Topic: Photos of Guinea-Bissau

Topic: Introduction
Background: For much of its history, Guinea-Bissau was under the control of the Mali Empire and the Kaabu Kingdom. In the 16th century, Portugal began establishing trading posts along Guinea-Bissau’s shoreline. Initially, the Portuguese were restricted to the coastline and islands. However, the slave and gold trade was lucrative to local African leaders, and the Portuguese were slowly able to expand their power and influence inland. Starting in the 18th century, the Mali Empire and Kingdom of Kaabu slowly disintegrated into smaller local entities. By the 19th century, Portugal had fully incorporated Guinea-Bissau into its empire.

Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. VIEIRA's regime suppressed political opposition and purged political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In May 1999, a military mutiny and civil war led to VIEIRA's ouster. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA. In September 2003, a bloodless military coup overthrew YALA and installed businessman Henrique ROSA as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. In June 2009, Malam Bacai SANHA was elected president, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. In April 2012, a military coup prevented the second-round of the presidential election from taking place. Following mediation from the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), a civilian transitional government assumed power. In 2014, Jose Mario VAZ was elected president after a free and fair election. In June 2019, VAZ became the first president in Guinea-Bissau’s history to complete a full presidential term. Umaro Sissoco EMBALO was elected president in December 2019, but he did not take office until February 2020 because of a prolonged challenge to the election results.For much of its history, Guinea-Bissau was under the control of the Mali Empire and the Kaabu Kingdom. In the 16th century, Portugal began establishing trading posts along Guinea-Bissau’s shoreline. Initially, the Portuguese were restricted to the coastline and islands. However, the slave and gold trade was lucrative to local African leaders, and the Portuguese were slowly able to expand their power and influence inland. Starting in the 18th century, the Mali Empire and Kingdom of Kaabu slowly disintegrated into smaller local entities. By the 19th century, Portugal had fully incorporated Guinea-Bissau into its empire.

Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. VIEIRA's regime suppressed political opposition and purged political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In May 1999, a military mutiny and civil war led to VIEIRA's ouster. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA. In September 2003, a bloodless military coup overthrew YALA and installed businessman Henrique ROSA as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. In June 2009, Malam Bacai SANHA was elected president, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. In April 2012, a military coup prevented the second-round of the presidential election from taking place. Following mediation from the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), a civilian transitional government assumed power. In 2014, Jose Mario VAZ was elected president after a free and fair election. In June 2019, VAZ became the first president in Guinea-Bissau’s history to complete a full presidential term. Umaro Sissoco EMBALO was elected president in December 2019, but he did not take office until February 2020 because of a prolonged challenge to the election results.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 12 00 N, 15 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 36,125 sq km

land: 28,120 sq km

water: 8,005 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: total: 762 km

border countries (2): Guinea 421 km; Senegal 341 km
Coastline: 350 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east; numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets
Elevation: highest point: Dongol Ronde 277 m
note - the Factbook map is incorrect; it shows the wrong location of the high elevation

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 70 m
Natural resources: fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Land use: agricultural land: 44.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 55.2% (2018 est.)

other: 0% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 250 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
Population distribution: approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Geography - note: this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland

Topic: People and Society
Population: 2,026,778 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bissau-Guinean(s)

