About Uganda.

Uganda, a landlocked country in East Africa, consists of savanna plateau with mountains and lakes. "The pearl of Africa," wrote Winston Churchill of this former British protectorate that embraces Lake Victoria, source of the White Nile, and the misty Ruwenzori Mountains—a home of the endangered mountain gorilla.

Prosperous at independence in 1962, the country was brutalized under the chaotic regimes of Milton Obote and Idi Amin, when as many as 800,000 Ugandans were murdered. In 1986 Yoweri Museveni, leader of the National Resistance Army, came to power and, despite continued military and economic challenges, restored stability to a large extent. Museveni was elected president in May 1996 in the first popular election for president since independence—and reelected in 2001.

Population:

26,907,000

Capital:

Kampala; 1,246,000

Area:

241,139 square kilometers (93,104 square miles)

Language:

English, Ganda or Luganda, Soga or Lusoga, many local languages

Religion:

Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous beliefs, Muslim

Currency:

Ugandan shilling

Life Expectancy:

44

GDP per Capita:

U.S. $1,200

Literacy Percent:

70