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#REDIRECT [[Joseph Kony]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Uganda <br /> ''Jamhuri ya Uganda''
|common_name = Uganda
|image_flag = Flag of Uganda.svg
|image_coat = Coat of Arms of the Republic of Uganda.svg
|image_map = Uganda (orthographic projection).svg
|map_caption =
|national_motto = For God and My Country
|national_anthem = "[[Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty]]"
|nickname = [[The Pearl of Africa]]
|official_languages = [[English language|English]]<ref>[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?cstdy:1:./temp/~frd_XtvL:: "Uganda: Society"] in [[Library of Congress]] . Retrieved 29 June 2009.</ref>, <br>[[Swahili language|Swahili]]
|languages_type = [[Vernacular]] languages
|languages = [[Luganda]], [[Luo languages|Luo]], [[Runyankore]], [[Runyoro]], [[Ateso]], [[Lumasaba]], [[Lusoga]], [[Samia tribe (Luhya)|Samia]], [[Swahili language|Swahili]]
|demonym = Ugandan
|ethnic_groups = [[Baganda]] 16.9%<br>[[Banyankole]] 9.5%<br>[[Basoga]] 8.4%<br>[[Bakiga]] 6.9%<br>[[Iteso]] 6.4%<br>[[Langi]] 6.1%<br>[[Acholi]] 4.7%<br>[[Bagisu]] 4.6%<br>[[Lugbara]] 4.2%<br>[[Bunyoro]] 2.7%<br>[[Demographics of Uganda|other]] 29.6%
|ethnic_groups_year = 2002
|capital = [[Kampala]]
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Dominant-party system]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of Uganda|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Yoweri Museveni]]
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Uganda|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2 = [[Amama Mbabazi]]
|legislature = [[Parliament of Uganda|Parliament]]
|area_km2 = 236,040
|area_rank = 81st
|area_magnitude = 1 E11
|area_sq_mi = 91,136
|percent_water = 15.39
|population_estimate = 35,873,253<ref name=cia/>
|population_estimate_year = 2012
|population_estimate_rank = 35th
|population_census = 24,227,297
|population_census_year = 2002
|population_density_km2 = 137.1
|population_density_sq_mi = 355.2 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 80th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2011
|GDP_PPP = $46.368 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=31&pr.y=16&sy=2009&ey=2012&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=746&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a= |title=Uganda|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=22 April 2010}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $1,317<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal = $16.810 billion<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_rank =
|GDP_nominal_year = 2011
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $477<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|[[List of countries by economic complexity|ECI]]= {{decrease}} -0.488
|[[List of countries by economic complexity|ECI_year]]= 2008
|[[List of countries by economic complexity|ECI_rank]]= {{decrease}} 24<ref>http://atlas.media.mit.edu/book/</ref>
|HDI_year = 2010
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.422
|HDI_rank = 143rd
|HDI_category = <span>low</span>
|Gini = 43
|Gini_year = 1998
|Gini_category = <span style="color:#fc0;">medium</span>
|FSI = 96.4 {{decrease}} 0.1
|FSI_year = 2007
|FSI_rank = 15th
|FSI_category = <span style="color:red;">Alert</span>
|sovereignty_type = [[Independence]]
|established_event1 = from the United Kingdom
|established_date1 = 9 October 1962
|currency = [[Ugandan shilling]]
|currency_code = UGX
|time_zone = [[East Africa Time|EAT]]
|utc_offset = +3
|time_zone_DST = ''not observed''
|utc_offset_DST = +3
|drives_on = left
|cctld = [[.ug]]
|calling_code = +256<sup>1</sup>
|footnotes = <br /><sup>1</sup> 006 from [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]].
|}}
{{Coord|1.28|32.39|display=title}}

'''Uganda''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|juː|ˈ|ɡ|æ|n|d|ə}} {{respell|yew|GAN|də}} or {{IPAc-en|juː|ˈ|ɡ|ɑː|n|d|ə}} {{respell|yew|GAHN|də}}), officially the '''Republic of Uganda''', is a [[landlocked country]] in East Africa. Uganda is bordered on the east by [[Kenya]], on the north by [[South Sudan]], on the west by the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], on the southwest by [[Rwanda]], and on the south by [[Tanzania]]. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of [[Lake Victoria]], which is also shared by Kenya and Tanzania.

Uganda takes its name from the [[Buganda]] kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country including the capital [[Kampala]].

The people of Uganda were [[hunter-gatherer]]s until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago, when [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country.<ref name="living_enc"/> Uganda gained independence from Britain on 9 October 1962.

The official languages are English and [[Swahili language|Swahili]], although multiple other languages are spoken in the country.

==History==
[[Image:Owen Falls Dam construction.jpg|thumb|left|Construction of the [[Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station|Owen Falls Dam]] in [[Jinja District|Jinja]]. Construction occurred between 1951 and 1954]]
{{Main|History of Uganda}}

The Ugandans were [[hunter-gatherer]]s until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago. [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]-speaking populations, who were probably from central Africa, migrated to the southern parts of the country.<ref name="living_enc">{{citation | url = http://www.africa.upenn.edu/NEH/uethnic.htm | title = East Africa Living Encyclopedia – Ethnic Groups | publisher = African Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania}}.</ref><ref name="phil">Phyllis Martin and Patrick O'Meara. ''Africa. 3rd edition''. Indiana University Press, 1995.</ref> These groups brought and developed ironworking skills and new ideas of social and political organization. The [[Empire of Kitara]] covered most of the great lakes area, from Lake Albert, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, to Lake Kyoga. Its leadership headquarters were mainly in what became Ankole, believed to have been run by the Bachwezi dynasty in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, who may have followed a semi-legendary dynasty known as the Batembuzi. [[Bunyoro|Bunyoro-Kitara]] is claimed as the antecedent of later kingdoms; [[Buganda]], [[Toro Kingdom|Toro]], [[Ankole]] and [[Busoga]].<ref name = Mwambutsya>Mwambutsya, Ndebesa, "[http://www.ossrea.net/eassrr/jan91/mwambuts.htm Pre-capitalist Social Formation: The Case of the Banyankole of Southwestern Uganda.]{{dead link|date=May 2011}}" ''Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review'' 6, no. 2; 7, no. 1 (June 1990 and January 1991): 78–95.</ref> The Nilotic Luo invasion is believed to have led to the collapse of the Chwezi Empire. The twins Rukidi Mpuuga and [[Kintu of Buganda|Kato Kintu]] are believed to be the first kings of Bunyonro and Buganda after the Chwezi Empire collapsed, creating the Babiito and Bambejja Dynasty. [[Nilotic]] people including [[Luo (family of ethnic groups)|Luo]] and [[Ateker]] entered the area from the north, probably beginning about [[Anno Domini|A.D.]]&nbsp;120. They were cattle herders and subsistence farmers who settled mainly in the northern and eastern parts of the country. Some Luo invaded the area of Bunyoro and assimilated with the Bantu there, establishing the Babiito dynasty of the current ''[[Omukama of Bunyoro|Omukama]]'' (ruler) of Bunyoro-Kitara.<ref name="babito">[http://www.bunyoro-kitara.com/history2.htm#The%20Babiito "Origins of Bunyoro-Kitara Kings"]{{dead link| date = May 2011}}, ''Bunyoro-Kitara website''.</ref> Luo migration continued until the 16th century, with some Luo settling amid Bantu people in Eastern Uganda, with others proceeding to the western shores of [[Lake Victoria]] in Kenya and [[Tanzania]]. The Ateker ([[Karimojong]] and [[Iteso]]) settled in the northeastern and eastern parts of the country, and some fused with the Luo in the area north of [[Lake Kyoga]].

[[Arab]] traders moved inland from the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa in the 1830s. They were followed in the 1860s by British explorers searching for the source of the [[Nile]]. Protestant missionaries entered the country in 1877, followed by Catholic missionaries in 1879.<ref name="state_dept">[http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2963.htm#history "Background Note: Uganda"], ''[[U.S. State Department]]''</ref> The United Kingdom placed the area under the charter of the [[British East Africa Company]] in 1888, and ruled it as a [[protectorate]] from 1894.

As several other territories and chiefdoms were integrated, the final protectorate called Uganda took shape in 1914. From 1900 to 1920, a [[African trypanosomiasis|sleeping sickness]] epidemic killed more than 250,000 people,<ref>{{citation | url = http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no4/02-0626.htm | title = Reanalyzing the 1900–1920 Sleeping Sickness Epidemic in Uganda | publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | place = USA}}.</ref> about two-thirds of the population in the affected lake-shore areas.<ref>"''[http://books.google.com/books?id=8DSa_viBgsgC&pg=PA748&dq&hl=en#v=onepage&q=&f=false The Cambridge history of Africa: From the earliest times to c. 500 BC]''". John D. Fage (1982). [[Cambridge University Press]], p. 748. ISBN 0-521-22803-4</ref>

Uganda gained independence from Britain in 1962, maintaining its [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] membership. The first post-independence election, held in 1962, was won by an alliance between the [[Uganda People's Congress]] (UPC) and [[Kabaka Yekka]] (KY). UPC and KY formed the first post-independence government with [[Milton Obote]] as executive Prime Minister, the Buganda Kabaka (King) [[Mutesa II of Buganda|Edward Muteesa II]] holding the largely ceremonial position of President<ref>[http://www.parliament.go.ug/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=3 History of Parliament] (Website of the Parliament of Uganda)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buganda.com/crisis66.htm |title=Buganda Kingdom: The Uganda Crisis, 1966 |publisher=Buganda.com |accessdate=3 May 2010}}</ref> and William Wilberforce Nadiope, the [[Kyabazinga of Busoga|Kyabazinga]] (paramount chief) of [[Busoga]], as Vice President.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}}

In 1966, following a power struggle between the Obote-led government and King Muteesa, the UPC-dominated Parliament changed the constitution and removed the ceremonial president and vice president. In 1967, a new constitution proclaimed Uganda a republic and abolished the traditional kingdoms. Without first calling elections, Obote was declared the executive President.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2963.htm |title=Department of State. Background Note: Uganda |publisher=State.gov |date=3 February 2010 |accessdate=3 May 2010}}</ref>

After a military coup in 1971, Obote was deposed from power and the dictator [[Idi Amin]] [[1971 Ugandan coup d'état|seized control]] of the country. Amin ruled Uganda with the military for the next eight years<ref name="loc">[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ugtoc.html "A Country Study: Uganda"], ''[[Library of Congress]] Country Studies''</ref> and carried out mass killings within the country to maintain his rule. An estimated 300,000 Ugandans lost their lives at the hands of his regime.<ref>{{cite news |last=Keatley |first=Patrick |title=Obituary: Idi Amin |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2003/aug/18/guardianobituaries |work=The Guardian |date=18 August 2003 |accessdate=18 March 2008 }}</ref> Aside from his brutalities, he [[Expulsion of Asians in Uganda in 1972|forcibly removed]] the entrepreneurial [[South Asian]] minority from Uganda, which left the country's economy in ruins.<ref>"[http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/uk-indians-taking-care-of-business/2006/03/07/1141701511987.html UK Indians taking care of business]". Theage.com.au. 8 March 2006.</ref> Amin's atrocities were graphically accounted in the 1977 book, "A State of Blood," which was written by one of his former ministers after he fled the country.

Amin's reign was ended after the [[Uganda-Tanzania War]] in 1979 in which Tanzanian forces aided by Ugandan exiles invaded Uganda. This led to the return of Obote, who was deposed once more in 1985 by General [[Tito Okello]]. Okello ruled for six months until he was deposed after the so-called "[[Ugandan Bush War|bush war]]" by the [[National Resistance Army]] (NRA) operating under the leadership of the current president, [[Yoweri Museveni]], and various rebel groups, including the Federal Democratic Movement of Andrew Kayiira, and another belonging to John Nkwaanga.

Museveni has been in power since 1986. In the mid- to late 1990s, he was lauded by the West as part of a [[new generation of African leaders]].<ref>"New-Breed" Leadership, Conflict, and Reconstruction in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: A Sociopolitical Biography of Uganda's Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Joseph Oloka-Onyango, Africa Today – Volume 50, Number 3, Spring 2004, p. 29</ref> His presidency has included involvement in the [[Second Congo War|civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo]] (DRC) and other conflicts in the [[Great Lakes (Africa)|Great Lakes region]], as well as the civil war against the [[Lord's Resistance Army]], which has been guilty of numerous crimes against humanity including [[child slavery]] and [[mass murder]]. Conflict in northern Uganda has killed thousands and displaced millions.<ref>"No End to LRA Killings and Abductions", Human Rights Watch. 23 May 2011 http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/05/23/no-end-lra-killings-and-abductions.</ref>

==Government==
[[Image:Yoweri Museveni.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Yoweri Museveni]], [[President of Uganda]]]]

{{Main|Politics of Uganda}}<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->

The [[President of Uganda]], currently [[Yoweri Kaguta Museveni]], is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]]. The President appoints a Vice President, currently [[Edward Ssekandi]], and a [[Prime Minister of Uganda|prime minister]], currently [[Amama Mbabazi]], who aid him in governing. The parliament is formed by the [[National Assembly of Uganda|National Assembly]], which has 332 members. 104 of these members are nominated by interest groups, including women and [[Uganda People's Defence Force|the army]]. The remaining members are elected for five-year terms during [[elections in Uganda|general elections]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.go.ug/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=4 |title=Parliament of Uganda Website :: – COMPOSITION OF PARLIAMENT |publisher=Parliament.go.ug |accessdate=29 July 2009}}</ref>

Political parties were restricted in their activities beginning in 1986, in a measure ostensibly designed to reduce sectarian violence. In the [[non-partisan democracy|non-party]] "Movement" system instituted by Museveni, political parties continued to exist, but they could only operate a headquarters office. They could not open branches, hold rallies, or field candidates directly (although electoral candidates could belong to political parties). A constitutional referendum canceled this nineteen-year ban on multi-party politics in July 2005. Additionally, the constitutional term limit for the presidency was changed from the previous two-term limit, in order to enable the current president to continue in active politics.