adjective: Bissau-Guinean
Ethnic groups: Balanta 30%, Fulani 30%, Manjaco 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%, unspecified smaller ethnic groups 6% (2015 est.)
Languages: Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo
Religions: Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est.)
Demographic profile: Guinea-Bissau’s young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Its large reproductive-age population and total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offsets the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world’s highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies.Guinea-Bissau’s history of political instability, a civil war, and several coups (the latest in 2012) have resulted in a fragile state with a weak economy, high unemployment, rampant corruption, widespread poverty, and thriving drug and child trafficking. With the country lacking educational infrastructure, school funding and materials, and qualified teachers, and with the cultural emphasis placed on religious education, parents frequently send boys to study in residential Koranic schools (daaras) in Senegal and The Gambia. They often are extremely deprived and are forced into street begging or agricultural work by marabouts (Muslim religious teachers), who enrich themselves at the expense of the children. Boys who leave their marabouts often end up on the streets of Dakar or other large Senegalese towns and are vulnerable to even worse abuse.Some young men lacking in education and job prospects become involved in the flourishing international drug trade. Local drug use and associated violent crime are growing.Guinea-Bissau’s young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Its large reproductive-age population and total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offsets the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world’s highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies.Guinea-Bissau’s history of political instability, a civil war, and several coups (the latest in 2012) have resulted in a fragile state with a weak economy, high unemployment, rampant corruption, widespread poverty, and thriving drug and child trafficking. With the country lacking educational infrastructure, school funding and materials, and qualified teachers, and with the cultural emphasis placed on religious education, parents frequently send boys to study in residential Koranic schools (daaras) in Senegal and The Gambia. They often are extremely deprived and are forced into street begging or agricultural work by marabouts (Muslim religious teachers), who enrich themselves at the expense of the children. Boys who leave their marabouts often end up on the streets of Dakar or other large Senegalese towns and are vulnerable to even worse abuse.Some young men lacking in education and job prospects become involved in the flourishing international drug trade. Local drug use and associated violent crime are growing.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43.17% (male 417,810/female 414,105)

15-24 years: 20.38% (male 192,451/female 200,370)

25-54 years: 30.24% (male 275,416/female 307,387)

55-64 years: 3.12% (male 29,549/female 30,661)

65 years and over: 3.08% (male 25,291/female 34,064) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 81.2

youth dependency ratio: 76

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2

potential support ratio: 19.1 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 18 years

male: 17.4 years

female: 18.6 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.53% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 36.45 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 7.5 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 45% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 643,000 BISSAU (capital) (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 667 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 49.05 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 54.84 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 43.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.68 years

male: 61.45 years

female: 65.99 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.69 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 20.6% (2018)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 90.6% of population

rural: 59.1% of population

total: 73.1% of population

unimproved: urban: 9.4% of population

rural: 40.9% of population

total: 26.9% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 8.4% (2019)
Physicians density: 0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2016)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 62.4% of population

rural: 7.6% of population

total: 31.8% of population

unimproved: urban: 37.6% of population

rural: 92.4% of population

total: 68.2% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 37,000 (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,500 (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Guinea-Bissau is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 9.5% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.8% (2019)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 8.1% (2019)

women married by age 18: 25.7% (2019)

men married by age 18: 2.2% (2019 est.)
Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2019)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 59.9%

male: 71.8%

female: 48.3% (2015)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: deforestation (rampant felling of trees for timber and agricultural purposes); soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 27.12 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 1.46 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Land use: agricultural land: 44.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 55.2% (2018 est.)

other: 0% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 45% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 9.24% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Guinea-Bissau is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 289,514 tons (2015 est.)
Major aquifers: Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 34.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 11.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 144 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 31.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau

local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form: Guine-Bissau

former: Portuguese Guinea

etymology: the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel; "Bissau," the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea
Government type: semi-presidential republic
Capital: name: Bissau

geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the meaning of Bissau is uncertain, it might be an alternative name for the Papel people who live in the area of the city of Bissau
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama/Bijagos, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali
Independence: 24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Constitution: history: promulgated 16 May 1984; note - constitution suspended following military coup April 2012, restored 2014; note - in May 2020, President EMBALO established a commission to draft a revised constitution

amendments: proposed by the National People’s Assembly if supported by at least one third of its members, by the Council of State (a presidential consultant body), or by the government; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government and national sovereignty cannot be amended; amended 1991, 1993, 1996
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), African Francophone Public Law, and customary law
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Umaro Sissoko EMBALO (since 27 February 2020); note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission. In late February 2020, Embalo inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA.

