Geography of Uganda

A satellite map of Uganda.

A satellite map of Kenya.

A topographic map of Uganda.

Area:[2]
total: 241,551 square kilometres (93,263 sq mi)
land: 200,523 square kilometres (77,422 sq mi)
water: 41,028 square kilometres (15,841 sq mi)

Land boundaries:[1]
total: 2,729 kilometres (1,696 mi)
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 877 kilometres (545 mi), Kenya 814 kilometres (506 mi), South Sudan 475 kilometres (295 mi), Tanzania 391 kilometres (243 mi), Rwanda 172 kilometres (107 mi)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: 614 metres (2,014 ft) Albert Nile at border with South Sudan[1]
highest point: 5,111 metres (16,768 ft)[2] Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley[1]

Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold[1]

Land use: (2012)[3]
arable land: 69,000 square kilometres (27,000 square miles) 34.41%
permanent crops: 22,500 square kilometres (8,700 square miles) 11.22%
forest cover: 28,100 square kilometres (10,800 square miles) 14.01%
other: 80,931 square kilometres (31,248 sq mi) 40.36%

Irrigated land: (2012)[3]
140 square kilometres (54 square miles)

Total renewable water resources:
66 cubic kilometres (16 cu mi) (2011)[4] or 60 cubic kilometres (14 cu mi) (2012)[5]

Environment - current issues:
draining of wetlands for agricultural use, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria, widespread poaching[1]

Environment - international agreements:
party to:

• Convention on the International Maritime Organization
• Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
• Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
• Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
• Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
• International Plant Protection Convention
• Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat

signed, but not ratified:

• Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques

Geography - note: Uganda is one of six African states that lies on the equator. Most part of Uganda is north of the equator.

Uganda's population density is 229/km² (590/sq mi).[6] Uganda's most populated cities are located in the Central and Eastern regions of the country.

Kampala is Uganda's most populated city, also its national and commercial capital. Its population is around 3,652,000 as of 2022 with an increase of 5.24% from 2021.[7]

Largest urban centres in Uganda Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2016, National Population and Housing Census 2014 – Main Report, p. 11
	Rank	Name	District	Pop.
Kampala	1	Kampala	Kampala	1,507,114
	2	Nansana	Wakiso	365,857
	3	Kira	Wakiso	317,428
	4	Makindye Ssabagabo	Wakiso	282,664
	5	Mbarara	Mbarara	195,160
	6	Mukono	Mukono	162,744
	7	Gulu	Gulu	149,802
	8	Lugazi	Buikwe	114,163
	9	Kasese	Kasese	103,293
	10	Masaka	Masaka	101,557

Uganda has a warm tropical climate with temperatures falling in the 25–29°C (77–84°F) range on an average. The months from December to February are the hottest, but even during this season the evenings can be chilly with temperatures in the 17–18°C (63–64°F) range.[8]

Uganda receives an annual rainfall of 1,000mm to 1,500mm. The rainy seasons are from March to May and from September to November. During these months, heavy rains can make roads and terrains hard to traverse. The period from January to February and again from June to August are dry.[8]

Climate change

This section is an excerpt from Climate change in Uganda.[edit]

Tea plantation in Uganda

Women fighting food Security during harvests in dry season

Climate change in Uganda is increasingly affecting the lives of Uganda's citizens and the environment at large.[9] Climate in Uganda has led to extreme weather events like prolonged drought and rainfall that are unusual, not common, irregular and unpredictable.[9] Uganda has mostly a tropical climate with regular rainfall and sunshine patterns. However, due to climate change the seasons have changed, with the rainy season becoming more variable in length and worse droughts, especially in eastern and northeastern Uganda.[10]

• List of Protected Areas in Uganda