Crowned the natural beauty of Africa, and named the Pearl of Africa. This East African country dwells the world’s most hospitable people, the perfect warm climate avails throughout the year, all over green chlorophyll covers, world record water bodies, isolated landscapes, and many others make Uganda a country worth a tale.
The noncoastal country positioned indoors the arrays of both the eastern rift valley and the western Albertine rift valley. This tiny country stretches on an expanse coverage of 24,00kmsq, about 40,000sq km are roofed by drainage systems (swamps, wetlands, rivers, and lakes) and the rest of the area island. The country is placed in the heart of the Great Lakes region neighbored by 5 countries of Kenya from the Eastern, Tanzania southern, Rwanda southwestern, DR. Congo western and South Sudan.
Climate
Uganda is among the few countries crossed by the Equator, the country largely experiences an equatorial climate. There are two major air currencies of northeasterly and southwesterly. Being positioned in the Equatorial spot, the country’s sun display rambles in 12 hours as well the night hours. Uganda has two annual weather variations of dry and wet and each variation doubles in a year. The wider portion of the land receives adequate raindrops which can range from 20inch (500mm) in the northern semi-arid to 80inch (1,200mm) around the Victoria basin and the western tropics. The weather in the country varies in the months of March to May and September to November experiencing much precipitation and June to August and December to February are drier months though thunderstorms and limited drops are experienced throughout.
Topography
Uganda’s landscape fluctuates throughout where the broader extent resides in a plateau of 800 to 2,000 m (2,600–6,600 ft). The western stretcher seats in the rays of the Albertine rift valley which influenced the formation of the Virunga massif that runs to Rwenzori ranges among which is Africa’s 3rd largest mountain peak Margherita Peak reaches a height of 5,109 m (16,762 ft). The eastern edge is the Mount Elgon upsurges to 4,321 m (14,178 ft). The lowest point in Uganda by height is the Murchison delta running stretching north along the Albert Nile raised at 614m and the highest peak remains the Margharitah peak of Mountain raised at 5109m, the attributes stretches from the west through the northern. The Eastern and northern largely display a relatively flat landscape (plateau), however, the northeastern stretcher right from the Elgon region is covered with latent volcanoes rising to an elevation of 4,321m.
People
The country is an integration of ethics that are observing varying customs and norms. With the greater variety of people in their ethnicity, the major division is between the Bantu and the Nilotic. The Bantu forms the greater portion of people in the country who dwell right from the eastern, central, southern, and western region, and the Nilotic concentrate in the northern side of the country. Among the Bantu-speaking people, the Ganda “Baganda” sub-group makes up the largest portion of the country’s population. According to the recent 2014 census, the Ganda sub-group formed a percentage of 16% followed by the Nkole 9%, Soga 8%, Kiga 7%, and other Bantu speakers include Gweri, Gisu, Samia, Toro, Amba, Konjo, and the Nyole. And a sizeable number of Banyarwanda (Rwanda’s) who fled from Rwanda in the 1960s and 1990s as well make a great proportion of the population of the Bantu people.
The Nilotic speakers as well dominated by the Teso, Langi, (Lango), Acholi, Alur, Padhola, Kumam, Kakwa, Sebei, and the Karamonjo. There is a well the Nilo Hamite (central Sudan) people who mainly spread in the West Nile including the Lendu, Lugbara, and the Madi.
There is a well a larger number of marginalized people spread across and some had become endangered groups and they cut across all major ethnicity among these include the Batwa, Ik, Basongola, Benet, and many others.
The people of Uganda right before the surfacing of the colonial time in the 16th century were organized in their traditional monarchies which till to date many people have held onto the same beliefs of these monarchs. Still in the monarch’s arrangements still the Ganda dominates with one of the most well-organized administrative and influential statures to be a model of other monarchs. Among the most influential monarchies include Buganda Kingdom, Toro Kingdom, Busoga Kingdom, Bunyoro kingdom, and many other chiefdoms. All these monarchies have varying customs and norms and their existence of constitutional.
Tourism
Uganda is a brand worth sale to tourists, many travel and tourism operators have thoroughly explored the country and know how to brand this tiny hot spot for adventure. The varying landscape, vegetation covers which harbor a number of wild species, the people, streets, roads, lakes, and rivers make Uganda another country worth time to explore. Uganda is compacted with a wider number of protected areas among which include 10 National Park and 12 game reserves under the management of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). There are as well many tropical rainforests under the management of the National Forest Authority, many cultural sites under the management of various cultural institutions, all are perfect spots for tourists.