head of government: Prime Minister Nuno NABIAM (since 27 February 2020)

cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term; election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term, nor during the 5 years following the end of the second term

election results: Umaro Sissoco EMBALO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (PAIGC) 40.1%, Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) 27.7%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (APU-PDGB) 13.2%, Jose Mario VAZ (independent) 12.4%, other 6.6%; percent of vote in second round - Umaro Sissoco EMBALO 53.6%, Domingos Simoes PEREIRA 46.5%
Legislative branch: description: unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; 100 members directly elected in 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 2 elected in single-seat constituencies for citizens living abroad (Africa 1, Europe 1 ); all members serve 4-year terms)

elections: last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2023)

election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 35.2%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 21.1%, other 22.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 47, Madem G-15 27, PRS 21, other 7; composition - men 88, women 14, percent of women 13.7%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction

judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and judiciary discipline; judges appointed by the president for life

subordinate courts: Appeals Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court
Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde or PAIGC [Domingos SIMOES PEREIRA]
Democratic Convergence Party or PCD [Vicente FERNANDES]
Movement for Democratic Alternation Group of 15 or MADEM-G15 [Braima CAMARA]
National People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea Bissau or APU-PDGB [Nuno Gomes NABIAM]
New Democracy Party or PND [Mamadu Iaia DJALO]
Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Alberto NAMBEIA]
Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]
Union for Change or UM [Agnelo REGALA]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau. U.S. diplomatic representation in Guinea-Bissau is conducted through the U.S. Embassy in Dakar and the Guinea-Bissau Liaison Office located in Bissau.

mailing address: 2080 Bissau Place, Washington DC  20521-2080

email address and website:
dakarACS@state.gov

https://gw.usmission.gov/
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian flag
National symbol(s): black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black
National anthem: name: "Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country)

lyrics/music: Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He

note: adopted 1974; a delegation from then Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRAL, the leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on subsistence agriculture, cashew nut exports, and foreign assistance. Two out of three Bissau-Guineans remain below the absolute poverty line. The legal economy is based on cashews and fishing. Illegal logging and trafficking in narcotics also play significant roles. The combination of limited economic prospects, weak institutions, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe.Guinea-Bissau has substantial potential for development of mineral resources, including phosphates, bauxite, and mineral sands. Offshore oil and gas exploration has begun. The country’s climate and soil make it feasible to grow a wide range of cash crops, fruit, vegetables, and tubers; however, cashews generate more than 80% of export receipts and are the main source of income for many rural communities.The government was deposed in August 2015, and since then, a political stalemate has resulted in weak governance and reduced donor support.The country is participating in a three-year, IMF extended credit facility program that was suspended because of a planned bank bailout. The program was renewed in 2017, but the major donors of direct budget support (the EU, World Bank, and African Development Bank) have halted their programs indefinitely. Diversification of the economy remains a key policy goal, but Guinea-Bissau’s poor infrastructure and business climate will constrain this effort.Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on subsistence agriculture, cashew nut exports, and foreign assistance. Two out of three Bissau-Guineans remain below the absolute poverty line. The legal economy is based on cashews and fishing. Illegal logging and trafficking in narcotics also play significant roles. The combination of limited economic prospects, weak institutions, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe.Guinea-Bissau has substantial potential for development of mineral resources, including phosphates, bauxite, and mineral sands. Offshore oil and gas exploration has begun. The country’s climate and soil make it feasible to grow a wide range of cash crops, fruit, vegetables, and tubers; however, cashews generate more than 80% of export receipts and are the main source of income for many rural communities.The government was deposed in August 2015, and since then, a political stalemate has resulted in weak governance and reduced donor support.The country is participating in a three-year, IMF extended credit facility program that was suspended because of a planned bank bailout. The program was renewed in 2017, but the major donors of direct budget support (the EU, World Bank, and African Development Bank) have halted their programs indefinitely. Diversification of the economy remains a key policy goal, but Guinea-Bissau’s poor infrastructure and business climate will constrain this effort.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.64 billion (2020 est.)

