Kalangala District
Kalangala District | |
|---|---|
 District location in Uganda | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Central Uganda |
| Capital | Kalangala |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9,066.8 km2 (3,500.7 sq mi) |
| • Land | 432.1 km2 (166.8 sq mi) |
| • Water | 8,634.7 km2 (3,333.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,240 m (4,070 ft) |
| Population (2010 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 46,500 |
| • Density | 107.6/km2 (279/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Website | Homepage |
Kalangala is a district in southern Central Uganda. The district is coterminous with the Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria and does not have territory on mainland Uganda. Like other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kalangala which is located on Bugala Island, the largest of the Ssese Islands.
Location
Kalangala District is bordered by Mpigi District and Wakiso District to the north, Mukono District to the northeast and east, the Republic of Tanzania to the south, Rakai District to the southwest, Masaka District to the west and Kalungu District to the northwest.[1] The district headquarters at Kalangala, are located approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi), across water, southwest of Entebbe, in Wakiso District.[2] The coordinates of the district are: 00 26S, 32 15E.
Overview
Kalangala District covers an area of 9,066.8 square kilometres (3,500.7 sq mi), of which only 432.1 square kilometres (166.8 sq mi) (4.8%) is land and the rest is open water. The district is made up of eighty four (84) widely scattered islands in the northwestern part of Lake Victoria of which only forty three (43) are inhabited. The biggest island is Bugala Island which covers 296 square kilometres (114 sq mi) or 68.5% of the district land mass.[3]
Population
The 2002 national census estimated the population of the district at 34,800. The annual population growth rate of the district was estimated at 3.0%. It is estimated that the population of Kalangala District in 2010 is approximately 46,500. See table below:
| Kalangala District Population Trends | ||||||||||||||||||||
Economic activitiesThe three pillars of the district economy are: (a) Fishing (b) Tourism and (c) Agriculture. The majority of the islanders depend a lot on fishing. They always migrate following the seasonal movements of fish. Overfishing remains a concern. Due to its location, its climate and its relative isolation, the district is a tourist magnet. Tourist facilities are rudimentary in most areas, although improvements in infrastructure (accommodations, road networks, communications, electricity supply, piped water etc.) are slowly improving. BIDCO, a private palm oil processor based in Jinja, maintains a 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) palm oil plantation in the district. In addition, outgrower farmers grow palm oil on contract with BIDCO and sell their produce to the processor.[4] Logging is another economic activity that is practiced in the district. Livestock farming is another economic activity that is practiced. Current estimates have the livestock population at 2,999 cattle, 250,000 poultry (chicken and ducks), 1,235 goats and 7,000 pigs.[5] External linksPhotosSee alsoReferences |
