Capital: Kampala

Time: GMT + 3 hours 
 
Population: 24.6 million

Area: 945,087 km²

Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX)

Climate:  Uganda has a tropical climate that is tempered somewhat by its altitude.  Year round temperatures average at 20-30°C, although at night temperatures can be reltaively low. There are two main rainy seasons, between March and May and also in October to November.   Although there are two distinct rainy seasons, rain does continue to fall intermittently throughout the year

People: The population is made up of numerous tribes, with the Baganda being the majority at 17%. Other tribes include the Ankole, Basoga, Iteso, Bakgia and Langi.
 
Official language:  English

Geography:  The country lies mostly on a plateau with three major volcanic mountain ranges: the Rwenzori, Mount Elgon and Virunga.  These ranges are interspersed by several lakes and the great Nile river, which flows towards the Mediterranean from Lake Victoria. 

Neighbouring countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania.
 
Economy: Uganda’s economy has made huge progress over the past couple of years, establishing healthy growth due to major government reforms and programmes.  The country has rich natural resources, fertile soil and good mineral deposits of copper and cobalt.  The majority of the labour force is engaged in agriculture, and mostly in the cultivation of coffee, which is the biggest export crop.  Other exports include fish, tea, gold, cotton and flowers.  The successfully growing economy of recent years is a trend that is expected to continue.

When to go: The dry months of December to February are usually best and although it can get quite hot, it is still possible to go trekking in the tropical forests. 

What to pack: Bring comfortable, light-weight clothes.  Bear in mind that it rains in Uganda year round, so you’d do well to invest in waterproof clothes and even waterproof luggage.  Well ventilated amd lightweight clothes that give protection against the sun and insects without being too warm, are the most appropriate.  It can be advantageous to bring extra changes of socks, underwear etc. in case clothing gets wet

• Shorts, T-shirts, sun dresses
• Swimming costumes
• Good comfortable walking shoes
• Casual lightweight cotton, khaki or neutral coloured clothes  
• Fleece or sweater and a warm jacket for or cool evenings
• Wide brimmed hat
• Lots of sun tan lotion, sunblock and lip cream – most foreigners tend to underestimate the hot, African sun 
• Insect repellent creams
• Binoculars, camera (different kinds of film are widely available )
• Sunglasses