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Discover UGANDA: 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS EAST AFRICAN COUNTRY
Uganda, which is officially referred to as the Republic of Uganda or Jamhuri ya Uganda, is an East African country. As of 2021, the United Nations data for Uganda's population stands at 47.7 million people. This landlocked country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the North by South Sudan, to the West by the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the South West by Rwanda and to the South by Tanzania.
Uganda is a multilingual nation. 43 of its languages fall into 4 main families; Bantu, Nilotic and Central Sudanic, with another 2 languages in the Kuliak family. Of these, 41 are indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Additionally, 5 are institutional, 27 are developing, 7 are vigorous, 2 are in trouble and 2 are dying.
English was inherited from the colonial period. English and Swahili are the official languages of Uganda, even though English is more popular. The English dialect spoken in Uganda is sometimes called Uglish or Ugandan English and a rich flavor characterizes the language. It is strongly influenced by native languages and speakers in Uganda always alter non-native words so that they sound more euphonic.
Swahili is not as widespread even though it was made an official national language in September, 2005. In 2010, the government of Uganda revealed plans to establish a Kiswahili council to boost the teaching of the Swahili language in the country. It was not until September 9, 2019 that the Cabinet passed resolution to create the National Kiswahili Council.
The Luganda language has more than 4 million speakers in Uganda, in addition to non-native speakers. The language falls under the greater Niger-Congo language family. It is primarily spoken in the Buganda region, which sits in Central Uganda and includes the capital of Kampala. Luganda was used as the official language of instruction in East Uganda's primary schools until the 1960s. Currently, Luganda is the country's most spoken local language.
Other native languages of uganda include; Nyoro, Tooro, Rukiga and Lunyole.
In Uganda's constitution, there is also Ugandan Sign Language used by Ugandan deaf communities.
Kampala is the commercial capital and largest city of Uganda, bordering Lake Victoria which is Africa's largest lake. The city has a population of about 1.68 million people and is reported to be among the fastest growing cities in Africa, with an annual population growth rate of 4.03 percent.
It is a hilly place with valleys filled with sluggish rivers and swamps. The highest point in the city is the summit of Kololo hill at 1311 metres, in the centre of the city, and the lowest point at the shores of Lake Victoria south of the city centre at an altitude of 1135 metres.
Kampala was originally built on 7 hills but has expanded to cover more than those. The original hills are; Old Kampala hill, Mengo hill, Kibuli hill, Namirembe hill, Lubaga hill, Nsambya hill and Nakasero hill. The city is located on the East African plateau between 2 arms of the East African Rift and on the northern limits of Tanzania Craton and has a tropical rainforest climate.
These hills covered with red-tile villas and trees surround an urban centre of contemporary skyscrapers. In this downtown area, the Uganda museum explores the country's tribal heritage through an extensive collection of artefacts. On Mengo Hill is Lubiri Palace which was the former seat of the Buganda Kingdom.
Situated in the country's most prosperous agricultural section, Kampala exports coffee, cotton, tea, tobacco and sugar. The city has numerous food, metal and furniture entreprises as well as a tractor assembly plant. It is the headquarters for most of Uganda's large firms and the chief market for the Lake Victoria region. There is also a technical institute in Kampala and it the seat of Makerere University which was founded in 1922, became a university college in 1949 and a university in 1970. The city is home to several mosques, Hindu temples and Christian churches.
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Published Sep 21, 2023
