualifications are universal, for those above 18 years of age.

Economic profile and Currency
Consistently ranked among Africa’s fastest growing economies since 1986, Uganda has experienced a steady expansion of infrastructure and a corresponding increase in international investment and tourism. 
We use the Ugandan Shilling (UGX).

Major holidays

• New Year's Day - 1 January
• NRM Liberation Day - 26 January
• Easter Sunday, Good Friday - March - April
• Martyrs' Day - 3 June
• Heroes Day - 9 June
• Independence - 9 October
• Christmas Day - 25 December
• Boxing Day - 26 December

History

Brief history
The earliest human inhabitants in Uganda were hunter-gathers. Remnants of these people are today to be found among the pygmies in western Uganda. Approximately 2000 to 1500 years ago, Bantu speaking populations from central and western Africa migrated and occupied most of the southern parts of the country. The migrants brought with them agriculture, ironworking skills and new ideas of social and political organization, that by the 15th - 16th century resulted in the development of centralized kingdoms, including the kingdoms of Buganda, Bunyoro-Kitara and Ankole.

Colonial Uganda
In 1888, control of the emerging British "sphere of interest" in East Africa was assigned by royal charter to William Mackinnon's Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEACO), an arrangement strengthened in 1890 by an Anglo-German agreement confirming British dominance over Kenya and Uganda. The high cost of occupying the territory caused the company to withdraw in 1893, and its administrative functions were taken over by a British commissioner. In 1894, Uganda was placed under a formal British protectorate.

Early independent Uganda
Britain granted independence to Uganda in 1962, and the first elections were held on 1st March 1961. Benedicto Kiwanuka of the Democratic Party became the first Chief Minister. Uganda became a republic the following year when it gained its independence on 9th October 1962 thus acquiring its Commonwealth membership. Sir Edward Mutweesa II was appointed as the first president..
In succeeding years, supporters of a centralized state vied with those in favor of a loose federation and a strong role for   tribally-based local kingdoms. Political maneuvering climaxed in February 1966, when Prime Minister Apollo Milton Obote suspended the constitution and assumed all government powers, removing the positions of president and vice president. In September 1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic, gave the president even greater powers, and abolished the traditional kingdoms.

Uganda under Idi Amin Dada
On 25 January 1971, Obote's government was ousted in a military coup led by armed forces commander Idi Amin Dada. Amin declared himself 'president,' dissolved the parliament, and amended the constitution to give himself absolute power.
Idi Amin's eight years’ rule produced economic decline, social disintegration, and massive human rights violations. In 1978, the International Commission of Jurists estimated that more than 100,000 Ugandans had been murdered during Amin's reign of terror; some authorities place the figure as high as 300,000--a statistic cited at the end of the 2006 movie “The Last King of Scotland”, which chronicled part of Amin's dictatorship.
A border altercation involving Ugandan exiles camped close to the Ugandan border of Mutukula resulted in an advance  by the Ugandan army into Tanzania. In October 1978, Tanzanian armed forces countered an incursion of Amin's troops into Tanzanian territory. The Tanzanian army, backed by Ugandan exiles waged a war of liberation against Amin's troops and the Libyan soldiers sent to help him. On 11 April 1979, Kampala was captured, and Amin fled with his remaining forces.

Uganda between 1979 - 1986
After Amin's removal, the Uganda National Liberation Front formed an interim government with Yusuf Lule as president and Jeremiah Lucas Opira as the Secretary General of the UNLF and created a quasi-parliamentary organ known as the National Consultative Commission (NCC). The NCC and the Lule cabinet reflected widely differing political views. In June 1979, following a dispute over the extent of presidential powers, the NCC replaced Lule with Godfrey Binaisa. In a continuing dispute over the powers of the interim presidency, Binaisa was removed in May 1980. Thereafter, Uganda was ruled by a military commission chaired by Paulo Muwanga. The December 1980 elections returned the UPC to power under the leadership of President Milton Obote, with Muwanga serving as vice president. Under Obote, the security forces had one of the world's worst human rights records. In their efforts to stamp out an insurgency led by Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army (NRA), they laid waste to a substantial section of the country, especially in the Luwero area north of Kampala.

Post Liberation war (1986 - 2000)
Negotiations between the Okello government and the NRA were conducted in Nairobi in the fall of 1985, with Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi seeking a cease-fire and a coalition government in Uganda. Although agreeing in late 1985 to a cease-fire, the NRA continued fighting, and seized Kampala and the country in late January 1986, forcing Okello's forces to flee north into Sudan. Museveni's forces organized a government with Museveni as president.
Since assuming power, the government dominated by the political grouping created by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his followers, the National Resistance Movement (NRM or the "Movement"), has largely put an end to the human rights abuses of earlier governments, initiated substantial political liberalization and general press freedom, and instituted broad economic reforms after consultation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and donor governments.

