Uganda
Uganda is one of the famous tourist destinations in Africa, and almost the best in east Africa. Uganda has won its prize for the best tourist destination due to its natural endowment such as the wild animals in the different game parks scattered in the far west and east of the country. The people of this country show a lot of hospitality to the travellers here, among other factors that make Uganda a must-visit. The country also hides the most phenomenal features of the world such as the source of the Nile, the longest river called the Nile, among other interesting features such as the Murchison falls, Lake Victoria and the major latitude called the equator.
Uganda is a landlocked country found in the East African region with a spectacular array of landscape, ranging from the snowcapped mountains of the moon called the Ruwenzori mountain to the long flowing river valley such as the Nile and the second largest lake in Africa called lake victoria. You can is a blessing when it comes to wildlife and natural features. The remote national park of bwindi impenetrable is the most famous because is harbored about half of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas; also the mountain gorilla trekking safari makes the highlight of the Ugandan safaris. Another famous destination in the country is Murchison falls national park which possesses the strongest falls in the country, plus the wildlife in the area and river Nile, have attracted a lot of people, high and low, famous and majestic to visit Murchison falls national park for vacations and honeymoons.
History about Uganda
The name for Uganda is derived from the Buganda kingdom which is the pivot for all the history of the country as a whole. This is a country mainly composed of Bantu speaking people who were mainly hunter-gatherers, and they were concentrated in the southern part of the country. It is the civilization of the Bantu that built the ground for the colonial rule in the country. At the beginning of 1894, the colonial rule was consolidated and Uganda was ruled by the British government and was under the protectorate of the United Kingdom. However, the dusk of the colonial rule was seen in 1962 when Uganda received its independence, on 9th October 1962.
However, the things did not come in white for Uganda as independence would actually mean to the people. Instead, there was a serious struggle for power by the local people who needed to take on the throne of the presidency. The aftermath of independence saw a lot of civil conflicts such as the dictatorial rule of Idi Amin. As we though it is all done after Idi Amin, Obote was also another terror to the citizens of Uganda and the neighboring countries. Also, the country just recently in 200 was facing the fears from the lord resistance army under the terrorist Joseph Kony who cause a lot of woe to the northern part of Uganda; the pain is still felt by the people of the northern parts of Uganda such as Nebbi, Amurata, Lamua among others that where severely terrorized by Kony’s army of rebels. The areas of the Kony war scars are now also tourism destinations for dark tourism, just as the genocide grounds of Rwanda.
However, the country is currently a free country as freedom prevails through all parts of the country. The official language used by the locals in Uganda is mainly English, however, other places like northern Uganda and Kiswahili is also used, also in the east near to the Kenyan border. The business language in the central is Luganda, plus also other parts of the country Luganda are famously known all through the country. Despite this, the country is multi-linguistic and a lot of other languages are used such as the Runyankole in the west, rusongo in the south east and rugishu around the areas in the east. The businesses in the center city of the country, Kampala, also the capital, move on very smoothly despite the economic turmoil and price fluctuation coils year after another.
Geography of Uganda
This is one of the countries that make up the great horn of Africa. Uganda shares apart of the great east African rift valley, however, it is located on a large plateau of East Africa. Uganda sits on an average altitude above the sea level, about 1100 meters. And according to world geography, Uganda gently slopes to the north towards southern Sudan.
Uganda is naturally gifted with a lot of natural features such as the lake and rivers. The southern part of Uganda is influenced by Lake Victoria, which is the second-largest fresh water lake in the world. Also, the major cities of Uganda are found in the great lakes region of the south, such as Kampala city, Entebbe city and Jinja town. However, the west also has big lakes such as Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, and Edward; these lakes make everything move in the western region of Uganda.
The country has a lot of rivers that feed the places where lakes do not exist, but the river Nile is the prominent river for Uganda. The Nile is a river for Uganda because it originates from Uganda where its source is located on the Lake Victoria shores in Jinja town. The Nile doesn’t only stop in Uganda but is goes through to over 11 other countries on the northern side of Africa. It’s also the Nile that facilitates the hydroelectricity power that is used in Uganda and also the neighboring countries such as Kenya and Rwanda among others.
The people of Uganda make a big component of what Uganda really entails. Uganda is a multi-cultural country and almost every region of the country has different people and cultures. For example, the west is dominated by the banyankole, the south is mainly baganda and the east has a lot of basoga, bagisu, and other tribes. Despite the difference in the cultures, the one unifying factor of the Ugandans is the hospitality which you can only witness during the Uganda safari.
Visiting Uganda
For your visit to this amazing country, there is a lot to expect, ranging from rich cultures, the people, wildlife, lakes, and River Nile. However, most of the travellers to Uganda come mainly for the wildlife expeditions in the different national parks scattered in the west and the eastern part of the country. Uganda has over 10 major national parks plus other reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. The major national parts of Uganda include Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park, Kibale national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Kidepo national park, Semliki national park, Pian upe national park among others.
Queen Elizabeth national park is the most famous national park and also the most visited depending on the current tourism statistics. The fame of Queen Elizabeth national park is mainly attributed to the diversity of wildlife if it keeps in its distinctive ecosystems. Your safari to queen Elizabeth national park is a chance for you to see a lot of animals and also enjoy the hot air balloon, plus, the kazinga boat cruise favorable for the bird lovers.
Murchison falls National Park is the biggest national park in Uganda; it is located on the northwest covering about 4 districts including kiryandongo and others. Murchison falls is a famous destination for the travellers who wish to bring the history to life; it is the place where the British explore Churchill based to declare Uganda as the pearl of Africa. The Churchill trail to the top of Murchison falls is the most interesting activity in Murchison falls national park. However, the park has received a couple of famous people, the beauty of river Nile that bisects the park into two, perhaps, is the reason behind the visit of Kanye West and Kim West to Chobe safari lodge. And recently, Murchison falls national park has been blessed with a visit to one of the international artists in the music industry, Jidenna e.t.c
This is a free country and the people love the tourist also, the hospitality is upscale. When you visit Uganda remember to carry the documents for travel as listed for you by your travel consultant. The currency used in Uganda is called Ugandan shillings, and it is the only means of exchanging. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda and where all the commercial and administrative work is executed. You can visit the country any time of the year and enjoy the different Ugandan aspects such as the gorilla trekking safaris in bwindi impenetrable national park, or the game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park among other interesting activities.
