About Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. NP Buhoma, Uganda.
A natural attraction
The Nile begins its 6,650 km journey off Uganda’s shores, cutting into its land as it begins its decent towards the Mediterranean Sea. This, and a myriad of other natural wonders such as gorillas, stunning mountain vistas and an unrivalled bird diversity, really put Uganda on the map.
Uganda, a landlocked country in East Africa, consists of savanna plateau with mountains and lakes. "The pearl of Africa," wrote Winston Churchill of this former British protectorate that embraces Lake Victoria, source of the White Nile, and the misty Ruwenzori Mountains—a home of the endangered mountain gorilla.
Area: 236,580 square kilometers (roughly the size of Great Britain)
Notable sites: Source of the Nile, Lake Victoria, Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the Moon) span 60 km
Area: 236,580 square kilometers (roughly the size of Great Britain)
Notable sites: Source of the Nile, Lake Victoria, Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the Moon) span 60 km
Natural Resources
East African savannas and the West African rainforests meet in Uganda, giving rise to a stunning ecological portrait. Forests, woodlands/savannas, wetlands, and open water (lakes) are all represented here, and the country can lay claim to more than half of all African bird species (10% of bird species globally).
Some 345 mammals species have been identified in Uganda, the highest mammal species count in Africa after the Democratic republic of Congo.
Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. The chief food crops are cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, millet, sorghum, corn, and pulses. The principal traditional cash crops are coffee, cotton, tea and tobacco. New additions include cut flowers, beans, maize and sugarcane. Large numbers of poultry, cattle, goats, and sheep are raised. There is a sizable fishing industry.
Uganda is endowed with over 50 minerals, ranking it among the countries in Africa with the biggest number of minerals which include copper, cobalt, diamond, gold, oil, kaolin, lime stone, marbles, phospates, Uranium, glass(silca sand), wolfram, nikel,diamond, tin, titanium, natural gas, iron ore, lead, granite, soapstone, asbestos, and the platinum group minrals like palladium, and platinum-palladium.
Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. The chief food crops are cassava, sweet potatoes, plantains, millet, sorghum, corn, and pulses. The principal traditional cash crops are coffee, cotton, tea and tobacco. New additions include cut flowers, beans, maize and sugarcane. Large numbers of poultry, cattle, goats, and sheep are raised. There is a sizable fishing industry.
Uganda is endowed with over 50 minerals, ranking it among the countries in Africa with the biggest number of minerals which include copper, cobalt, diamond, gold, oil, kaolin, lime stone, marbles, phospates, Uranium, glass(silca sand), wolfram, nikel,diamond, tin, titanium, natural gas, iron ore, lead, granite, soapstone, asbestos, and the platinum group minrals like palladium, and platinum-palladium.