List of Presidents of Uganda since 1962

People and Culture

Situated at the geographical heart of the African continent, Uganda has long been a cultural melting pot, as evidenced by the existence of 30-plus different indigenous languages belonging to five distinct linguistic groups, and an equally diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts. The country’s most ancient inhabitants, confined to the hilly southwest, are the Batwa and Bambuti Pygmies, relics of the hunter-gatherer cultures that once occupied much of East Africa to leave behind a rich legacy of rock paintings, such as at the Nyero Rock Shelter near Kumi.
Central 
The central region is dominated by the Bantu group specifically the Baganda.
The Buganda monarchy presents one of the best documentations of kingship in Uganda. The head of state is the King    locally known as Kabaka. The current king of Buganda, His Highness Ronald Mutebi II was crowned the 36th Kabaka of Buganda in 1993 after his father Sir Edward Mutesa II died in exile.
The kingdom also constitutes a Parliament (Lukiiko), comprising mainly of elderly heads of its 52 clans. Other people, who occupy important positions in the kingdom, include the Queen (Nabagereka), the Prime Minister (Katikiiro), the royal sister (Nalinya) and the Queen Mother (Namasole).
Livelihood
Traditionally, a man could marry five wives or more provided he could cater for them. It was easier to become polygamous in Buganda than in other parts of Uganda because the bride wealth obligations we're not prohibitive unlike formerly when marriage used to be conducted by parents, for instance where the father of the girl could choose for her a husband without availing her any alternatives.
Traditional Dances
Buganda is renowned for her distinct ceremonial occassions organized for observance, commemoration, inauguration, remembrance or fullfilment of cultural rituals and norms.Some of the common (highly recognized) ceremonies in Buganda include;the initiation of twins (okwalula abalongo), the introduction (okwanjula) and last funeral rite (okwabya olumbe).
Dining
Matooke (bananas of the plantain type) is a popular local dish among the Baganda. It’s peeled, tied in banana leaves and put in a cooking pan with enough water to steam the leaves. Later on, the bundle is removed and squeezed to get a smooth soft and golden yellow mash. The Banana leaves are used to keep it hot and steamy.
Eastern 
The eastern region is another diverse area comprised of a number of different tribal groups including; Bagisu, Basamia/Bagwe, Basoga, Bagwere, Iteso, Japadhola, and the Sebei among others.
Apart from other groups, the Basoga present a distinctive kingship in eastern Uganda with their King locally known asKyabazinga.
Marrige and Family Life
In this region as well as the rest of the country, dowries are highly valued and are usually in form of cattle, sheep and goats. The amount paid is negotiated among the parents of the new couple to be. The higher the dowry, the more valued is the bride, although this does not necessary guarantee the success of the marriage.
Ceremonies
Tamenhaibunga; This kind of dance is practiced by the Basoga tribe. Tamenhaibunga literally means “good friends drink together but they do not fight each other lest they break the guard (eibuga) that contains the drink." The guard is symbolically used to express the value and fragility of love and friendship. Other dances in Busoga include Nalufuka, a much faster and youthful version of of Tamenhaibuga; Eirongo, a slower dance performance to cerebrate the birth of twins; Amayebe, which builds physical stamina, especially for men; Enswezi, used to communicate to super naturals and Ekigwo for wrestlers.
Dining 
Kamaleewa: These are tender bamboo shoots which are a delicacy among the Bagisu. Usually, after harvest, these shoots are first boiled and later on sundried before cooking.
Others include; Atapa, Akaro and Sundried fish.
Northern
The northern region is also a melting pot of quite a number of tribes including; Acholi, Langi, Alur, Kakwa, and Lugbara among others.
This region comprises of the Acholi and Langi in the north, Alur, Lugbara and Madi in west Nile region. Like most of the   regions, Langi and Acholi regions predominantly depend on agriculture as their economic activity, with millet and sorghum serving as staple foods.
Marriage and Family life
Traditionally, a young man depends upon his lineage head and elders both for permission to marry and for the material goods required for bride wealth; elders of the bride’s lineage were also much involved in the discussions and negotiations surrounding the marriage.
Ceremonies
Naleyo dance is performed by the Karimajongs where women line up and men strike their breasts using fingers as they dance. The Karimajongs are a pastor community in the north eastern part of Uganda.
Dining
Akaro: This is made from a combination of sorghum, millet and cassava flourmingled in a proportionate quantity of water.
Malakwang: A sour vegetable usually prepared with groundnut paste to form a typical northern food. Malakwang is best served with sweet potatoes.
Others include; Smoked fish and Ugali.
Western
The western region is also rich in tribal culture, it consists of; Bakonjo/Bamba, Batooro, Banyoro, Banyankore, Bakiga, Bafumbira and Bachwezi among others.
Kingship
The Batooro and Banyoro have a centralized system of government headed by the Omukama. Initially, Toro was part of  Bunyoro, but later broke away. The first King was Kaboyo Kasusunkwazi the actual founder of the kingdom and currently the kingdom is headed by King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Livelihood
Marriage and Family Life
Ankole in the west is the most popular tribe in terms of prestige and population. The King owned all the cattle and theoretically owned all women. Hima fathers were anxious to call attention to their daughters because the King gave generous wedding gifts. Slim girls were unfit for royalty so those girls whom the king found to be of interest to marry one of his sons were force-fed on milk.
Traditional dances
Entogoro: Entogoro is danced by Banyoro and Batooro of western Uganda. The dance takes its name from the pod rattles (locally known as ebinyege) that the boys tie on their legs to make different rhythms as they dance.
Ekitagururo: This is characterized by energetic stamping and tangling rhythms using the feet and aerial arm movements; it is performed by both Banyankole and Bakiga in the south western region.
Dining
Eshabwe: A traditional Banyankole dish comprising of ghee, skimmed from milk. This is usually eaten with Akaro. It's a meal one would certainly get acquainted with on a visit to the western parts of Uganda.
Others include; Akaro and Firinda.

