Wondering why Uganda is the Pearl of Africa? Here is a piece of information on Uganda that will get you in the know as to why it is Called the “Pearl of Africa”.
This is bullet information about Uganda. Uganda is a beautiful country located on the equator in the great continent of Africa.
It’s neighboring countries are Sudan to the North, Kenya to the East, the Republic of Congo to the West, Tanzania, and Rwanda to the South. Uganda is located on the most fertile plateau of Africa at a height of 1200 meters above sea level.
Uganda has been called a land of lakes because many lakes are covering almost a third of the country.
Lake Victoria which is the largest in Africa dominates the southern part of the country.
Where Uganda is located?
There are also lakes- Edward and Albert in the west. In the center of Uganda are lake Kyoga and kwania which are fed by water from the river Nile. Other lakes include Lake Bunyonyi, lake Bisina near Mt Elgon. There is a lot of activity on the lakes in Uganda including fishing, sport, and white water rafting on river Nile.
Kampala is the capital city of Uganda
The capital city of Uganda is Kampala but there are many other smaller towns which include Entebbe where the main airport is Located and Jinja which is the industrial town.
The towns mentioned above are very near lake Victoria and Jinja is at the source of the river Nile. Uganda is a nation that was made when many small kingdoms and chiefdoms were united. There is still a real sense of strong culture and heritage which is noticeable through over 40 languages, various traditional costumes, food, music, and dance.
The official language in Uganda is English but Swahili and Luganda are also widely spoken. There are 48 different tribes in Uganda. 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas where the major activity is farming.
Vegetation
Uganda has an exceptional diversity of vegetation. It is between the Tropical East African Savanna and the West African rain forest zones. Seven of the 18 plant kingdoms of Africa are found in Uganda. Some of the vegetation found in Uganda is an endangered species and is jealously protected.
National Parks and Tourist attractions
There are many national parks where Uganda’s wildlife can be seen. Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the major ones and there you can see, Hippopotami, Elephants, hyena, waterbucks, bushbuck, buffalo, warthogs, kobs, pelican and eagles and a lot more.
Other areas of interest include Murchison falls National park, Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mgahinga Gorilla, Kibale Forest, Kidepo valley national park, Mount Elgon game park, Semiliki valley park, Lake Mburo National park, Rwenzori Mountains, The Ssese Islands, Bujagali falls, Kasubi tombs, Mabira forest, Mpanga forest, Budongo Forest and much more.
Weather
Uganda’s equatorial climate has got a cool breeze that comes in from mountains, and the lush green vegetation which results in rainfall.
There are 2 rain seasons in Uganda from March to May and November to December. The sun rises between 6:30 and 7:00 and sets between 6:30 and 7:00 in the evening which gives 12 hours of daylight every day for 12 months. Uganda is sunny most of the year with temperatures rarely above 29 degrees centigrade.
Uganda’s symbols
The symbols of Uganda are the Kob and the crested crane. These are seen on most official documents, are also printed on money and the Ugandan flag.
The Uganda flag is made of 3 strips of colors going across: Black- signifies the African brotherhood and the fact that Ugandans are predominantly black people, Yellow shows that Uganda is located on the equator and receives sunshine throughout the year and red represents the international blood brotherhood. It means that regardless of color or race, all people are the same since we all have red blood.
The crested crane or the bird in the middle of the flag is a national symbol because its feathers have got all the colors of the Uganda flag.
Crafts
There are fantastic art and craft produced in Uganda. A lot of people are skilled in making colorful crafts, almost in every village.
The craft-making skills are passed on from generation to generation and everything is learned by imitation. Older people are especially regarded to have knowledge and wisdom and great skills in different areas of life so all young people try to learn from them. Many items made are used in day-to-day living.
The art crafts range from, mats, baskets, bark cloth made from a tree called Omutuba, stools, bags, chairs, and tables, shoes and sandals, masks, paintings, musical instruments like drums and much more.
The items are unique and individually crafted by different tribes based in different regions of the country. There are various big markets in Kampala where crafts are sold.