$3.73 billion (2019 est.)

$3.56 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 5.9% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

6.1% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $1,800 (2020 est.)

$1,900 (2019 est.)

$1,900 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.339 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.2% (2019 est.)

0.3% (2018 est.)

1.6% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 50% (2017 est.)

industry: 13.1% (2017 est.)

services: 36.9% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 83.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 4.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 26.4% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -26.5% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: rice, cashew nuts, roots/tubers nes, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, vegetables, coconuts, fruit
Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 731,300 (2013 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 82%

industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: NANA
Population below poverty line: 67% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 50.7 (2010 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.9%

highest 10%: 28% (2002)
Budget: revenues: 246.2 million (2017 est.)

expenditures: 263.5 million (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 53.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

57.9% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: -$27 million (2017 est.)

$16 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $290 million note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$380 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Exports - partners: India 50%, Belgium 28%, Cote d'Ivoire 8% (2019)
Exports - commodities: cashews, gold, fish, lumber, aluminum ores (2019)
Imports: $500 million note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$460 million note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Imports - partners: Portugal 31%, Senegal 20%, China 10%, Netherlands 7%, Pakistan 7% (2019)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, rice, wheat products, soups/broths, malt extract (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $356.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$349.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $1.095 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$941.5 million (31 December 2000 est.)
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

605.3 (2017 est.)

593.01 (2016 est.)

593.01 (2015 est.)

591.45 (2014 est.)

494.42 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 28% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 56% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 7% (2019)
Electricity - production: 39 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 36.27 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 28,300 kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 2,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 2,625 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 0 (2018)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0 (2018 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 1.95 million (2022)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95.5 (2022 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications; 2 mobile network operators; one of the poorest countries in the world and this is reflected in the country's telecommunications development; radio is the most important source of information for the public (2020)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is just over 97 per 100 persons (2020)

international: country code - 245; ACE submarine cable connecting Guinea-Bissau with 20 landing points in Western and South Africa and Europe (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station, Televisao da Guine-Bissau (TGB) and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP); 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)
Internet country code: .gw
Internet users: total: 571,000 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 28% (2022 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 2,383 (2021)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.12 less than 1 (2021)

Topic: Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J5
Airports: total: 8 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 6

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m: 3 (2021)
Roadways: total: 4,400 km (2018)

paved: 453 km (2018)

unpaved: 3,947 km (2018)
Waterways: (rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior) (2012)
Merchant marine: total: 8

by type: general cargo 5, other 3 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force

Ministry of Internal Administration: Guard Nacional (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2021)

note - the Public Order Police is responsible for maintaining law and order, while the Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes
Military expenditures: 1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.9% of GDP (approximately $50 million) (2019 est.)

1.7% of GDP (approximately $45 million) (2018 est.)

1.7% of GDP (approximately $45 million) (2017 est.)

