Islamic countries

Islamic countries

REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

General Information

Total Land Area:	199,650 km²
Land boundaries:	2,698 km
Coastline:	0 km (Landlocked)
Capital:	Kampala
Other Large Cities:	Jinja, Mbale, Masaka
Official Language:	English
National Currency Unit:	Ugandan Shilling (UGX)
National Day:	October 9

Location and Geography

Uganda is located in the heart of Sub-Saharan Africa and lies astride the Equator. It is bordered by Kenya in the East, Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the South and Sudan in the North. Uganda occupies a fertile plateau where the River Nile originates and the largest fresh water lake of Africa -the Lake Victoria- is located. Mountains mark the limits of the plateau region. Forests and woodlands take up about one third of the land area. About a quarter of the land is arable. The climate is tropical and generally rainy. During the rainy season the weather is cool and overcast.

Demography

Population:	24.80 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	49 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	18 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	83 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 43 years, Female: 44 years (2002)
Urban Population:	15.0 percent (2002)
Adult Literacy:	68.00 percent (2001)

Economy

Agriculture is the main economic activity and source of employment in Uganda. Thanks to fertile lands and regular rainfall many crops are being raised: cassava, millet, corn, sweet potatoes, beans, coffee, sugar, tea, and tobacco. Rehabilitation of coffee plantations has been the main stimulus to economic growth in recent years. The natural resources of the country are copper, cobalt, limestone and salt. The industrial sector is mainly involved in import substitution and the main production areas are food processing, textiles, soap, cement, brewing, metal products, vehicle assembly and steel. The country has a potential tourism sector.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	6010 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	242 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	32.0% Agriculture, 22.0% Industry, 46.0% Services, (2002)
Total Exports:	324 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	994 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Coffee, gold, cotton, tea and corn
Major Imports Items:	Transportation equipment, petroleum, and medical supplies, iron and steel
Major Trading Partners:	Kenya, Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa and UK