Uganda, nicknamed the Pearl of Africa by Winston Churchill, is a landlocked country in East Africa that straddles the equator. It's about the size of Oregon, yet there are 56 languages spoken within its borders. Fun fact... Peace Corps Uganda trains its Volunteers in more languages than any other Peace Corps county!
To the north, is the world's newest country, South Sudan; to the east is Kenya; Rwanda and Tanzania border the South/Southwest, as well as Lake Victoria; and the Democratic Republic of The Congo to the west. Can you spot them all?!
Uganda's capital, Kampala, is on Lake Victoria's northern shore. Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world and it is the source of the Nile River. The climate in Uganda is supposedly milder than one would expect, with it being situated directly on the equator. There aren't seasons like there are in the United States and the temperatures are consistent all year round. There is a wet season from mid-September through November, and also one from March - May. Being on the equator also means that there are equal amounts of darkness and daylight throughout the year. There is very little sunset and twilight time in Uganda so photographers that perfect African sunset.
Below is the Ugandan flag and let us break it down for you. The red stands for blood and the brotherhood of all Ugandans and Africans, the black is for the color of the skin, and the yellow is represents sunshine. Oh and that bird in the middle... That is the national bird, the Crested Crane, which one of our camper groups will be named after.
Let us give you some numbers that best represent Uganda, which can hopefully give you a better frame of reference to understand this small, East African country.
- The population is 33,640,833 and is the fastest growing in the world. By 2050, it is expected to top 103 million!
- 50% of the population is under the age of 14
- The life expectancy is 53 years of age
- HIV/AIDS prevalence is 7.3%
- The literacy rate is 67%
- 84% of the population is Christian (42% Roman Catholic, 36% Protestant, 6% Evangelical & Pentacostal) 12% is Muslim, and the remainder are divided among traditional religions.
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