About Uganda
Sir Winston Churchill christened Uganda “The Pearl of Africa” in 1912 after its diverse beauty in flora and fauna awed him. Uganda lies at the equator with a combination of savannah grassland and thick tropical jungles supported by a vast network of water bodies including the longest river in the world, the River Nile, and the second largest lake in the world Lake Victoria. Numerous other rivers and lakes include Lake Edward, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake Wamala, River Mayanja and Lake Bunyonyi among others. Uganda’s weather is tropical with two rainy seasons and temperatures that range from 20 – 30C throughout the year..
In addition, Uganda has beautiful mountainous landscapes in the Rwenzori and Mbale regions, and the rift valley in western Uganda.
In addition to the favourable tropical climate, the major tourism assets of the country include the ten national parks, the great lakes system, the source of the River Nile, the mountain gorillas, the snow capped Rwenzori Mountains, and the rich avian diversity.
Uganda is only 0.025 of the world’s surface area but accounts for 7% of the bird species and 11% of mammal species in the world. There are ten national parks in the country with the most popular ones being Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Bwindi and Lake Mburo. These are home to lions, buffaloes, leopards, gorillas, elephants, hyenas, numerous bird species like saddle-billed stork, kingfishers, shoebills and many more.
The two decades of sustained peace have seen Uganda cash in on these advantages as visitors from afar and nearby have flocked to raft down the source of the Nile, see the impossibly lush green beauty of the country, the mountain gorillas, the big five animals i.e. the lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant; the diverse avian species and to also enjoy the renown hospitality of Uganda.
According to the 2011 Tourism Review in Africa Uganda is now ranked top in tourism industry growth in Africa. The 2011 Tourism Review in Africa found that Uganda’s tourism sector grew by 25% in 2011 while that of South Africa and Tanzania realized growth of 21% and 13.4% respectively.
Despite the setbacks during the 1970s and 1980s when animal species like elephants and lions were decimated as civil war prevailed, Uganda’s national parks have over the years rediscovered the attraction touch. The number of animals has steadily increased, as have the local and foreign visitors to parks.
This increase in popularity has been noted by the Lonely Planet Magazine, a travel bible for travellers, which voted Uganda the number one destination in 2012. The National Geographical Society also named the Rwenzoris among the worlds’ best hikes in 2011. The source of the Nile was recently named among the seven wonders of Africa by Dr. Philip Imler’s The Seven Wonders of Africa Project, which is aimed at identifying seven natural wonders on the continent and protecting them.
