Economic Overview
Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, and other minerals. agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing over 80% of the work force. coffee accounts for the bulk of export revenues. since 1986, the government - with the support of foreign countries and international agencies - has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. the policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation and boosting production and export earnings. during 1990-2001, the economy turned in a solid performance based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, improved incentives for production and exports, reduced inflation, gradually improved domestic security, and the return of exiled indian-ugandan entrepreneurs. growth continues to be solid, despite variability in the price of coffee, uganda's principal export, and a consistent upturn in uganda's export markets. in 2000, uganda qualified for enhanced highly indebted poor countries (hipc) debt relief worth $1.3 billion and paris club debt relief worth $145 million. these amounts combined with the original hipc debt relief added up to about $2 billion.
Environmental Issues
Draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water hyacinth infestation in lake victoria; widespread poaching
Government Type
Republic
Population
31,367,972
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to aids; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (july 2008 est.)
Location
Eastern africa, west of kenya
Area
Total: 236,040 sq km
land: 199,710 sq km
water: 36,330 sq km
Slightly smaller than oregon
Country Aliases
Conventional long form: republic of uganda
conventional short form: uganda
Capital
Name: kampala
geographic coordinates: 0 19 n, 32 25 e
time difference: utc+3 (8 hours ahead of washington, dc during standard time)
Military Service
18-26 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military duty; 18-30 years of age for professionals; 9-year service obligation; the government has stated that recruitment below 18 years of age could occur with proper consent and that "no person under the apparent age of 13 years shall be enrolled in the armed forces"; ugandan citizenship required (2008)
International Disputes
Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders; uganda hosts 209,860 sudanese, 27,560 congolese, and 19,710 rwandan refugees, while ugandan refugees as well as members of the lord's resistance army (lra) seek shelter in southern sudan and the democratic republic of the congo's garamba national park; lra forces have also attacked kenyan villages across the border
Sources: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
