USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION ON UGANDA

1. Country Brief:

A. Introduction - The Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa, bordered on the east by Kenya, the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, within which it shares borders with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala.

B. Climate - Uganda's equatorial climate provides plentiful sunshine, moderated by the relatively high altitude of most areas of the country. Mean annual temperatures range from about 16deg. C in the southwestern highlands to 25deg. C in the northwest; but in the northeast, temperatures exceed 30deg.C about 254 days per year. Daytime temperatures average about eight to ten degrees warmer than nighttime temperatures in the Lake Victoria region, and temperatures are generally about fourteen degrees lower in the southwest.

Except in the northeastern corner of the country, rainfall is well distributed. The southern region has two rainy seasons, usually beginning in early April and again in October. Little rain falls in June and December. In the north, occasional rains occur between April and October, while the period from November to March is often very dry. Mean annual rainfall near Lake Victoria often exceeds 2,100 millimeters, and the mountainous regions of the southeast and southwest receive more than 1,500 millimeters of rainfall yearly. The lowest mean annual rainfall in the northeast measures about 500 millimeters.

C. Geographical Area - 236,040 km² 

D. Language - English (official), Ganda or Luganda, other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic

E. Currency With Exchange Rate - Uganda Shillings (UGX)

1.00 UGX          =          0.000569476 USD

F. Population - (2006 est.): 28,195,754

G. Major Cities - Kampala

2. Transportation:

A. Railway - total: 1,241 km (2002).

B. Road - total: 27,000 km; paved: 1,809 km; unpaved: 25,191 km (1999 est.).

C. Airports - 27 (2002).

D. Waterways - Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward, Victoria Nile, Albert Nile.

E. Sea ports - Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell.

3. Economy:

A. Major Manufacturing - 

B. Major Export - $768 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): coffee, fish and fish products, tea, cotton, flowers, horticultural products; gold.

C. Major Import - $1.608 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): capital equipment, vehicles, petroleum, medical supplies; cereals.

D. Major Industry - sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production.

E. Trade balance -

4. Trade Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Trade shows and Exhibitions in Uganda:

Major Trade Associations

Chambers of Commerce

Major Trade Shows

5. Useful links:

Uganda Importers, Dealers of Japanese Used Cars, Construction Machinery & Auto Parts