Uganda offers one of Africa’s best Adventure tours from its parks among which include the Mountain Gorilla Trekking which is the highlight of all African adventures, encounter the Big Five from the 5 Savannah Parks, Track Chimpanzees from Various forests among which is Kibale National Park known as the world’s primate capital. Among other rewarding adventures done in Uganda include world-class rafting on the Nile River, Wilde Boat cruises, city tours, game viewing, bird watching as Uganda hosts 60% of the bird species in the world, golden monkey tracking, etc.
Cities
For long Uganda has been a country of the solo city, Kampala dominance as the capital and at the same times, the only city in the country was ended in 2020 when the parliament passed a list of other 15 new cities of which some have started functioning and others in the process of starting. Uganda today boosts 8 new operating cities which are spread across the country among which including Kampala the capital and Masaka (central region), Gulu and Arua (Northern), Jinja, Mbale (eastern), and Mbarara city (western).
Education system
The education system in Uganda is one of the longest systems in the world which takes a period of about 20 years to be completed at the stake of the undergraduate degree. Officially, the system is summarized in three phases of primary level which take 7 years, secondary divided into lower secondary takes 4 years and upper secondary 2 years. Attaining the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) of upper primary is the qualification for higher political positions in the country of Mayor, Member of Parliament, District Chairman, and National President. However, the system is as well segmented into lower and higher levels of Education which lower ends with the primary level and higher consists of secondary, technical institutions and Universities.
Transportation
There are various transportation means used in Uganda among which some till now have failed to upgrade and others have taken off to another level. The means of transport used in the country will majorly depend on the monetary standards of someone, where to go and what to transport. Well, staying within and around Kampala city is the easiest way to access various transportation means than in any other city, town, or area in Uganda. Well, In Uganda there is air transportation, roads, water, and railway, but the most sufficient has always remained roads transport.
Road Transport;
Can use a private car (hire a car and take a self-drive or drive your vehicle), public transport which includes public taxis which can be accessed throughout the country and in their taxi parks, airport taxis this cab only be accessed at Entebbe International Airport can be hired to drive you to your next destination they are quite expensive, special hire is spread across all major cities especially located around places of excitement around major bars, clubs, and theaters as well can access online using Uber taxi, Safe Taxi, Sep Taxi Cab, and many others. The easiest way by road is boarding a Bodaboda which can be affected with the satisfactory traffic jam. Bodabodas are the order of the day, with their challenges most of the riders are so dirty and riding motorcycles which are in severe mechanical condition. Boarding a Bodaboda is cheaper compared to using a special here and relative the same cost when used the always delaying public Taxis. Can as well call the Bodaboda to come close to your home, hotel, or apartment using the mobile phone apps.
Air Transport;
this is regulated by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda after a long time without a national carrier following the collapse in the 2000s. Today Uganda has 6 national carriers among which 6 fleets are airbus that handles routes outside Africa. Entebbe International airport is the major airport of Uganda with a number of airstrips spread across the country. Opting to use a plane to reach various parks and regions in the country can use these inland aircraft which base at Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip. Due to oil discovery in western Uganda Hoima district, the government is currently establishing another international airport in Hoima city.
Water Transport
Is one of the cheaper means of transport, it’s used on various water bodies especially to access islands of various water bodies. Majorly wooden boats with motorized engines are used on Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, Lake Edward, Lake Albert, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Gorge. However, ferries are common which are under the management of the Uganda Roads Authority, these ferries are used as land connections from major lakes and rivers on River Nile, Ssezibwa, and Lakes to various islands and the mainland. Also, the wagon ferries have been repaired to enable connection among countries on Lake Victoria, MV Pamba now can connect to Kenya at Kisumu port, Mwanza port Tanzania and Fort Bell in Uganda. Water transport can as well be used for transporting heavy cargo and people.
Railway
Has failed to upgrade, and its operations are sinking each year due to failure to upgrade to the standards. It had resumed shorter passenger routes from Kampala to Namanve but its functioning is doubted. The major use is the cargo railway is working with limited space of cargo wagons and is undependable if opting to use the railway means in Uganda. The resuming of MV Pamba maybe will cause another hope for great times coming for Uganda’s railway.
