Background and Geography of Uganda

Background and Geography of Uganda


The Republic of Uganda is located in the East Africa Region across the Equator, between latitudes 4 degrees North and 1 degree South and longitudes 30 degrees East and 35 degrees East.

The total area of the country is about 241,038 km2 made of 199,810 km2 of land and 41,038km2 of inland water.

Uganda is landlocked and bordered by  South Sudan in the north, Kenya in the east, the United Republic of Tanzania in the south, Rwanda in the south-west and Democratic Republic of Congo in the west.

Uganda’s altitude ranges from 620 meters to 5,110 meters above sea level. Uganda is endowed with outstanding topographical features which include the Kigezi highlands (referred to as the Switzerland of Africa), the Ruwenzori mountains (referred to as the Mountains of the Moon), forests, semi-arid areas, swamps, savannah, game parks, natural lakes and the source of the Nile.

There is very little seasonal variation in the climate which is warm and fairly humid. The temperature averages 22   (16-30) degrees centigrade in most of the country with rainfall of ranging from 500 to 2100 millimetres per year.

‘The beauty, wildlife, diversity, and the friendly people of Uganda led   Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, to refer to Uganda as ‘The Pearl of Africa’