Presidential elections were held in February 2006. Yoweri Museveni ran against several candidates, the most prominent of them being Dr. [[Kizza Besigye]].

On Sunday, 20 February 2011, the Uganda Electoral Commission declared the 24-year reigning president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the winning candidate of the 2011 elections that were held on the 18th of February 2011. The opposition were, however, not satisfied with the results, condemning them as full of sham and rigging. According to the results released, Museveni won with 68% of the votes, easily topping his nearest challenger Kizza Besigye. Besigye, who was formerly Museveni's physician, told reporters that he and his supporters 'downrightly snub' the outcome as well as the unremitting rule of Museveni or any person he may appoint. Besigye added that the rigged elections would definitely lead to an illegitimate lead and that it is up to Ugandans to critically analyse this.

The EU Election Observation Mission reported on improvements and flaws of the Ugandan electoral process: "The electoral campaign and polling day were conducted in a peaceful manner [...] However, the electoral process was marred by avoidable administrative and logistical failures that led to an unacceptable number of Ugandan citizens being disfranchised."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eueom.eu/files/pressreleases/english/press_release_preliminarystatement_uganda_20_february_en.pdf|title=Uganda 2011 Elections|date=20 February 2011|publisher=European Union Election Observation Mission}}</ref>

Museveni will be heading Uganda for another 5 years, with the next elections anticipated to be held in 2016.

===Corruption===
Uganda is rated among countries perceived as very corrupt by Transparency International. It is rated at 2.4 on a scale from 0 (perceived as most corrupt) to 10 (perceived as clean).<ref name=CPI>{{cite web|title=Corruption Perceptions Index 2011|url=http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/|publisher=Transparency International|accessdate=8 March 2012}}</ref>

==Geography==

[[Image:Ug-map.PNG|thumb|Map of Uganda]]

The country is located on the East African [[plateau]], lying mostly between latitudes [[4th parallel north|4°N]] and [[2nd parallel south|2°S]] (a small area is north of 4°), and longitudes [[29th meridian east|29°]] and [[35th meridian east|35°E]]. It averages about {{convert|1100|m|ft|0}} above sea level, and this slopes very steadily downwards to the [[East Sudanian savanna|Sudanese Plain]] to the north. However, much of the south is poorly drained, while the centre is dominated by [[Lake Kyoga]], which is also surrounded by extensive marshy areas. Uganda lies almost completely within the [[Nile]] basin. The Victoria Nile drains from the lake into Lake Kyoga and thence into [[Lake Albert (Africa)|Lake Albert]] on the Congolese border. It then runs northwards into [[South Sudan]]. One small area on the eastern edge of Uganda is drained by the [[Turkwel River]], part of the internal drainage basin of [[Lake Turkana]].

Lake Kyoga serves as a rough boundary between Bantu speakers in the south and Nilotic and Central Sudanic language speakers in the north. Despite the division between north and south in political affairs, this linguistic boundary runs roughly from northwest to southeast, near the course of the Nile. However, many Ugandans live among people who speak different languages, especially in rural areas. Some sources describe regional variation in terms of physical characteristics, clothing, bodily adornment, and mannerisms, but others claim that those differences are disappearing.
[[Image:20060622 Ed 0007.JPG|thumb|left|[[Mount Kadam]], Uganda]]

Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform as the altitude modifies the climate. Southern Uganda is wetter with rain generally spread throughout the year. At [[Entebbe]] on the northern shore of [[Lake Victoria]], most rain falls from March to June and in the November/December period. Further to the north a dry season gradually emerges; at Gulu about 120&nbsp;km from the South Sudanese border, November to February is much drier than the rest of the year.

The northeastern Karamoja region has the driest climate and is prone to droughts in some years. [[Rwenzori]], a snowy peaked mountainous region on the southwest border with Congo (DRC), receives heavy rain all year round and is the source of the [[Nile]]. The south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the world's biggest lakes, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands. It prevents temperatures from varying significantly and increases cloudiness and rainfall. Most important cities are located in the south, near Lake Victoria, including the capital [[Kampala]] and the nearby city of [[Entebbe]].

Although landlocked, Uganda contains many large lakes; besides [[Lake Victoria]] and [[Lake Kyoga]], there are [[Lake Albert (Africa)|Lake Albert]], [[Lake Edward]] and the smaller [[Lake George (Uganda)|Lake George]].

==Districts, counties and kingdoms==

Uganda is divided into [[Districts of Uganda|districts]], spread across four administrative regions: Northern, Eastern, Central (Kingdom of [[Buganda]]) and Western. The districts are subdivided into [[Counties of Uganda|counties]]. A number of districts have been added in the past few years, and eight others were added on 1 July 2006 plus others added in 2010. There are now over 100 districts.<ref name="district">[http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/26/449320 "Can Uganda’s economy support more districts?"], ''[[New Vision]]'', 8 August 2005</ref> Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns. Each district is divided into sub-districts, [[Counties of Uganda|counties]], [[Sub-counties of Uganda|sub-counties]], parishes and villages.

Parallel with the state administration, six traditional [[Bantu peoples|Bantu]] kingdoms have remained, enjoying some degrees of mainly cultural autonomy. The kingdoms are [[Toro Kingdom|Toro]], [[Ankole]], [[Busoga]], [[Bunyoro]], [[Buganda]] and [[Rwenzururu]].

{{Districts of Uganda Image Map}}

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Uganda|Energy in Uganda}}
[[Image:Uganda-Development.JPG|thumb|left|Downtown Kampala]]

For decades, Uganda's economy suffered from devastating economic policies and instability, leaving Uganda as one of the world's poorest countries. The country has commenced economic reforms and growth has been robust. In 2008, Uganda recorded 7% growth despite the global downturn and regional instability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/countries/east-africa/uganda/|title=Snapshot of Uganda's economic outlook|date=6 July 2009|publisher=African Economic Outlook}}</ref>

Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and [[cobalt]]. The country has largely untapped reserves of both [[crude oil]] and natural gas.<ref name="oilrush">"[http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14177583&source=hptextfeature Uganda's oil rush: Derricks in the darkness]", ''The Economist'', 6 August 2009, Retrieved 10 August 2009.</ref> While agriculture accounted for 56% of the economy in 1986, with coffee as its main export, it has now been surpassed by the services sector, which accounted for 52% of percent GDP in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://devdata.worldbank.org/AAG/uga_aag.pdf|title=Uganda at a Glance|date=13 November 2009|publisher= World Bank}}</ref> In the 1950s the British Colonial regime encouraged some 500,000 subsistence farmers to join co-operatives.<ref>Interview of David Hines in 1999 by W. D. Ogilvie; obituary of David Hines in London Daily Telegraph 8 April 2000 written by W. D. Ogilvie</ref> Since 1986, the government (with the support of foreign countries and international agencies) has acted to rehabilitate an economy devastated during the regime of Idi Amin and the subsequent civil war.<ref name=cia>{{cite web |author=Central Intelligence Agency |authorlink=Central Intelligence Agency |publisher=[[The World Factbook]]|title=Uganda |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ug.html |year=2009|accessdate=23 January 2010}}</ref> Inflation ran at 240% in 1987 and 42% in June 1992, and was 5.1% in 2003.

