Lush equatorial location
Uganda is situated on the equator in East Africa and is roughly the size of Great Britain or the state of Oregon in the U.S. With its perfect equatorial location on the shore of Lake Victoria, surrounded by lush national parks and the capital city of Kampala, Uganda is a well-kept travel secret.
Landlocked fertile land with many lakes
Uganda’s neighbouring countries are Sudan to the North, Kenya to the East, Republic of Congo to the West, and Tanzania and Rwanda to the South. It is located at a height of 1200 meters above sea level and on the most fertile plateau of Africa. Uganda is known as the land of the lakes, which cover almost a third of the country, with Lake Victoria – the largest lake in Africa – dominating the southern part of the country.
Steady economic growth
Uganda’s economic growth has averaged 6% annually and the overall national poverty rate has reduced to 31% today from 56% in 1992. Visible changes within the city space are apparent in Kampala alone with the construction of five luxury hotels in the capital in the last two years. Uganda has become an attractive new tourism location, bringing in over 100,000 visitors every year.
Uganda is a politically safe and culturally strong country with the promise of a great future. It enjoys rich, natural resources, a flourishing economy, and an impressive number of prosperous middle-class African professionals, including business people, doctors, lawyers, and scientists.
Pleasant weather for year-round travel
Uganda’s equatorial climate brings in a cool breeze from the mountains and rainfall which is responsible for the lush green vegetation. The temperature usually ranges from 21 to 25°C (70 to 77°F) with sunny days for most of the year.
Due to the steady climate, tourism in Uganda offers stable road conditions and temperatures throughout the year, therefore you can visit at any time. However, if you want to avoid rainfalls, the best periods to visit are the dry seasons – from December to March and from June to September. The two rainy seasons in Uganda are around April to May and November to December. The sun rises between 6:30 and 7:00am and sets between 6:30 and 7:00pm daily for 12 hours of daylight.
Local languages
The official language in Uganda is English with the native languages, Swahili and Luganda, also widely spoken. There are 48 different tribes in Uganda. 80 percent of the population live in rural areas where the major activity is farming.