| UGANDA: |
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
GEOGRAPHY
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Site
made in May, 2004
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The site also contains selected photographs, maps and charts in addition to brief and informative notes on various aspects of the economy. Useful links for supplementary resources are also provided for further reading. Most of the information provided in the web site is less than 10 years old and hence is relatively up-to-date. In addition, the site contains some exercises that can be used to test one's ability to recall, to discuss and to explain geographical concepts. There is a form provided for feedback on any points of interest or concern on the website. Users can ask the teacher questions on the topics listed or on any other area of Ugandan geography. My name is
Henry-Mwondha MUGOYA. I am a Ugandan teacher of French, Geography and
IT in a Secondary School in Uganda. I designed this site as part of my
assessment for my M.Ed. in ICT at the University of Manchester in the
United Kingdom. BACK
TO CONTENTS LOCATION: Uganda is situated in East Africa and lies astride the equator. The Country shares borders with: the Sudan (435 km) in the North, the Democratic Republic of Congo (765 km) to the West, Rwanda (169 km) in the South West, Tanzania (396 km) to the South and Kenya (933 km) in the East. Uganda is
a landlocked country with no coastline, and access to the sea is through
Kenya and Tanzania. Map references: Africa Total
area: 236,040 sq km Terrain: Mostly plateau with rim of mountains East and West. Lowest point: Lake Albert 621 m Highest
point: Margherita (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m BACK
TO CONTENTS Although Uganda is a land-locked country, around 20% of the country consists of lakes, rivers and swamps and boggy areas. These expanses of water also help to moderate the equatorial climate and explain why Uganda exports thousands of tonnes of fish. Much of Uganda is a plateau, approximately 1000metres above sea level. To the east, near the border with Kenya are volcanic mountains such as Mount Elgon, Mount Moroto and Mount Napak, where equatorial mountain forests survive in sharp contrast to the vast and semi-arid plains that stretch northwards to the Sudan. The western borders are even more spectacular, with the high and rugged peaks of the Ruwenzori Mountains towering over glaciers and snowfields and, at lower altitudes, dense forest. The most important physical feature of the country is the River Nile. For centuries the Nile has been a natural meeting point for different political systems, ecological zones and ethnic groups. Physical features and the climate are the principal determinants of the most important element of the country's economy, agriculture. Generally, the soils to the south and west of the Nile are fertile and well watered. These lands lie between the Kenyan border to the east, Mount Elgon, the River Nile, and Lake Kyoga to the north, and the spectacular Rift Valley to the west. This is what is generally referred to as the 'fertile crescent'.This area is relatively more densely populated because it provides the right conditions for agricultural activity.
Ugandans belong to a number of major ethnic and language groups. Bantu language groups are confined to the arc around Lake Victoria (Nalubale), while the north and east are a mixture of Sudanic, Nilotic, and Hamitic language groups. Bantu speakers comprise about two thirds of the population of Uganda. Uganda plays host to more than 1 million refugees from the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sudan. Ugandans
are generally hard working people who have had the misfortune to live
through a period of political instability. This lasted about fifteen years
starting from 1971 when Idi Amin Dada took power in a military coup. However,
since 1986 law and order have been restored. The people have done a lot
to repair the damage caused during the tumultuous years.
Many Ugandans engage in commerce and trade. There are several big multinational companies operating in the country, especially in the petroleum industry. Other big companies are engaged in import and export and Telecommunications.
There are many people who are involved in selling goods in local markets. These range from small roadside markets to very large markets in the urban centres like Kampala, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, Malaba and Arua.
AGRICULTURE1. This is the most important sector of Uganda's economy. More than 85% of Ugandans are either directly or indirectly occupied in agricultural activity and depend on it for their livelihood. In Uganda, and across Africa, over 70% of farmers are women. 90% of Uganda's agricultural production is of a subsistence nature based primarily on peasant cultivation. 2.
