Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in
East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by
Kenya, to the north by
South Sudan, to the west by the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by
Rwanda, and to the south by
Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of
Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is in the
African Great Lakes region, lies within the
Nile basin, and has a varied but generally modified equatorial climate. As of 2023, it has a population of around 49.6 million, of which 8.5 million live in the
capital and largest city of
Kampala.
Uganda is named after the
Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country, including the capital
Kampala, and whose language
Luganda is widely spoken throughout the country. From 1894, the area was ruled as a protectorate by the
United Kingdom, which established administrative law across the territory. Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962. The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts, including an eight-year-long
military dictatorship led by
Idi Amin.
The official language is
English, although the Constitution states that "any other language may be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative, administrative, or judicial purposes as may be prescribed by law."
Luganda, a central region-based language, is widely spoken across the Central and South Eastern regions of the country, and several other languages are also spoken including Ateso,
Lango,
Acholi,
Runyoro,
Runyankole,
Rukiga,
Luo,
Rutooro,
Samia,
Jopadhola, and
Lusoga. In 2005
Swahili, which is foreign and so viewed as being neutral, was proposed as Uganda's second official language, but this has yet to be ratified by parliament. However, in 2022 Uganda decided to make Swahili a mandatory subject in the school curriculum.
Uganda's current president is
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who took power in January 1986 after a protracted
six-year guerrilla war. Following constitutional amendments that removed term limits for the president, he was able to stand and was elected president in the
2011,
2016 and
2021 general elections. (Full article...)
Image 16Forest Landscape Integrity Index 2019 map of Uganda. Forest condition measured by degree of anthropogenic modification. 0 = Most modification; 10= Least. Created in Google Earth Engine. National boundaries = LSIB 2017: Large Scale International Boundary Polygons, Detailed, US Officer of the Geographer (from Uganda)
Image 17Population density of Uganda districts (from Uganda)
Articles here focus upon aspects of the
Uganda–Tanzania War. These are all
Good articles that meet a core set of high editorial standards.
Libyan and Tanzanian troop movements during and after the battle
The Battle of Lukaya (
Kiswahili: Mapigano ya Lukaya) was a battle of the
Uganda–Tanzania War. It was fought on 10 and 11 March 1979 around
Lukaya,
Uganda, between Tanzanian forces (supported by Ugandan rebels) and Ugandan government forces (supported by Libyan and Palestinian troops). After briefly occupying the town, Tanzanian troops and Ugandan rebels retreated under artillery fire. The Tanzanians subsequently launched a
counterattack, retaking Lukaya and killing hundreds of Libyans and Ugandans.
President
Idi Amin of Uganda attempted to invade neighbouring Tanzania to the south in 1978. The attack was repulsed, and Tanzania launched a counterattack into Ugandan territory. In February 1979, the
Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF)
seizedMasaka. The TPDF's 201st Brigade was then instructed to secure Lukaya and its
causeway to the north, which served as the only direct route through a large swamp to
Kampala, the Ugandan capital. Meanwhile, Amin ordered his forces to recapture Masaka, and a force was assembled for the purpose consisting of Ugandan troops, allied Libyan soldiers, and a handful of
Palestine Liberation Organisation guerrillas, led by Lieutenant Colonel
Godwin Sule. (Full article...)