Exploring Nature

About Uganda

President: Yoweri Museveni (1986)
Prime Minister: Apollo Nsibambi (1999)
Area: 91,135 sq mi (236,040 sq km)
Population (2008 est.): 31,656,865
Capital city: Kampala
Currency: Uganda Shilling
Official Language: English, others Swahili, Luganda

Uganda a land locked country in Eastern Africa. Its mighty landscapes ranging from wetlands and arid savannahs harbour a diverse of flora and fauna that form the basis and foundation of Uganda’s Tourism. It is boarded by the Republic of Kenya in the East, Tanzania and Rwanda in the south, Democratic Republic of Congo in the west and Sudan in the North.

TOURISM IN UGANDA

The basis of Uganda’s tourism industry is the great diversity and profusion of wildlife species protected in a system of well organised National Parks and Wildlife Reserves. The presence of mountains; Elgon and the snow-capped Rwenzori, the source of the Nile; the World’s longest river, the magnificent Murchison falls discovered by sir Samuel Baker on his legendary big game hunting and incidental exploration in 1864 and the Great East African rift valley, all make Uganda the Pearl of Africa as described by Sir Winston Church hill in 1908.

Globally, Uganda ranks 9th of the world’s most beautiful countries in terms of exceptional biodiversity. For its size, more than 18,703 species have been recorded with hot spots in the Albertine Rift areas (famed for bird endemism in Africa). Uganda has 90 types of vegetation community and over 300 endemic fish species. Over 30 indigenous plant species are endangered, 30 are rare and 10 are vulnerable. Over 1,000 bird species (including the papyrus dwelling shoebill) have been recorded which make the country arguably Africa’s premier ornithological destination. More than half of the world’s population of mountain Gorillas call Uganda home. Other wild animals in Uganda include lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, hippo, crocodile, giraffe whose numbers are tremendously flourishing. The hospitality offered by the Ugandan people is immeasurable and supplements Tourism.

In Murchison Falls National Park, the experience of the tourist reaches a peak in a launch trip from Paraa Lodge to the Murchison Falls. The trip is often cited as one of the most exciting in Africa, with a constant parade of animals on both sides of river Nile, and ending with dramatic power of the River Nile gushing through its crevice of 6m wide in the rocks and falling to a depth of 93m. A trip to the falls provides a most unforgettable highlight.