UGANDA AND ITS PEOPLE
Uganda is a country situated in the centre of the African continent.
Landlocked, it borders Zaire, Tanzania, Sudan, Kenya and Rwanda.
It has a tropical climate and is generally rainy, but has two dry seasons (December to February, June to August). The average temperature is approximately 21°C that varies little due to its proximity to the Equator.
It has a population of approximately 21 million people.
The official national language is English, though Ganga or Luganda is the native language and is used in local publications.
The capital city is Kampala situated on Lake Victoria in the South East of the country.
Its principal industry is agriculture and employs 80% of the workforce. Its principal export is coffee, in addition to tea, fish, cotton and horticultural products.
It is one of the poorest countries in the world. 35% of population is below the poverty line and more than half the population lives on less than £1 per day. There is no free health care or secondary education and no pensions. Whilst there are government policies for healthcare and education, it often falls to local people to provide the means by which these can be delivered.
Over half the population is less than 16 years of age and only half complete primary school. This has led to low literacy rates with only 62% of the population being able to read and write after the age of 15.
1.1 million people suffer from HIV\AIDS resulting in a low life expectancy (approximately 44 years), in addition there is a high infant mortality rate.