Gulu District
Gulu District | |
|---|---|
 District location in Uganda | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Northern Uganda |
| Sub-region | Acholi sub-region |
| Capital | Gulu |
| Government | |
| • LCV Chairman | Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, 2011 - 2016 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,452.1 km2 (1,332.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2012 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 396,500 |
| • Density | 114.9/km2 (298/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | www |
Gulu District is a district in Northern Uganda. The district is named after its chief municipal, administrative and commercial center, the town of Gulu, which means "pot" in the Acholi language (a reference to Gulu's location in the depression of a prehistoric floodplain).
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.
Overview
As of May 2011[update], Gulu District is one of the seven districts that constitute the Acholi sub-region, the historical homeland of the Acholi ethnic group, known to local people (in the postcolonial context) as Acholiland.
Gulu District now consists of two counties: Aswa and Omoro. Kilak County has been converted to Amuru District, and Nwoya County is now Nwoya District. In the past, Kilak and Nwoya were counties in Gulu District. The economic activity of 90 per cent of the population in the district is subsistence or slightly supersubsistence agriculture.
Population
In 1991, the national population census was estimated the population of the population at about 211,800. The national census conducted in 2002 put the district population at approximately 298,500. The district population has been growing at an annual growth rate of 2.9%, between 2002 and 2012. In 2012 the population of Gulu District was estimated at about 396,500.[3]
Notable people
Gulu District is the birthplace of the prominent poet Okot p'Bitek. It has been the location of much of the fighting between the Ugandan army and the Lord's Resistance Army. Over 90% of the population has returned to their villages after more than two decades of living in what were known as "Internally Displaced People Camps, or IDP Camps. It is also the birthplace of famous Canadian radio host Opiyo Oloya.
See also
References
- ^ Uganda District Map
- ^ "Road Distance Between Kampala And Gulu With Map". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ "Estimated Population of Gulu District In 1991, 2002 & 2012". Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
External links
- Website of Gulu District
- Article by Steve Bloomfield in The Independent newspaper, 29 August 2006