The industry relies on manual labour using simple tools like hand hoes,
machetes, or rakes and simple methods. It is carried out on a small-scale
farms or individual family plots. There has been diversification since the late 1980s due to falling world market prices of the traditional cash crops. This ensures farmers' financial security when prices of certain crops fall. Farmers now keep animals in addition to growing a wider range of crops. Non-traditional cash crops have been introduced such as vanilla, okra, pepper, pineapples, flowers, sunflower, simsim (sesame seed) and others. Of the non-traditional crops vanilla has been the most successful for the peasants. It is locally grown on small farms yet it fetches a very good price per kilogram; between 30 and 40 $US per kilo! Fresh cut flowers also bring in a lot of foreign earnings. Food crops include maize, banana plantain (matooke), cassava (manioc), potatoes, millet, beans, sorghum, rice and soya beans. There are some large sugar cane and tea PLANTATIONS . Besides growing crops, LIVESTOCK is kept domestically and on large scale stock farms and ranches. 4. Importance of agriculture to Uganda: ·
About 90% of Uganda's rural population is involved in agriculture. 5. Problems facing agriculture in Uganda: ·
Exports are susceptible to price fluctuations on world market. BACK
TO CONTENTS Characteristics of plantations: ·
High level of mechanisation. Economic importance of plantations: -
Process crops for export BACK
TO CONTENTS Goat farming has also recently become a thriving business. Previously, goats were kept for subsistence consumption only. Goats are particularly good because they are resistant to most disease and pests. The population of pigs has also grown greatly as a result of the ever-growing demand for pork in urban areas. the quality and sizes of the stocks have improved because of better breeds imported from other countries like Tanzania, Britain, Germany, Kenya and Holland. Disease resistant breeds have also been developed by the veterinary department. More quality meat and diary products are now available on the market. Poultry Feeds mills have been developed because of the growing population of beasts and birds that need to be fed. New jobs have been created and new technologies developed because of the developments in the livestock industry. Problems
facing the industry The tourism industry thrives on a number of attractions which include: wild game tracking and viewing, bird spotting, sport fishing, tracking, white water rafting and site seeing. Tourists
from Europe and the USA are attracted to Uganda because it has the most
diverse range of bird life on the continent and the biggest population
of hippo and crocodile in addition to many other rare wild animals. The
jewel in Uganda's crown are its primates, with populations of wild chimpanzee,
and the very rare mountain gorilla, that can be found by trekking into
the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This is where the single biggest population
of gorillas in the wild is to be found in the whole world. Gorilla tracking
on a Uganda Safari is one of the most exciting and memorable wildlife
experiences. Uganda has
a number of National Parks, game reserves and forest reserves. They include
the following:
Tourist activities With over 1,000 bird species already recorded, Uganda has almost half the species known on the African continent and over 10% of those on record throughout the entire world! The Queen Elizabeth National Park alone has almost 550 avian species. Over 350 species have been recorded in the Bwindi Impenetrable forest. These two parks alone are among the richest protected areas to be found anywhere on Earth. There are other bird viewing points like the Kibaale and Mabira forest reserves. Sport
Fishing:
The Murchison
Falls National Park, established in 1952, is another popular fishing area. Mountain
treks: Uganda has few mineral resources and the only ones that are exploited to any great extent are phosphates, limestone and construction materials such as clay, sand gravel and aggregates. There are two large cement factories, one in the east near Tororo and another at Hima in the west. BACK
TO CONTENTS Uganda imports all its petroleum products, mostly through the coastal port of Mombasa in Kenya. Some imports also come in through the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Slaam. Oil and gas products are transported by road, rail or by water on Lake Victoria. This means therefore, that the stability of the economy greatly depends on the prevailing oil prices on the world market. When the world oil prices go up, commodity prices go up too. 3. Major
industries: 4. Limitations
of industrial development: BACK
TO CONTENTS There are smaller waters such as Lakes Edward, George, the Kazinga channel, the Albert Nile and other smaller lakes, rivers and swamps which all contribute to the fish catch. 2. About 350 species of fish exist in these waters. The most common include: Nile perch, tilapia, catfish, lungfish and happlochromis ('mukene'). There are other prized species like 'kisinja' and 'nkejje' and a few other rare ones mostly found in Lake Victoria. Fishing is an all year round activity. October to March is the peak season, while the waters become rough in June/July with the changing rainy weather often leading to the use of sheltered bays for fishing. The fishermen use both traditional and modern fishing methods. Hooks, nets, spears, baskets, and lamps are all used to catch fish. 3.