[[Image:Africa9 006.jpg|thumb|Suburban Kampala]]
[[File:Uganda Export Treemap.png|thumb|Graphical depiction of Uganda's product exports in 28 color coded categories.]]
Between 1990 and 2001, the economy grew because of continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation and gradually improved domestic security. Ongoing Ugandan involvement in the [[Second Congo War|war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]], corruption within the government, and slippage in the government's determination to press reforms raise doubts about the continuation of strong growth.

In 2000, Uganda was included in the [[Heavily Indebted Poor Countries]] (HIPC) debt relief initiative worth $1.3&nbsp;billion and [[Paris Club]] debt relief worth $145&nbsp;million. These amounts combined with the original HIPC debt relief added up to about $2&nbsp;billion. In 2006 the Ugandan Government successfully paid all their debts to the Paris Club, which meant that it was no longer in the (HIPC) list. Growth for 2001–2002 was solid despite continued decline in the price of coffee, Uganda's principal export.<ref name=cia/> According to IMF statistics, in 2004 Uganda's GDP per capita reached $300, a much higher level than in the 1980s but still at half the [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n average income of $600 per year. Total GDP crossed the 8&nbsp;billion dollar mark in the same year.

[[Image:Uganda - ad on van in Kampala.jpg|thumb|left|An advertisement for a mobile phone carrier on a van in Kampala]]
Economic growth has not always led to [[poverty reduction]]. Despite an average annual growth of 2.5% between 2000 and 2003, poverty levels increased by 3.8% during that time.<ref name=ODI/> This has highlighted the importance of avoiding [[jobless growth]] and is part of the rising awareness in development circles of the need for [[Development economics#equitable growth|equitable growth]] not just in Uganda, but across the developing world.<ref name=ODI>{{cite web|url=http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=4892&title=millennium-development-goals-equitable-growth-policy-brief |title=Economic growth and the MDGs – Resources – Overseas Development Institute |publisher=ODI |accessdate=31 May 2011}}</ref>

With the Uganda securities exchanges established in 1996, several equities have been listed. The Government has used the stock market as an avenue for privatisation. All Government treasury issues are listed on the securities exchange. The Capital Markets Authority has licensed 18 brokers, asset managers and investment advisors including names like: ''African Alliance Investment Bank, Baroda Capital Markets Uganda Limited, Crane Financial Services Uganda Limited, Crested Stocks and Securities Limited, Dyer & Blair Investment Bank, Equity Stock Brokers Uganda Limited, Renaissance Capital Investment Bank and UAP Financial Services Limited.''<ref>[http://www.use.or.ug/inner.php?cat=brkdealers&subcat=mbfrms List of Licensed Investment Banks & Stock Brokerage Firms in Uganda]</ref> As one of the ways of increasing formal domestic savings, pension sector reform is the centre of attention (2007).<ref>Kaujju, Peter. "[http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/631429 Capital markets eye pension reform]". ''The New Vision'', June, 2008. Retrieved on 9 February 2009.</ref><ref>Rutaagi, Edgar. "[http://www.africanexecutive.com/modules/magazine/articles.php?article=3040 Uganda Moving Towards Pension Reforms]". ''The African Executive'', 2009. Retrieved on 9 February 2009.</ref>

Uganda traditionally depends on [[Kenya]] for access to the Indian Ocean port of [[Mombasa]]. Recently, efforts have intensified to establish a second access route to the sea via the lakeside ports of '''Bukasa''' in Uganda, and [[Musoma]] in Tanzania, connected by railway to [[Arusha]] in the Tanzanian interior and to the port of [[Tanga, Tanzania|Tanga]] on the Indian Ocean.<ref>[http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate+News/Tanzania+and+Uganda+agree+to+speed+up+railway+project/-/539550/1268910/-/1364j49/-/ Tanzania And Uganda Agree To Speed Up Railway Project]</ref> Uganda is a member of the [[East African Community]] and a potential member of the planned [[East African Federation]].

Uganda has a large diaspora – residing mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom. This diaspora has contributed enormously to Uganda’s economic growth through remittances and other investments (especially property). According to the World Bank, in 2010/2011 Uganda got $694 million in remittances from Ugandans abroad, the highest foreign exchange earner for the country.<ref>Worldbank.org "[http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTLAC/Resources/Factbook2011-Ebook.pdf MIGRATION AND REMITTANCES FACTBOOK 2011]" ''The World Bank'']</ref> Uganda also serves as an economic hub for a number of neighbouring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo,<ref>Ayiga Ondoga. "[http://enteruganda.com/brochures/westnile02.html Arua: West Nile’s business hub]". ''The New Vision'', June, 2008.</ref> South Sudan<ref>Yutaka Yoshino, Grace Ngungi and Ephrem Asebe. "[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/EXTAFRREGTOPTRADE/0,,contentMDK:22946813~pagePK:34004173~piPK:34003707~theSitePK:502469,00.html : Enhancing the Recent Growth of Cross-Border Trade between South Sudan and Uganda] ''Africa Trade Policy Notes ''</ref> and Rwanda.<ref>David Muwanga. "[http://allafrica.com/stories/201003151717.html Uganda, Rwanda Border to Run 24hrs]". ''AllAfrica.com March 2010''</ref>

===Tourism===
See ''''[[Tourism in Uganda]]''''.
==Poverty==

Uganda is one of the poorest nations in the world, with 37.7 percent of the population living on less than $1.25 a day.<ref>{{Citation | title = | publisher = Worldbank| publication-place = | url = http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.DDAY| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref> Despite making enormous progress in reducing the countrywide poverty incidence from 56 percent of the population in 1992 to 31 per cent in 2005,<ref>{{Citation | title = Enabling Poor People to Overcome Poverty in Uganda| publisher = International Fund for Agricultural Development| publication-place = | url = http://www.ifad.org/operations/projects/regions/Pf/factsheets/uganda.pdf| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref> poverty remains deep-rooted in the country’s rural areas, which are home to more than 85 per cent of Ugandans.

