Gulu District
| Gulu District | |
|---|---|
| — District — | |
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| Coordinates: 02°45′N 32°00′E / 2.75°N 32°E | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Northern Uganda |
| Sub-region | Acholi sub-region |
| Capital | Gulu |
| Government | |
| • LCV Chairman | Norbert Mao, 2006 - 2011 |
| Population (2002 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 298,500 |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
| Website | Homepage |
Gulu District is a district in Northern Uganda. The district is named after its chief municipal, administrative and commercial center, the town of Gulu.
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[edit] Location
Gulu District is bordered by Lamwo District to the north, Pader District to the east, Oyam District to the south, Nwoya District to the southwest and Amuru District to the west.[1] The district headquarters at Gulu are located approximately 340 kilometres (210 mi), by road, north of Uganda's capital city, Kampala.[2] The coordinates of the district are: 02 45N, 32 00E.
[edit] Overview
As of May 2011[update], Gulu District is one of the seven (7) districts that constitute the Acholi sub-region, the historical homeland of the Acholi ethnic group, also known as Acholiland. The districts in Acholiland include the following:
- Agago District
- Amuru District
- Gulu District
- Kitgum District
- Lamwo District
- Nwoya District
- Pader District
Gulu District now consists of two (2) counties: Achwa and Omoro. Kilak county has been converted to Amuru District, and Nwoya county is nw Nwoya District. In the past, Kilak and Nwoya were counties in Gulu District. The main economic activity in the district is subsistence agriculture, in which over 90% of the population is engaged.
[edit] Population
The district of Gulu, as constituted in May 2011, had a population of about 298,500. The 2011 population of the district is unknown.
[edit] Notable people
Gulu District is the birthplace of the prominent poet Okot p'Bitek. It has been the location of much of the insurgent fighting by the Lord's Resistance Army and was the birthplace of both Alice Auma and Joseph Kony. Over 90% of the population has been displaced, mostly into camps clustered around towns and trading centers. To avoid abduction by the LRA thousands of children used to travel from rural areas to seek refuge in towns every night. However due to the improving security situation the number of 'night commuters' fleeing every night in the district reduced from around 25,000 in 2004 to about 4,000 in 2006.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gulu |
- Website of Gulu District
- Article by Steve Bloomfield in The Independent newspaper, 29 August 2006
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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