Uganda at a Glance
About half the size of Spain, Uganda has an incredibly diverse cultural heritage with 56 tribes, 9 other indigenous communities and 40 living languages. Visitors to Uganda experience a warmth, a sense of inclusion, and are duly elated by the sense of joy and celebration imbedded in our daily lives.
Uganda has ten national parks with diverse wildlife including the Big Five (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino); named so because of their contributions of the ecosystem. In additional to the parks, there are game reserves that are protective areas for animals living outside of the parks. Other animals found in Uganda include antelopes, cheetahs, giraffes, warthogs, crocodiles, hyenas, hippos, zebras, baboons, chimpanzees and mountain gorillas. Often referred to as a birdwatcher’s paradise, Uganda is home to over 50% of the entire bird population in Africa.
A Brief History of Uganda
The earliest man in Uganda was the Stone Age man and lived around 60,000-50,000 BC. Uganda’s present diversity is a result of four ethnic groups that migrated here. These are the Bantu, Luo, Atekerin (Nilo-Hamites and Luo/Nilotic), and the Sudanic. Present day Uganda was forged by the British from 1890 to 1926. Uganda was a British protectorate from 1894 to 1962 and gained independence on October 9, 1962. Uganda is a democracy with an elected president, members of parliament and other local representatives.
The People of Uganda (include map of difference tribes/ethnic groups)
It is often said that every 50 miles travelled in each direction, one finds a different language, music, dance, food, and cultural norms. We have five kingdom, Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro-Kitala, Tooro and Ankore. Beside Ankore, the other four have reigning monarchs. Some other regions of the country have chiefdoms. The population is estimated at 44 million and is the youngest population in the world with 50% being 15 years old or younger, and 70% being 30 year or younger. Although having such a young population comes with its challenges on one hand, on the other hand, potential and innovation are a real force to reckon with.
Uganda’s official languages and currency
Uganda’s official languages are English and Kiswahili, an Eastern African language created from a mixture of Bantu languages and Arabic. Kiswahili is also the designated national language. The currency is the Uganda Shilling (UGX).
Uganda’s Location and Climate
Landlocked, Uganda is found in East Africa and is boarded by South Sudan in the north, Kenya in the east, Tanzania in the south, Rwanda in the south-west and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west. It is 236,040sq km (146,670 sq miles). The climate is tropical with two seasons – wet (March-May; September-November) and dry (June-August; December to February) with an average temperature of 78˚ F/25.6˚ C.
Uganda’s 10 National Parks
All Uganda’s national parks have amazing wildlife. The highlights below just speak to the uniqueness of each park.
Rwenzori National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its natural beauty, and the all year-long snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains.
Semliki National Park is home to incredible hot springs and Uganda’s pygmies. Reserved as a forest in 1932 and upgraded into a park in 1993, it is home to 441 bird species and 53 mammals, and it is the only tract of true lowland tropical forest in East Africa. Semuliki National Park sprawls across the floor of the Semuliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori. The Park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the great Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin. This is one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests; one of the few to survive the last ice age, 12-18,000 years ago. Here, you will see birds, some mammals such a monkeys, visit the Sempaya Hot Springs, visit a Batwa community, and enjoy a walk in this topographically rich Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park was founded in 1952 and spans the equator line. The park is home to 95 mammals including lions, elephants, buffalos, jackals, hyenas and hippos, as well as over 600 bird species. The highest point is at the Katwe craters at 1,350m (4,430ft) and the lowest is Lake Edward at 910m (2,986ft). The park has a diverse ecosystem which includes a sprawling savannah that allows for the best viewing of animal interactions. With lakes, rivers, forest and wetlands, the park has a magnificent landscape coupled with a backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountain ranges. A visit here also provides an opportunity to interact with the local communities through music, dance, storytelling, and craftsmanship. Part of the park in Ishasha, is the best place to see tree climbing lions.
Lake Mburo National Park forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. The smallest of Uganda’s savannah parks, Lake Mburo National Park is as compact as is rich. It is underlain by ancient rocks and 5 lakes lay within its borders. It is home to 315 bird species and zebras, impalas, elands, buffalos, leopards, hippos, hyenas among other animals. You get breathtaking views of the park from rocky ridges in several parts of the park.
Murchison Falls National Park was designated a game reserve in 1926 making it the oldest conservation area in the country. It is also the largest with 3840km² of savannah grasslands, woodland, forest and the Victoria Nile. It is home to 76 mammals including elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, buffalos, and Nile crocodiles, and 451 bird species. It is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the Rift Valley wall. Huge volumes of River Nile waters force their way into a gorge which is less than 10 meters wide.