===Women's poverty===
People in rural areas of Uganda depend on farming as the main source of income and 90 per cent of all rural women work in the agricultural sector.<ref>{{Citation | title = IFAD Gender Strengthening Programme| publisher = International Fund for Agricultural Development| publication-place = | url = http://www.ifad.org/pub/gender/genpfe.pdf| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref> In addition to agricultural work, rural women also have the responsibility of caretaking within their families. The average Ugandan woman spends 9 hours a day on domestic tasks, such as preparing food and clothing, fetching water and firewood, and caring for the elderly, the sick as well as orphans. As such, women on average work longer hours than men, between 12 and 18 hours per day, with a mean of 15 hours, as compared to men, who work between 8 and 10 hours a day.<ref>{{Citation | title = From Periphery to Center: A Strategic Country Gender Assessment| publisher = World Bank| publication-place = | url = http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTAFRREGTOPGENDER/Resources/ugandaSCGA.pdf| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref>

To supplement their income, rural women may engage in small-scale entrepreneurial activities such as rearing and selling local breeds of animals. Nonetheless, because of their heavy workload, they have little time for these income-generating activities. The poor cannot support their children at school and in most cases, girls drop out of school to help out in domestic work or to get married. Other girls engage in sex work. As a result, young women tend to have older and more sexually experienced partners and this puts women at a disproportionate risk of getting affected by HIV, accounting for about 57 per cent of all adults living with HIV.<ref>{{Citation | title = AVERTing HIV and AIDS| publisher = AVERT| publication-place = | url = http://www.avert.org/aids-uganda.htm#contentTable2| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref>

Gender inequality is a main hindrance to reducing women’s poverty. Women must submit to an overall lower social status than men. For many women, this reduces their power to act independently, participate in community life, become educated and escape reliance upon abusive men.<ref>{{Citation | title = Gender Equity Issues in Uganda| publisher = Foundation for Sustainable Development| publication-place = | url = http://www.fsdinternational.org/country/uganda/weissues| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref>

Uganda has realized that the lack of women’s rights is part of the major causes of poverty in the country. Results of the 1998/99 Uganda Participatory Poverty Assessment (UPPAP) – on which the revised Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) is based – and the UPPAP2 (2001/2002) demonstrate strong linkage between gender and poverty.<ref>{{Citation | title = | publisher = World Bank| publication-place = | url = http://www4.worldbank.org/afr/ssatp/Resources/HTML/Gender-RG/Source%20per%20cent20%20per%20cent20documents%20per%20cent5Ccase%20per%20cent20studies%20per%20cent5CICNET%20per%20cent20Case%20per%20cent20Studies%20per%20cent20for%20per%20cent20WB/CSICN12%20per%20cent20Uganda%20per%20cent20Road%20per%20cent20Program.pdf| accessdate =10 February 2012 }}</ref> Key policies such as the National Gender Policy in 1997 have also been enacted to mainstream gender in the national development process to improve the social, legal/civic, political, economic and cultural conditions of the people, especially of women. Also, the National Action Plan on Women (NAPW) was implemented in 1999 to identify five critical areas for action in order to advance women’s rights: legal and policy framework and leadership; social and economic empowerment of women; reproductive health, rights and responsibilities; girl child education; peace building conflict resolution and freedom from violence.

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Uganda}}
{{See also|Languages of Uganda|Religion in Uganda}}
[[Image:Languages of Uganda.png|thumb|300px|right|Ethnolinguistic map of Uganda]]
[[Image:Lira Uganda 2010 01 04.JPG|thumb|left|[[Lira, Uganda]]]]

Uganda is home to many different ethnic groups, none of whom forms a majority of the population. Around forty different languages are regularly and currently in use in the country. English became the official language of Uganda after independence. [[Ugandan English]] is a local variant dialect.

The most widely spoken local language in Uganda is [[Luganda]], spoken predominantly by the [[Ganda people]] (''Baganda'') in the urban concentrations of Kampala, the capital city, and in towns and localities in the [[Buganda]] region of Uganda which encompasses [[Kampala]]. The [[Lusoga language|Lusoga]] and [[Runyankole language|Runyankore]]-Rukiga languages follow, spoken predominantly in the southeastern and southwestern parts of Uganda respectively.

[[Swahili language|Swahili]], a widely used language throughout eastern and central East Africa, was approved as the country's second official national language in 2005,<ref name="Constitution (Amendment) Act 2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.ugandaonlinelawlibrary.com/files/constitution/Constitutional_Amendment_Act,_2005.pdf |title=2005_Act 11 |format=PDF |accessdate=3 May 2010}}</ref> though this is somewhat politically sensitive. Though the language has not been favoured by the Bantu-speaking populations of the south and southwest of the country, it is an important ''[[lingua franca]]'' in the northern regions. It is also widely used in the police and military forces, which may be a historical result of the disproportionate recruitment of northerners into the security forces during the colonial period. The status of Swahili has thus alternated with the political group in power.<ref name=UCLA>[http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=17&menu=004 Swahili] in the UCLA Language Materials Project</ref> For example, Amin, who came from the northwest, declared Swahili to be the national language.<ref>[http://www.glcom.com/hassan/swahili_history.html "A Brief History of the Swahili Language"], glcom.com</ref>

Uganda’s population has grown from 4.8 million people in 1950 to 24.3 million in 2002.<ref>"[http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1251:activists-push-for-more-reproductive-health-cash&catid=58:health-living&Itemid=89 Activists push for more reproductive health cash]", The Observer, 8 October 2008</ref> The current estimated population of Uganda is 35 million. Uganda has a very young population, with a [[median age]] of 15 years.<ref name=cia/>

===Largest cities===

{{Largest cities of Uganda}}

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in Uganda}}

{{bar box
|title=[[Religion in Uganda]]<ref name=cia/>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|Christianity|Blue|84}}
{{bar percent|Islam|Green|12}}
{{bar percent|Other or None|Yellow|4}}
}}
[[Image:Uganda church.jpg|Church in [[Entebbe]]|thumb|right]]
According to the census of 2002, Christians made up about 84% of Uganda's population.<ref name="Census 2002">{{cite web|url=http://www.ubos.org/onlinefiles/uploads/ubos/pdf%20documents/2002%20Census%20Final%20Reportdoc.pdf|title=2002 Uganda Population and Housing Census&nbsp;– Main Report|publisher=Uganda Bureau of Statistics|accessdate=26 March 2008|format=PDF}}</ref> The [[Roman Catholicism in Uganda|Roman Catholic Church]] has the largest number of adherents (41.9%), followed by the [[Anglicanism|Anglican]] [[Church of Uganda]] (35.9%). Evangelical and Pentecostal churches claim the rest of the Christian population. The next most reported religion of Uganda is [[Islam in Uganda|Islam]], with Muslims representing 12% of the population.<ref name="Census 2002"/> The Muslim population is primarily Sunni; there is also a minority belonging to the [[Ahmadiyya Muslim Community]]. The remainder of the population follow traditional religions (1%), Baha'i (0.1%), other non-Christian religions (0.7%), or have no religious affiliation (0.9%).<ref name="Census 2002"/>

The northern and West Nile regions are predominantly Catholic, while the Iganga District in eastern Uganda has the highest percentage of Muslims. The rest of the country has a mix of religious affiliations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108397.htm |title=U.S. Department of State |publisher=State.gov |accessdate=29 July 2009}}</ref>

Traditional indigenous beliefs are practiced in some rural areas and are sometimes blended with or practiced alongside Christianity or Islam. In addition to a small community of Jewish expatriates centered in Kampala, Uganda is home to the [[Abayudaya]], a native Jewish community dating from the early 1900s. One of the world's seven [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'í]] [[Bahá'í House of Worship|Houses of Worship]] is located on the outskirts of Kampala. See also [[Bahá'í Faith in Uganda]].

