Uganda is a small and landlocked East African country lying astride the Equator and covering a total area of 236,040 Square kilometers, the same size as England and twice the size of Pennsylvania. Uganda shares its borders with South Sudan in the North, Kenya to the East, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Tanzania to the South, and Rwanda to the south-west.
Uganda is sprawled within the north-western shores of Lake Victoria, the source of the mighty River Nile (occupying the largest part of Lake Victoria basin) and extends from 10°S to 40°N latitude and 300 to 350°E longitude. The geography of Uganda is characterized by mountains. Plateaus, volcanic hills, swamps, lakes and rivers, waterfalls, and the Albertine Rift Valley. The highest point in Uganda is the Margherita peak on Mount Stanley (Rwenzori Mountains) extending for over 16,768 feet above sea level while the lowest point is the Albert Nile bordering South Sudan extending for 2014 feet above sea level.
Vast grasslands, as well as tropical forests, dominate the central Lake region while the low-lying Nile valley finds its way through the north-western and central part of Uganda where it maneuvers its way into South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt before finally pouring its waters into the Mediterranean Sea.
Population of Uganda
The population of Uganda has grown significantly over the past century, maintaining a growth rate slightly above or below 3% for most of the time. Apparently, Uganda accounts for about 45 million people. The current rate of growth is 3.26% annually giving rise to an increase of nearly 1.5 million each year.
Currency
The unit of currency is the Uganda shilling, the small unit is 50 shillings and the large note is 50,000 shilling. Bank of Uganda introduces coin shillings such as 50, 100, 500, and 1000 and also paper notes of 1000, 2000, 5000, 20000, and 50000 which are commonly used in Uganda. Most tour operators prefer that tourists pay in US dollars, but Euros and Pound sterling are also widely accepted. Hard currency cash can be changed for the local currency at any of the banks and forex bureaus in all the towns within Uganda, although one will find difficulty using travelers’ cheques outside of Kampala. You can draw the Ugandan Shilling against Visa and other major credit cards at selected bank ATMs in Kampala, Entebbe International Airport, as well as in other larger towns outside of the Capital.
Official Language
English remained the official language. The native languages of the Uganda people have to influence Uganda English which is spoken by most educated Ugandans Although Swahili is commonly used with other languages including Luganda, Lunyakole, Lusoga, and others.
Time Zone
Uganda Standard Time is 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+3).
How to get to Uganda
The main entry point for flights into Uganda is Entebbe International Airport located near the town of Entebbe, about 46km/ 29mi from the capital of Kampala. Uganda is a relatively compact country and further transportation within the country is usually done by vehicle, through more upmarket safari increasingly tends to include one or more flights. In most cases, your local tour operator will collect you from the airport or hotel and further. Transport will be part of and cost into your safari package. Uganda has its own airlines called Uganda airline that fly every day to different destinations including Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and others. Entebbe international airport receives international flights from different destinations including Brussel airline, Ethiopia airline, fly Emirates, KLM airline, Kenyan Airways, RwandAir, and others. And you can still access Uganda through its neighboring countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
Immigration and Visa procedure
All Uganda Visa allows you to travel freely within the country. Uganda visas may be obtained at Uganda mission abroad or on arrival at the ports of entry in the country. All travelers to the republic of Uganda must have a valid yellow fever immunization card. For those who applying for the tourist visa and beginning their Safaris in Uganda, you can find information on the visa application process on the consular section of your local Uganda embassy’s website or call us to help you out.
The typical requirement includes one clear colored passport size photo with white background recently taken without glasses, caps, and scurf; (the photo should be attached to the application form by use of glue stick. Stapling and clipping the photo to the application form is not advisable). Single entry e-visa US $50 tourist visa, multiple entry visa US $100, US $100 (six to 12 months), US $150 (12 to 24 months), US $200 (24 to 36 months)