Best Destination 2012

Facts and History 
Uganda the pearl of Africa, a country with fantastic natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures.

Aeative Art and Craft

• Basketry

Elephant grass and palm leaves provide raw material used for mats, baskets and also woven bee baskets. They are also used to build traps for wild animals.
 

Uganda has a wide array of handcraft products, ranging from basketry, mats, ceramics and pottery, beads, hand textiles and woven products to toys, jewellery, bags, leather products, batik and curved wood products etc. These items are produced in all districts and regions, using local raw materials and with tribal ornaments in limited edition based on culture, history and traditions.
Hand craft is a cultural tradition and is predominantly a cottage industry, practiced by the rural youth of both gender, but   mainly by women in the country, in order to supplement their income. It has been a tradition to hand over craftsmanship and skills from generation to generation. The production of handcraft however has seen an upswing as a new industrial branch and it is perceived as a potential business for a sustainable family income to supplement the subsistence farming thus making modern art more and more attractive for artists and at last for export.
Best Destination 2012

 Best Destination 2012 by Lonely Planet
Uganda was ranked by Lonely Planet as the world’s most preferred tourism destination for the year 2012. Lonely Planet is the world’s largest Travel Guide Book and Digital Media Publisher. Uganda emerged number one out of 10 other countries surveyed, followed by Myanmar (Burma), Ukraine, Denmark, Bhutan, Cuba, New Caledonia, Taiwan and Switzerland.
Considering the country’s variance in the tourism products, it is little wonder that it was ranked the world’s most preferred. The ranking comes at a time when Uganda is focused on intensifying marketing and promotion of the country both domestically and internationally.
Lonely Planet singles out Uganda as the place where Savannah meets the vast East African lakes and where snow-capped mountains bear down on sprawling jungles, but there is more to this Pearl of Africa. Apart from being home to half to the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, Uganda is also blessed with half of Africa’s bird species, waterfalls, hot springs, forests, national parks and unique climate among others.
Uganda’s history is very rich with UNESCO world heritage sites including Nyero rock paintings, Kasubi tombs (currently being reconstructed after the 2010 inferno), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the newly discovered home of early man in Karamoja
Bird watching

• Saddle Billed Stork

Uganda is immensely endowed with over 1,000 bird species; some of which are endemic to the country; mainly in the Albertine region. These constitute 67% of Africa’s and 11.1% of the world’s total population which makes the country a must visit for birding lovers. Some of the most interesting birds include; the crested crane, shoe bill, wattled plorer, Africa Fish Eagel, African Jacana, Saddle Billed Stock, Pelican, African Pigmy Geese and Narina’s Trogon.
Experience Bird watching in Uganda.

Gorillas and primates

• Mountain Gorilla

Uganda's star attraction hides deeply in misty forests; The Mountain Gorilla. The animals are sometimes hard to find, making tracking very exciting.
 

The most profound attraction in Uganda are the Mountain Gorillas, these include silverback and blackback. Other primates inlclude chimpanzees, Golden Monkeys of Mgahinga among others. 

All these can be found in Bwindi Impenetrable forests, Mgahinga National Park and on Ngamba Island.
The Gushing water falls

• Murchison Falls

Located in Western Uganda, it the roots of the Murchison falls National Park.
 

The Gushing water falls along River Nile are one attraction a visitor to Uganda wouldn't like to miss. Enjoy white water rafting, boat rides, game viewing and spot fishing in fresh waters not found else where

Hills and Mountains

• Mountain Rwenzori

The snow capped Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the “Mountains of the Moon” is located in western Uganda.

Uganda is well endowed with several mountains, which are regarded as huge extinct volcanoes straddling in different  parts of the country. They are major tourist attractions, most of them are mainly for hiking activities. They are classified into volcanic and non-volcanic mountains.
Some of the different mountains in Uganda include; Mt.Elgon which is about 4,321 meters in altitude is found in eastern Uganda. While the snow capped Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the “Mountains of the Moon” is located in western Uganda, the Moroto and Muhavura Mountains are located in the north eastern and south western parts of the country respectively.
The Ugandan lifestyle

• Life style

Come and enjoy the simplest life style with Ugandans, the most hospitable and welcoming in the region.
 

Ugandans live an up to date life full of compassion, interactions and warmly fellowships. When you are, the lifestyle of Uganda is one attraction that will truly have you amazed and interested in turning the country into your home. Come and enjoy living around a truly free environment.