1.6% of GDP (approximately $40 million) (2016 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 4,000 total active troops, including a few hundred air and naval personnel (2021)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the FARP is poorly armed with an inventory consisting of Soviet-era equipment, much of which is reportedly unserviceable; the only reported deliveries of military equipment since 2015 were patrol boats from Spain in 2017 and non-lethal equipment from China in 2015; Guinea-Bissau has also discussed acquiring military equipment with Indonesia (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2021)
Military - note: from 2012-2020, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) deployed a security force to Guinea-Bissau to manage the post-coup transition, including protecting key political figures and public buildings, restoring civil institutions, and re-establishing the rule of law; at the height of the deployment, the force, known as the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deployed nearly 700 military and police personnel from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegalfrom 2012-2020, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) deployed a security force to Guinea-Bissau to manage the post-coup transition, including protecting key political figures and public buildings, restoring civil institutions, and re-establishing the rule of law; at the height of the deployment, the force, known as the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deployed nearly 700 military and police personnel from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: a longstanding low-grade conflict continues in parts of Casamance, in Senegal across the border; some rebels use Guinea-Bissau as a safe havena longstanding low-grade conflict continues in parts of Casamance, in Senegal across the border; some rebels use Guinea-Bissau as a safe haven
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 7,757 (Senegal) (2022)
Trafficking in persons: current situation: Guinea-Bissau is a country of origin and destination for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the scope of the problem of trafficking women or men for forced labor or forced prostitution is unknown; boys reportedly were transported to southern Senegal for forced manual and agricultural labor; girls may be subjected to forced domestic service and child prostitution in Senegal and Guinea; both boys and girls are forced to work as street vendors in cities in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Guinea-Bissau does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; efforts include identifying forced child begging victims, cooperating with Moroccan authorities on international crime investigations, and approving a new action plan; yet, the government has not convicted a trafficker, identified fewer trafficking victims, and lacked resources or the political will to fight trafficking or to enact its action plan, which would meet minimum standards; Guinea-Bissau was granted a waiver under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from downgrade to Tier 3 (2020)
Illicit drugs: important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling


Topic: Photos of Uganda

Topic: Introduction
Background: An ancient crossroads for various migrations, Uganda has as many as 65 ethnic groups that speak languages from three of Africa’s four major linguistic families. As early as 1200, fertile soils and regular rainfall in the south fostered the formation of several large centralized kingdoms, including Buganda, from which the country derives its name. Muslim traders from Egypt reached northern Uganda in the 1820s, and Swahili merchants from the Indian Ocean coast arrived in the south by the 1840s. The area attracted the attention of British explorers seeking the source of the Nile River in the 1860s, and this influence expanded in subsequent decades with the arrival of Christian missionaries and trade agreements; Uganda was declared a British protectorate in 1894. Buganda and other southern kingdoms negotiated agreements with Britain to secure privileges and a level of autonomy that were rare during the colonial period in Africa. The colonial boundaries demarcating Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures, and the disparities between how Britain governed southern and northern areas compounded these differences, complicating efforts to establish a cohesive independent country.

Uganda gained independence in 1962 with one of the more developed economies and one of the strongest education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it descended within a few years into political turmoil and internal conflict that lasted more than two decades. In 1966, Prime Minister Milton OBOTE suspended the constitution and violently deposed President Edward MUTESA, who was also the king of Buganda. Idi AMIN seized power in 1971 through a military coup and led the country into economic ruin and rampant mass atrocities that killed as many as 500,000 civilians. AMIN’s annexation of Tanzanian territory in 1979 provoked Tanzania to invade Uganda, depose AMIN, and install a coalition government. In the aftermath, Uganda continued to experience atrocities, looting, and political instability and had four different heads of state between 1979 and 1980. OBOTE regained the presidency in 1980 through a controversial election that sparked renewed guerrilla warfare, killing as an estimated 300,000 civilians. Gen. Tito OKELLO seized power in a coup in 1985, but his rule was short-lived, with Yoweri MUSEVENI becoming president in 1986 after his insurgency captured the capital. MUSEVENI is widely credited with restoring relative stability and economic growth to Uganda but has resisted calls to leave office. In 2017, parliament approved the removal of presidential age limits, making it possible for MUSEVENI to remain in office for life. Uganda faces numerous challenges that could affect future stability, including explosive population growth, power and infrastructure constraints, corruption, underdeveloped democratic institutions, and human rights deficits.An ancient crossroads for various migrations, Uganda has as many as 65 ethnic groups that speak languages from three of Africa’s four major linguistic families. As early as 1200, fertile soils and regular rainfall in the south fostered the formation of several large centralized kingdoms, including Buganda, from which the country derives its name. Muslim traders from Egypt reached northern Uganda in the 1820s, and Swahili merchants from the Indian Ocean coast arrived in the south by the 1840s. The area attracted the attention of British explorers seeking the source of the Nile River in the 1860s, and this influence expanded in subsequent decades with the arrival of Christian missionaries and trade agreements; Uganda was declared a British protectorate in 1894. Buganda and other southern kingdoms negotiated agreements with Britain to secure privileges and a level of autonomy that were rare during the colonial period in Africa. The colonial boundaries demarcating Uganda grouped together a wide range of ethnic groups with different political systems and cultures, and the disparities between how Britain governed southern and northern areas compounded these differences, complicating efforts to establish a cohesive independent country.