Previously, most of the fish caught was for subsistence consumption although
commercial fish exploitation has become a very important economic activity
in the last few years. Fish now form the fourth most important export
and are doing better than any one of the traditional agricultural products.
·
Lack of processing facilities and refrigerated transport. Uganda's
forests are tropical in nature and most of the species are hardwood trees. Problems facing the industry: ·
Lack of capital investment. 1. List the main economic activities in Uganda. 2. Mention the factors that have led to the growth of the Fishing Industry in Uganda in recent years. 3. List the problems facing the Fishing Industry in Uganda. 4. Mention some of the problems facing the Tourism Industry in Uganda. 5. a) Name the major exports of Uganda
6. List the minerals that can be found in Uganda. 7. Name some of the Industrial inputs (raw materials) in Uganda. 8. What are Uganda's main tourist attractions? 9. List the problems facing the Forestry industry in Uganda. 10. Name FIVE groups of peoples of Uganda. 11. Mention FOUR major differences between Uganda's Exports and its Imports. 12. In which regions of Uganda is nomadic pastoralism common? 13. Mention FOUR characteristics of Nomadic Pastoralism. 14. Name TWO crops that are grown on large plantations in Uganda. 15. List FIVE characteristics of large plantations in Uganda. 16. Define the following terms: -
Pastoralism 18.
Using the data from the website, try drawing your own graphs using a spreadsheet
programme like MS Excel. 19. What is agricultural diversification? In your opinion, would it be a useful practice for Ugandan farmers? Give some reasons for your answer. 20. Mention two factors that have led to the growth of the fishing industry in Uganda. 21.
In small groups of four, compare the economy of Uganda and that of a developed
country like Great Britain or the United States. 22. It is known that the River Nile and Lake Victoria influence agricultural practices and production in Uganda a lot. Explain why this is so. 23.
Uganda earns very little foreign currency from its agricultural exports.
24.
Compare the farming practices of British farmers to those of Ugandan farmers. 25. If you were an advisor on agricultural matters in Uganda, how would you advise farmers living near lakes and rivers to improve on their agricultural production? My thanks go to the people who have done substantial research on Uganda from which I obtained most of the information I needed for this web site. I particularly want to thank the following for giving me permission to use some of their materials:1. Oxfam
Publishing - Leggett.
I, (2001). UGANDA. An Oxfam Country Profile. and 2. Galen, for allowing me to use photographs from the website: http://www.galenfrysinger.com I also wish to mention other sources from which I got some more information. - http://www.vagabonding.com - http://www.pbase.com/little_sis/uganda - http://www.ifad.org/photo/region/Pf/ug.htm# - http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa.html - http://www.yourchildlearns.com/africa_map.htm I acknowledge the contribution of the sources that I may have unintentionally omitted. Last but not least, I wish to thank Alan Jervis for his untiring guidance during the process of producing this work. Henry-Mwondha
Mugoya. BACK
TO CONTENTS CIA - The
World Factbook -- Uganda (19996) http://www.ifad.org/photo/region/Pf/ug.htm# http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa.html http://www.pbase.com/little_sis/uganda http://www.yourchildlearns.com/africa_map.htm Leggett.
I, (2001). UGANDA. An Oxfam Country Profile. Oxfam Publishing Uganda Africa
Safaris -- Ker & Downey VAGABONDING
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