Uganda | Religion, Population, Language, President, & Kampala

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• Introduction & Quick Facts
• Land
  • Relief
  • Drainage
  • Soils
  • Climate
  • Plant and animal life
    • Flora
    • Fauna
    • Conservation
• People
  • Ethnic groups
  • Languages
  • Religion
  • Settlement patterns
  • Demographic trends
• Economy
  • Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
  • Resources and power
  • Manufacturing
  • Finance and trade
  • Services
  • Labour and taxation
  • Transportation and telecommunications
• Government and society
  • Constitutional framework
  • Local government
  • Justice
  • Political process
  • Security
  • Health and welfare
  • Housing
  • Education
• Cultural life
  • Daily life and social customs
  • The arts
  • Cultural institutions
  • Sports and recreation
  • Media and publishing
• History
  • Bunyoro and Buganda
  • The Uganda Protectorate
    • Growth of a peasant economy
    • Political and administrative development
    • World War II and its aftermath
  • The Republic of Uganda
    • Obote’s first presidency
    • Tyranny under Amin
    • Obote’s second presidency
    • Museveni in office
      • Domestic affairs
      • Foreign affairs

References & Edit History Facts & Stats Images, Videos & Interactives For Students Uganda summary Quizzes The Country Quiz Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz Which Country Is Larger? Quiz Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz Geography & Travel Countries of the World print Print Please select which sections you would like to print:

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External Websites

• Official Site of the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in Washington DC, USA
• PBS - Frontline World - Uganda
• Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Uganda
• Official Site of the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda in Copenhagen, Denmark
• GlobalEDGE - Uganda

Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• Uganda - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Uganda - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Uganda Ask Anything Quick Summary Homework Help Also known as: Jamhuri ya Uganda, Republic of Uganda Written by Maryinez Lyons Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, Senior Research Fellow. Author of Colonial Disease: Social History of Sleeping Sickness in Northern Zaire, 1900-40; co-editor of Histories... Maryinez LyonsAll Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 1, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Quick Summary Homework Help Uganda Facts and Stats History Geography and Environment Culture and Traditions Government and Politics Economy and Industry Key Challenges and Issues Table of Contents Table of Contents Quick Summary Ask Anything Top Questions

• What is Uganda?
• Where is Uganda located in Africa?
• What is the capital city of Uganda?
• What are the major ethnic groups in Uganda?
• What languages are commonly spoken in Uganda?
• What are some important natural features or wildlife found in Uganda?

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Uganda, landlocked country in east-central Africa. About the size of Great Britain, Uganda is populated by dozens of ethnic groups. The English language and Christianity help unite these diverse peoples, who come together in the cosmopolitan capital of Kampala, a verdant city whose plan includes dozens of small parks and public gardens and a scenic promenade along the shore of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake. The Swahili language unites the country with its East African neighbours Kenya and Tanzania.

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“Uganda is a fairy-tale. You climb up a railway instead of a beanstalk, and at the end there is a wonderful new world,” wrote Sir Winston Churchill, who visited the country during its years under British rule and who called it “the pearl of Africa.” Indeed, Uganda embraces many ecosystems, from the tall volcanic mountains of the eastern and western frontiers to the densely forested swamps of the Albert Nile River and the rainforests of the country’s central plateau. The land is richly fertile, and Ugandan coffee has become both a mainstay of the agricultural economy and a favourite of connoisseurs around the world.

Quick Facts See article: flag of Uganda Head Of State And Government: President: Yoweri Museveni, assisted by Prime Minister: Robinah Nabbanja (Show more) Capital: Kampala (Show more) Population: (2025 est.) 47,487,000 (Show more) Form Of Government: multiparty republic with one legislative house (Parliament [4651]) (Show more) Official Languages: English; Swahili (Show more) Official Religion: none (Show more) Official Name: Jamhuri ya Uganda (Swahili); Republic of Uganda (English) (Show more) Total Area (Sq Km): 241,553 (Show more) Total Area (Sq Mi): 93,264 (Show more) Monetary Unit: Ugandan shilling (UGX) (Show more) Population Rank: (2025) 34 (Show more) Population Projection 2030: 55,723,000 (Show more) Density: Persons Per Sq Mi: (2025) 509.2 (Show more) Density: Persons Per Sq Km: (2025) 196.6 (Show more) Urban-Rural Population: Urban: (2021) 11.4% Rural: (2021) 88.6% (Show more) Life Expectancy At Birth: Male: (2024) 66.9 years Female: (2024) 70.1 years (Show more) Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000): (2023) 47,261 (Show more) Gni Per Capita (U.S.$): (2023) 970 (Show more) Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 10 And Over Literate: Male: (2019–2020) 81% Female: (2019–2020) 72% (Show more)

1. There are 422 members directly elected, 25 indirectly elected, and 18 others. Excludes ex officio members appointed by the president; ex officio members do not have any voting rights.

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Uganda obtained formal independence on October 9, 1962. Its borders, drawn in an artificial and arbitrary manner in the late 19th century, encompassed two essentially different types of societies: the relatively centralized Bantu kingdoms of the south and the more decentralized Nilotic and Sudanic peoples to the north. The country’s sad record of political conflict, coupled with environmental problems and the ravages of a countrywide AIDS epidemic, hindered progress and growth for many years. Yet, even so, at the beginning of the 21st century a popularly elected civilian government ruled Uganda, which had attained political stability, had set an example for tackling the AIDS crisis that threatened to overwhelm the continent, and enjoyed one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa.