The Uganda Atlas

ganda lies astride the equator in the eastern

region of Africa and is located on the raised part

of the African plateau. Uganda is a landlocked

country in East Africa and borders Kenya to the

east, Sudan to the north, Tanzania to the south, the

Democratic Republic of Congo to the west and Rwanda

in the south-west. It lies within the latitude of 4°12’N

and 1°29’S, longitude of 29°34’E and 35°0’W. The total

surface area is 241,551 km² of which 199,807 km² fall

under land and 41,743 km² under water and swamps.

The annual temperature and rainfall range between

12°c to 32°c and 800 to 1,700 mm, respectively.

Uganda’s landscape has a rich diversity of relief features

with great contrasts bearing significant influence on the

physical and biological environments.

The contrasts range from the great East African rift

valley with the lowest elevation of about 620 m above

mean sea level while the highest is about 5,111 m on

Magherita peak in the Rwenzori Mountains.

The largest part of the country lies between 900-1,500

m but comprises of distinct landscape levels generally

made up of plains, plateaus, and mountains.

These landscapes are a product of different cycles of

erosion, and tectonic and volcanic activities that took

place on the African plateau - surface. The African

surface developed upon complex underlying geological

structures of ancient basement rocks which are some of

the oldest on earth (pre-Cambrian age), estimated to be

between 3000 - 6000 million years of age.

The different landscapes bear great influence both

direct and indirect, on the physical, biological, and

human environments.

For example, Uganda has rich and diverse climatic

conditions, ecosystems, and other natural resources

which include fresh water lakes, rivers, wetlands,

fisheries, forests, wildlife, minerals, and soils that

support different agricultural systems. Gifted by nature,

the country was once referred to by Sir Winston Churchill

as the ‘Pearl of Africa’.

Sunset over Lake Albert in Western Uganda

John Gibbons: Uganda At A Glance 2002