Mt. Elgon National Park is named after the mountain, which is Africa’s 17th highest mountain. At 4,000km², Mt. Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world.
Kibale National Park is one of the most varied regions of tropical forest in Uganda. Gazetted as a forest reserve in 1932, it was given national park status in 1993. It is the premier chimpanzee tracking destination in the country. The park is home to 13 species of primates, 120 mammals including elephants and antelopes, and 370 species of birds.
Kidepo Valley National Park is listed as number 3 in ‘Africa’s 10 Best National Parks 2013’ by CNN Travel. Bordering Kenya and Sudan, it is the most isolated among Uganda’s parks, but also the most magnificent.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to endangered mountain gorillas and to the indigenous Batwa gygmies.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, has 400 species of plants as well as some of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Gorillas and other Primates
Uganda’s primates are tracked through some of the oldest, most diverse, and meticulously protected natural forests on the continent. Uganda has the largest mountain gorilla population, making it one of the most attractive tourism destinations in the world. About 880 gorillas survive in the world today and Uganda has about half of them. Coming face to face with these amazing animals in an experience of a lifetime. There are over 5,000 chimpanzees found in Uganda, our closest relatives. Other primates include monkeys, baboons and nocturnal primates such as bush babies and pottos.
Bird Species
Often referred to as a birdwatcher’s paradise, Uganda is home to over 50% of the entire bird population in Africa. “Uganda is arguably the most attractive country in Africa to birdwatchers, not only because of the unusually high number of species recorded within its borders, but also because it offers easy access to several bird-rich habits that are difficult to reach elsewhere.” (Bradt, Uganda, 2020, 9th ed., p.50).
Located in a transition point between the savannah East Africa, rainforest West Africa and semi-desert North Africa, Uganda has 1,097 species recorded, but only one or two are said to be endemic to the country. In the East African region, 150 species (more than 10%) are found only in Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has 605 species, which is largest population of any protected area in Africa. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park was voted Africa’s number one birding site (2012) by the African Bird Club.
Marine Attractions
Four of East Africa’s great lakes are found in Uganda – Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, Lake Albert and Lake Edward. Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest fresh-water lake at 68,000 sq. km. Ssese Islands, in Lake Victoria, are a paradise with sandy beaches, birds and beautiful vegetation. Lake Bunyonyi is believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa with a depth ranging between 44m and 900m. River Nile, the longest river in the world at 6,695 kilometers (4184 miles), and the only river to flow northward, has its source in Uganda. You can also raft the river’s level 5 rapids. Some of Uganda’s great waterfalls include Murchison, Sipi, Kalagala , Sezibwa, and Itanda. Uganda has 12 wetlands of international importance.
River Nile is one of African’s Seven Natural Wonders. Serving 11 countries, it is the Wonder that engages the most countries of any Wonder. Although there is some dispute over the true source of the Nile, a river’s source is defined by its headwaters – the farthest point of its tributaries- and so far, that is believed to the at Lake Victoria in Jinja in Eastern Uganda. Here, is referred to as the White Nile. It takes the water approximately three months to travel from Jinja in Uganda to the Mediterranean Sea. The river is also famous for the Nile Crocodile, which can grow to a length of 20ft/6m (the longest in Africa) and can weigh up to 1,500lbs/680kg.
Scenic Landscapes and Mountains
The Kigezi region is nicknamed the “Switzerland of Africa” for its scenic landscape and weather. Mt. Rwenzori (5,109 m), the most celebrated of the “Mountains of the Moon”, is permanently snow-capped; a rare condition in equatorial Africa. It was voted among the top hiking places in Africa and in the world. Virunga Volcanoes in south-western Uganda were declared “a must-see place for 2012” and among the 12 places one has to visit in their lifetime. Other mountains for hiking include Mt. Elgon, Mt. Mgahinga, Mt. Muhabura, and Mt. Moroto.
Faith Tourism
Uganda is increasingly experiencing a growth in faith tourism. Uganda is 84% Christian, 14% Muslim and 2% other, including Animist (Animism is the religious belief that objects, places and other creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence).
The Catholic Basilicas in Namugongo and Munyonyo, as well as the Protestant Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo, where young Christian men were killed by Kabaka Mwanga II in 1886 for disobedience or failure to renounce their faith, depending in the lens from which you look at the it, attract thousands of pilgrims annually. The Baha’i Temple (for the Baha’i faith, and the only one of its kind in Africa) is found in Uganda.