According to the ''World Refugee Survey 2008'', published by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Uganda hosted a population of [[refugees]] and asylum seekers numbering 235,800 in 2007. The majority of this population came from [[Sudan]] (162,100 persons), but also included refugees and asylum seekers from the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] (41,800), [[Rwanda]] (21,200), [[Somalia]] (5,700) and [[Burundi]] (3,100).<ref name = "World Refugee Survey 2008"/>

Indian nationals are the most significant immigrant population; members of this community are primarily [[Ismailism|Ismaili]] (Shi'a Muslim followers of the Aga Khan) or [[Hinduism|Hindu]]. More than 30 years ago, there were about 80,000 [[Indians in Uganda]]. After Idi Amin mandated the expulsion of the Ugandan-Asians (mostly of Indian origin), the population was greatly reduced. Today there are about 15,000.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/uganda-return-of-the-exiles-504325.html Uganda: Return of the exiles]. The Independent. 26 August 2005.</ref>

==Health==
{{Main|Health in Uganda|HIV/AIDS in Uganda}}
Uganda has been among the rare HIV success stories, one of the reasons being openness.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org">{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_UGA.html |title=Human Development Report 2009 – Uganda |publisher=Hdrstats.undp.org |accessdate=3 May 2010}}</ref> In the 1980s, more than 30% of Ugandan residents had HIV; this had fallen to 6.4% by the end of 2008, the most effective national response to AIDS of any African country.<ref>"[http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2008/dec/01/world-aids-day-uganda Background: HIV/Aids in Uganda]". The Guardian. 1 December 2008</ref> This is supported by the findings of a 2006 study that modern contraceptive use in Uganda is low.<ref name="Uganda: Key findings from the 2006 UDHS">http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADO565.pdf</ref> However, there has been a spike in recent years compared to the mid-nineties<ref>{{citation | url = [http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/uganda UNAIDS: Uganda Profile] | publisher = UNAIDS | accessdate =2012-22-4}}</ref>, especially after a shift in US Aid Policy toward abstinence only campaigns (starting in 2003 with the [[President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief]] under U.S. President [[George W. Bush]]). According to one report by Uganda's Aids commissioner, the number of new HIV infections has almost doubled from 70,000 in 2003 to 130,000 in 2005.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}} Researchers have found that rates of new infection have stabilized as of 2005 due to a variety of factors, including increased condom use and sexual health awareness. Meanwhile, the practice of abstinence was found to have decreased.<ref>{{citation | url = [http://journals.lww.com/aidsonline/Abstract/2000/03100/Seven_year_trends_in_HIV_1_infection_rates,_and.17.aspx] | publisher = AIDS IAS | accessdate =2012-28-4}}</ref>

[[Life expectancy]] at birth is estimated to be 53.45 years in 2012.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html?countryName=Uganda&countryCode=ug&regionCode=afr&rank=204#ug CIA World Factbook]: Life Expectancy ranks</ref> The [[infant mortality]] rate is approximately 61 deaths per 1,000 children in 2012.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html?countryName=Uganda&countryCode=ug&regionCode=afr&rank=27#ug CIA World Factbook]: Infant Mortality ranks</ref> There were 8 physicians per 100,000 persons in the early 2000s.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org"/> The 2006 Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS) indicates that roughly 6,000 women die each year due to pregnancy-related complications.<ref>{{cite web|title=Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2006|url=http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/FR194/FR194.pdf|publisher=Measure DHS|accessdate=17 January 2012}}</ref> However, recent pilot studies by Future Health Systems have shown that this rate could be significantly reduced by implementing a voucher scheme for health services and transport to clinics.<ref>{{cite web|title=Improving Access to Safe Deliveries in Uganda|url=http://www.futurehealthsystems.org/publications/improving-access-to-safe-deliveries-in-uganda.html|publisher=Future Health Systems|accessdate=17 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Women’s Perceptions of ANC and delivery care
Services, a community perspective|url=http://www.futurehealthsystems.org/storage/Research20Brief2021.pdf|publisher=Future Health Systems|accessdate=8 May 2012}}</ref>

Uganda's elimination of user fees at state health facilities in 2001 has resulted in an 80% increase in visits; over half of this increase is from the poorest 20% of the population.<ref name=autogenerated1>http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/4895.pdf</ref> This policy has been cited as a key factor in helping Uganda achieve its [[Millennium Development Goals]] and as an example of the importance of [[Millennium Development Goals#Progress|equity]] in achieving those goals.<ref name=ODI/> Despite this policy, many users are denied care if they don't provide their own medical equipment, as happened in the highly publicised case of Jennifer Anguko.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dugger|first=Celia|title=Maternal Deaths Focus Harsh Light on Uganda|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/30/world/africa/30uganda.html?pagewanted=all|accessdate=17 January 2012|newspaper=New York Times|date=29 July 2011}}</ref>

==Culture and sport==
{{Refimprove section|date=September 2011}}

[[Image:Football in full swing (501839950).jpg|thumb|Young boys playing [[Association football|football]] (soccer) in [[Arua District]].]]
{{Main|Culture of Uganda|Music of Uganda|Cuisine of Uganda|List of African writers (by country)#Uganda|List of Ugandans}}

Owing to the large number of communities, culture within Uganda is diverse. Many Asians (mostly from India) who were expelled during the regime of Amin have returned to Uganda.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=29 September 2011|title=Kampala Journal; Cast Out Once, Asians Return: Uganda Is Home|work=The New York Times |year=1993|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/22/world/kampala-journal-cast-out-once-asians-return-uganda-is-home.html?scp=1&sq=indians%20return%20to%20uganda&st=cse}}</ref>

[[Association football|Football]] is the national sport in Uganda.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Games involving the [[Uganda national football team|Ugandan national football team]] usually attract large crowds of Ugandans from all walks of life. The [[Ugandan Super League]] is the top division of Ugandan football contested by 16 clubs from across the country; it was created in 1968.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} [[Football in Uganda]] is managed by the [[Federation of Uganda Football Associations]] (FUFA). The association administers the national football team, as well as the Super League. South African broadcaster [[DStv]] through its Super Sport network broadcasts the Ugandan League to 46 different countries in sub Saharan Africa. Football is played all over Uganda especially by children in schools and young people on a variety of pitch surfaces. There is a strong following amongst Ugandans for European club football especially the [[English Premier League]] {{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} with London club Arsenal FC having the biggest following closely followed by Manchester United; Liverpool and Chelsea come in at a distant third and fourth respectively.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Barcelona in Spain has also attracted a sizable following in Uganda due to its recent run of success in La Liga and Uefa Champions League.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Uganda's most famous footballers are [[David Obua]] of Scottish club Hearts and [[Ibrahim Sekagya]], who is the captain of the national team, Austria's Red Bulls and Nestroy Kizito.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Uganda's notable past greats of the game include [[Denis Obua]], [[Majid Musisi]], Fimbo Mukasa and Paul Kasule.

