Uganda Travel Overview
At a glance
Capital: Kampala
Official language: English
Currency: Shilling
Continent: East Africa
Vacation in Uganda
The route is the goal.
Uganda – this is where the East African savannah meets the West African jungle. A country as green as one would hardly expect in Africa. And an experience even for those who know the continent. Highlights? Every hour, whether on foot or by jeep, these are lined up like a chain. In addition, you learn patiently in the dense rainforest in search of mountain gorillas why the path is the real goal.
According to Countryaah, the landlocked country in East Africa and borders in the north on Sudan, in the east on Kenya, in the south on Tanzania, in the south-west on Rwanda and in the west on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The borders with Kenya and Tanzania run partly through Lake Victoria.
Uganda offers almost all of Africa’s charms. It is indeed the ” Pearl of Africa ” once said Sir Winston Churchill: savannas, uneven jungles, rugged mountains, picturesque cloud forests and numerous national parks with wild animals – the great landscape makes the sometimes bumpy drive through the country completely irrelevant.
Animal diversity and safaris
With over 50 large mammal species and over 1,000 bird species, Uganda is probably the most species-rich country in all of Africa. Eighteen species of primate live here alone. There are Uganda kobs, bushbucks, zebras, topis and elephants. A safari through the 2,000 km² Queen Elisabeth National Park gives a good impression. During a boat trip on the Kazinga Canal, countless hippos and water buffalo cavort on the shore. For many trips, visiting the gorillas is the reason to come here. After Bwindi Forestyou can’t just drive like that – tours to the mountain gorillas have to be planned well in advance, the number of visitors is strictly limited. Together with the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, there are only about 720 of these primeval forest residents. The ” Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park ” – the “Impenetrable Forest” – was originally a protected forest reserve and was declared a national park in 1991. Because of its extraordinary biodiversity and the partially threatened animal species, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. In the Kibale National Park there are many chimpanzees waiting, who can hardly be disturbed in their turf wars.
The population
Music and dance are a unit in Uganda that cannot be separated. Children are trained in traditional dances. The main food of the locals is called matooke. It is a plantain porridge.
Love at first sight
Anyone who has ever traveled through Africa will fall in love. Especially in Uganda.
Important facts
Capital: Kampala
Official language: English
Currency
Currency (sub-unit)
Shilling (100 cents)
ISO 4217 code
UGX / 800
Geography
Continent: Africa
Region: east
Geo coordinates: N 1 ° 22 ’24 ” E 32 ° 17′ 25″
Highest mountain: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley (5,110 m)
Total area: 236,040 km²
Mainland: 199,710 km²
National border: 3,698 km
Politics
Dependency: Great Britain until 1962
UN member since: 1962
Other political affiliation: Commonwealth
Form of government: Presidential Republic
Economy
Export goods: Coffee, cotton, ores
BSP: $ 9.674 billion
GDP: $ 10,224,000,000
GDP purchasing power parity: $ 53.420 billion
Economic growth: 5.2%
GDP share of agriculture: 29.7%
GDP share of industry: 24.5%
GDP share of services: 45.8%
Inflation rate: 7.5%
State budget revenue: $ 2166,000,000
State budget expenditure: $ 2.289 billion
National debt: 66.8%
Export: $ 912,000,000
Import: $ 1,778,000,000
Foreign debt: $ 5,458,000,000
Gold and currency reserves: $ 1,347,000,000
Electricity consumption: 1,919 million KWh
Oil consumption: 12,400 million m³
Cultivation area: 30.03%
Bovine: 6,298,000 pieces
Fishing: 365,000 t
Demographic data
Residents: 28,195,800
Residents in cities: 3,454,200
Average age: 15 years
0-14 years: 50%
15-64 years: 47.8%
> 65 years: 2.2%
Population growth: 3.37%
Birth rate: 47.35 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 12.24 / 1,000 residents
Migration: -1.4 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 1
Fertility: 6.71 children / woman
Infant mortality: 66.15 ‰
Life expectancy men: 51.68 years
Life expectancy women: 53.69 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: Basement
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: UGA
ISO 3166 numeric: 800
Top Level Domain: ug
IOC country code: UGA
UN / LOCODE: Basement
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Communication
Telephone connections: 70,000
Cell Phones: 1,566,000
Radios: 3,820,000
TV: 870,000
Computer: 170,000
Internet users: 270,000
Transportation
Railway lines: 1,244 km
Paved roads: 17,114 km
Cars: 83,000
Health
Number of doctors: 1,420
Daily food intake: 2,430 kcal / resident
HIV- infected people: 620,000
Education
Illiteracy: 29%
History
Foundation: 1812
Last sovereign since: 1962
Religion
Main religious group: Christians
Crime
Prison inmates: 24,500
Military
Armed forces (troop strength): 60,000
Defense Spending: $ 214.6 million
GETTING THERE
Arriving by plane
Uganda does not have its own national airline.
Ua Lufthansa (via Nairobi), British Airways (via London), Brussels Airlines (SN) (via Brussels), South African Airways (SA), Egyptair MS) and Kenya Airways (KQ) flying to Uganda.
Note on arriving by plane
All airline tickets purchased in Uganda must be paid for in hard currency.
Flight times
Frankfurt – Kampala: 9 hours 40 minutes (pure flight time, stopover in Brussels); Vienna – Kampala: 11 hours 25 minutes (pure flight time, stopover in Brussels); London – Kampala: 8 hours; Zurich – Kampala: 9 hours 40 minutes (pure flight time, stopover in Brussels).
Departure fee
No.
Arrival by car
Roads lead to all neighboring countries, but the borders are not always open. The connecting roads to Kenya are good. Travelers should definitely inform themselves about the current security situation before crossing the border into Rwanda. There is an urgent warning against crossing the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Bus: Regular and excursion buses run from Nairobi (Kenya) as well as Arusha and Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) to Uganda.
Arriving by train
Currently no passenger connections.