POPULATION 34.6 MILLION
FOREIGN VISITORS PER YEAR 800,000
CAPITAL KAMPALA
LANGUAGES ENGLISH, SWAWILI
MAJOR INDUSTRY AGRICULTURE
UNIT OF CURRENCY UGANDA SHILLING (UGX)
THE FUTURE IS NOW
Uganda is the Cinderella of East Africa. While (not-so-ugly) sisters Tanzania and Kenya became big-name safari destinations, attracting visitors from around the world, Uganda's invitation to the party somehow got lost in the post.
It's taken nasty dictatorships and a brutal civil war to keep Uganda off the tourist radar, but stability is returning and it won't be long before visitors come flocking back. After all, this is the source of the river Nile - that mythical place explorers sought since Roman times. It's also where savannah meets the vast lakes of East Africa, and where snow- capped mountains bear down on sprawling jungles. No wonder Winston Churchill called Uganda 'The Pearl of Africa'.
Not so long ago, the tyrannical ditactor and 'Last King of Scotland' Idi Amin helped hunt Uganda's big game to the brink of extinction, but today the wildlife is returning with a vengeance. With a bit of luck you will find all the A-listers of the African wilderness - lion, leopard, elephant, hippo, gorilla and chimp - but for now you won't spot busloads of gawping tourists. Murchison Falls National Park is emphatically open for business after years of unrest in northern Uganda, while other national parks have promised to scrub up and unveil new accommodation for 2012. This year Uganda also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence; Kampala, one of Africa's safest capital cities, is bound to see off the event with a bang. Still, Uganda still isn't without its problems. Human rights abuses aren't uncommon, and the country breathes a collective sigh whenever President Museveni thinks of another ruse to stay in power for a few more years. But now, as ever, explorers in search of the source of the Nile won't leave disappointed. Just make sure you discover it before every one else does. |