[[Cricket]] has experienced rapid growth in Uganda, although football is the national sport.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Recently in the Quadrangular Tournament in [[Kenya]], Uganda came in as the underdogs and went on to register a historic win against archrivals Kenya.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Uganda also won the [[World Cricket League]] (WCL) Division 3 and came in fourth place in the WCL Division 2. In February 2009, Uganda finished as runner-up in the WCL Division 3 competition held in [[Argentina]], thus gaining a place in the World Cup Qualifier held in South Africa in April 2009.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

In 2007, the [[Uganda national rugby union team]] were victorious in the [[2007 Africa Cup]], beating [[Madagascar national rugby union team|Madagascar]] in the final.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

[[Rallying]] is a popular sport in Uganda with the country having successfully staged a round of the [[African Rally Championship]] (ARC), [[Pearl of Africa Rally]] since 1996, when it was a candidate event. The country has gone on to produce African rally champions such as Charles Muhangi, who won the 1999 ARC crown.{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} Other notable Ugandans on the African rally scene include the late Riyaz Kurji, who was killed in a fatal accident while leading the 2009 edition, Emma Katto, Karim Hirji, Chipper Adams and Charles Lubega. Ugandans have also featured prominently in the [[Safari Rally]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

Ugandans have since the early 1920s enjoyed the fast-paced sport of [[hockey]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2011}} It was originally played by the Asians, but now it is widely played by people from other racial backgrounds. Hockey is the only Ugandan field sport to date to have qualified for and represented the country at the Olympics; this was at the [[Summer Olympics]] in 1972. It is also believed in Ugandan hockey circles that Uganda's first and only Olympic gold medal may have been achieved in part due to the cheers from the representative hockey team that urged [[John Akii-Bua]] forward.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

Also in July 2011 Kampala, Uganda qualified for the [[2011 Little League World Series]] in [[Williamsport, Pennsylvania]] for the first time, beating [[Dharan LL]] in Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=29 September 2011|title=Frustrating View of Game Day|work=The New York Times |year=2011|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/20/sports/baseball/ugandans-watch-little-league-world-series-from-home.html?_r=1&ref=uganda}}</ref>

==Education==
[[Image:Uganda students.jpg|thumb|right|Students in Uganda]]
{{Main|Education in Uganda}}

[[Literacy|Illiteracy]] is common in Uganda, particularly amongst females.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org"/> Public spending on education was at 5.2 % of the 2002–2005 GDP.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org"/> Much public education in primary and secondary schools focuses upon repetition and memorization. There are also state exams that must be taken at every level of education.
Uganda has both private and public universities. The largest university in Uganda is [[Makerere University]], located outside of Kampala. The system of education in Uganda has a structure of 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education (divided into 4 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary school), and 3 to 5 years of [[tertiary education|post-secondary education]]. The present system has existed since the early 1960s.
Although some primary education is compulsory under law, in many rural communities this is not observed as many families feel they cannot afford costs such as uniforms and equipment. State schools are usually run by the Church of Uganda and are built on land owned as such. In primary education, children sit exams at the end of each academic year in order to discern whether they are to progress to the next class; this leads to some classes which include a large range of ages. Upon completing P7 (The final year of primary education), many children from poorer rural communities will return to their families for subsistence farming. Secondary education is focused mainly in larger cities, with boarding optional. Children are usually presented with an equipment list which they are to obtain at the beginning of their time at secondary school. This list classically includes items such as writing equipment, toilet roll and cleaning brushes, all of which the student must have upon admission to school.

==Cuisine==
{{Main|Ugandan cuisine}}
[[Image:UgandaWaragi.jpg|upright|thumb|Uganda [[Waragi]] is a common alcoholic beverage in Uganda]]

Ugandan [[cuisine]] consists of traditional cooking with English, [[Arab]], Asian and especially [[India]]n influences.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}} Like the cuisines of most countries, it varies in complexity, from the most basic, a [[starch]]y filler with a [[sauce]] of [[beans]] or meat, to several-course meals served in upper-class homes and high-end restaurants. {{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

Main dishes are usually centered on a [[sauce]] or [[stew]] of [[peanut|groundnut]]s, [[bean]]s or meat. The starch traditionally comes from [[ugali]] (maize meal) or [[matoke]] (boiled and mashed green banana) in the South, or an ugali made from [[millet]] in the North. [[Cassava]], [[yam (vegetable)|yam]] and African [[sweet potato]]{{clarify|post-text= – Sweet potatoes are an [[Sweet potato#Origin, distribution and diversity|American Indian crop]]|date=October 2011}} are also eaten; the more affluent include white (often called "Irish") potato and rice in their diets. [[Soybean]]s were promoted as a healthy food staple in the 1970s and are also used especially for breakfast. [[Chapati]], an Asian [[flatbread]], is also part of Ugandan cuisine.

==Human rights==
{{Main|Human rights in Uganda}}

There are many areas which continue to attract concern when it comes to human rights in Uganda.

Conflict in the northern parts of the country continues to generate reports of abuses by both the rebel [[Lord's Resistance Army]] (LRA), led by [[Joseph Kony]], and the [[Uganda People's Defence Force|Ugandan Army]]. A UN official accused the LRA in February 2009 of "appalling brutality" in the Democratic Republic of Congo.<ref>{{cite web|author=(AFP)&nbsp;– 10 February 2009 |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jjDmW-YliFMFYnBOvy5bwN3-Ggtg |title=AFP: Attacks of 'appalling brutality' in DR Congo: UN |publisher=Google |date=10 February 2009 |accessdate=29 July 2009}}</ref> The number of [[internally displaced persons]] is estimated at 1.4&nbsp;million. Torture continues to be a widespread practice amongst security organisations. Attacks on political freedom in the country, including the arrest and beating of opposition Members of Parliament, have led to international criticism, culminating in May 2005 in a decision by the British government to withhold part of its aid to the country. The arrest of the main opposition leader [[Kizza Besigye]] and the siege of the [[High Court (Uganda)|High Court]] during a hearing of Besigye's case by heavily armed security forces – before the [[Ugandan general election, 2006|February 2006 elections]] – led to condemnation.<ref name="hrw1">[http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/12/19/uganda12321.htm "Uganda: Respect Opposition Right to Campaign"], ''[[Human Rights Watch]]'', 19 December 2005</ref>

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants reported several violations of refugee rights in 2007, including forcible deportations by the Ugandan government and violence directed against refugees.<ref name="World Refugee Survey 2008">{{cite news|title=World Refugee Survey 2008|publisher=U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants|date=19 June 2008|url=http://www.refugees.org/survey}}{{dead link|date=May 2011}}</ref>

Homosexuality itself is not technically illegal in Uganda, but sodomy laws are still on the books from colonial days and there is a strong social bias against homosexuality. Gays and lesbians face discrimination and harassment at the hands of the media, police, teachers and other groups. In 2007, a Ugandan newspaper, ''The Red Pepper'', published a list of allegedly gay men, many of whom suffered harassment as a result.<ref>[http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Africa/Uganda "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people"] Amnesty International Report 2007 Uganda. Retrieved 21 August 2007.</ref> Also on 9 October 2010, the Ugandan newspaper [[Rolling Stone (Uganda)|''Rolling Stone'']] published a front page article titled "100 Pictures of Uganda's Top Homos Leak" that listed the names, addresses, and photographs of 100 homosexuals alongside a yellow banner that read "Hang Them".<ref name=Guardian>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/21/ugandan-paper-gay-people-hanged "Ugandan paper calls for gay people to be hanged"], Xan Rice, [[guardian.co.uk]], 21 October 2010</ref> The paper also alleged that homosexuals aimed to "[[Homosexual recruitment|recruit]]" Ugandan children. This publication attracted international attention and criticism from human rights organisations, such as [[Amnesty International]],<ref>[http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/ugandan-gay-rights-activist-%E2%80%98i-have-watch-my-back-more-ever%E2%80%99-2010-11-05 "Ugandan gay rights activist: ‘I have to watch my back more than ever'"], 5 November 2010</ref> [[No Peace Without Justice]]<ref>[http://www.npwj.org/Other/Uganda-Stop-homophobic-campaign-launched-Rolling-Stone-tabloid.html-0 "Uganda: Stop homophobic campaign launched by ''Rolling Stone'' tabloid"], 14 October 2010, [[No Peace Without Justice]]</ref> and the [[International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association]].<ref name=ILGA>[http://ilga.org/ilga/en/article/mE8jac21Q7 "Uganda Newspaper Published Names/Photos of LGBT Activists and HRDs – Cover Says 'Hang Them'"], [[International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association]]</ref> According to [[gay rights]] activists, many Ugandans have been attacked since the publication.<ref name=Independent>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/outcry-as-ugandan-paper-names-top-homosexuals-2113348.html "Outcry as Ugandan paper names 'top homosexuals'"], Simon Akam, ''[[The Independent]]'', 22 October 2010</ref> On 27 January 2011, gay rights activist David Kato was murdered.<ref name=BBC>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12295718 "Uganda gay rights activist David Kato killed"], 27 January 2011, ''[[BBC news]]''</ref> Kato was on ''Rolling Stone'''s hit list. Also a number of other gays and lesbians are missing and are believed to have been murdered.

{{main|Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill}}
The Uganda parliament recently considered an Anti-Homosexuality Bill which, if enacted, would have broadened the criminalisation of homosexuality by introducing the death penalty for people who have previous convictions, or are HIV-positive, and engage in same-sex sexual acts. The bill also included provisions for Ugandans who engage in same-sex sexual relations outside of Uganda, asserting that they may be [[extradition|extradited]] back to Uganda for punishment, and included penalties for individuals, companies, media organisations, or non-governmental organisations that support [[LGBT]] rights. The [[private member's bill]] was submitted by [[Member of Parliament|MP]] [[David Bahati]] in Uganda on 14 October 2009, and is believed to have had widespread support in the Uganda parliament.<ref name=Harpers2010>{{Cite journal |last1=Sharlet |first1=Jeff |authorlink=Jeff Sharlet |date=September 2010 |title=Straight Man's Burden: The American roots of Uganda's anti-gay persecutions |journal=Harper's |publisher=Harper's Magazine Foundation |volume=321 |issue=1,924 |pages=36–48 |url=http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/09/0083101 |accessdate=21 January 2011 |quote= }}</ref> Debate of the bill was delayed in response to global condemnation.<ref name=MSNBC2011>{{cite web|last=Olukya |first=Godfrey |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42987326 |title=Uganda's anti-gay bill delayed amid outcry |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=31 May 2011}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|Africa|Uganda}}
{{Wikipedia books|Uganda}}
{{columns-list|2|
*[[Outline of Uganda]]
*[[Index of Uganda-related articles]]
*[[List of schools in Uganda]]
*[[Education in Uganda]]
*[[Cabinet of Uganda]]
*[[Commonwealth of Nations]]
*[[Lord's Resistance Army insurgency]]
*[[Kisizi]]
*[[List of national parks of Uganda]]
*[[Uganda AIDS Orphan Children Foundation]]
*[[The Uganda Scouts Association]]
*''[[War/Dance]]''}}
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links}}
*{{Wikitravel}}
* [http://www.inkampala.com/ IN KAMPALA] – resources, reviews, information and guide to Kampala
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-u/uganda.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]
* {{CIA World Factbook link|ug|Uganda}}
* [http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/uganda.htm Uganda] from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
* {{dmoz|Regional/Africa/Uganda}}
* {{wikiatlas|Uganda}}
* [http://www.irinnews.org/Africa-Country.aspx?Country=UG Humanitarian news and analysis from IRIN – Uganda]
* [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc104?OpenForm&rc=1&cc=uga Humanitarian information coverage on ReliefWeb]
* [http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/uganda.pdf Map Uganda At UN.org]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1069166.stm Country Profile] from [[BBC News]]
* [http://www.visituganda.com/ Uganda Tourist Board]
* {{wikitravel}}
* [http://www.ugandahumanistschoolstrust.org/index.html Uganda Humanist Schools Trust]
* [http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/pages/001/page_40.asp Radio France International – dossier on Uganda and Lord's Resistance Army]
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=UG Key Development Forecasts for Uganda] from [[International Futures]]
{{Uganda topics}}
{{Districts of Uganda}}
{{Countries of Africa}}
{{Niger-Congo-speaking}}
{{African Union}}
{{OIC}}
{{Commonwealth of Nations}}

[[Category:Uganda| ]]
[[Category:African countries]]
[[Category:Bantu countries and territories]]
[[Category:East Africa]]
[[Category:English-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Landlocked countries]]
[[Category:Least developed countries]]
[[Category:Member states of the African Union]]
[[Category:Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations]]
[[Category:Member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1962]]
[[Category:Swahili-speaking countries and territories]]
[[Category:Member states of the United Nations]]

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