Uganda gained independence in 1962 with one of the more developed economies and one of the strongest education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, but it descended within a few years into political turmoil and internal conflict that lasted more than two decades. In 1966, Prime Minister Milton OBOTE suspended the constitution and violently deposed President Edward MUTESA, who was also the king of Buganda. Idi AMIN seized power in 1971 through a military coup and led the country into economic ruin and rampant mass atrocities that killed as many as 500,000 civilians. AMIN’s annexation of Tanzanian territory in 1979 provoked Tanzania to invade Uganda, depose AMIN, and install a coalition government. In the aftermath, Uganda continued to experience atrocities, looting, and political instability and had four different heads of state between 1979 and 1980. OBOTE regained the presidency in 1980 through a controversial election that sparked renewed guerrilla warfare, killing as an estimated 300,000 civilians. Gen. Tito OKELLO seized power in a coup in 1985, but his rule was short-lived, with Yoweri MUSEVENI becoming president in 1986 after his insurgency captured the capital. MUSEVENI is widely credited with restoring relative stability and economic growth to Uganda but has resisted calls to leave office. In 2017, parliament approved the removal of presidential age limits, making it possible for MUSEVENI to remain in office for life. Uganda faces numerous challenges that could affect future stability, including explosive population growth, power and infrastructure constraints, corruption, underdeveloped democratic institutions, and human rights deficits.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: East-Central Africa, west of Kenya, east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 241,038 sq km

land: 197,100 sq km

water: 43,938 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than two times the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 2,729 km

border countries (5): Democratic Republic of the Congo 877 km; Kenya 814 km; Rwanda 172 km; South Sudan 475 km; Tanzania 391 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain: mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Elevation: highest point: Margherita Peak on Mount Stanley 5,110 m

lowest point: Albert Nile 614 m
Natural resources: copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land, gold
Land use: agricultural land: 71.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 34.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 11.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 25.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 14.5% (2018 est.)

other: 14.3% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 140 sq km (2012)
Major lakes (area sq km): Fresh water lake(s): Lake Victoria (shared with Tanzania and Kenya) - 62,940 sq km; Lake Albert (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 5,590 sq km; Lake Kyoga - 4,430 sq km; Lake Edward (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,150 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km): Nile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouthNile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Population distribution: population density is relatively high in comparison to other African nations; most of the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country, particularly along the shores of Lake Victoria and Lake Albert; the northeast is least populated as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards: droughts; floods; earthquakes; landslides; hailstorms
Geography - note: landlocked; fertile, well-watered country with many lakes and rivers; Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest fresh water lake, is shared among three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda

Topic: People and Society
Population: 46,205,893 (2022 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly taken into account the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Nationality: noun: Ugandan(s)

adjective: Ugandan
Ethnic groups: Baganda 16.5%, Banyankole 9.6%, Basoga 8.8%, Bakiga 7.1%, Iteso 7%, Langi 6.3%, Bagisu 4.9%, Acholi 4.4%, Lugbara 3.3%, other 32.1% (2014 est.)
Languages: English (official language, taught in schools, used in courts of law and by most newspapers and some radio broadcasts), Ganda or Luganda (most widely used of the Niger-Congo languages and the language used most often in the capital), other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili (official), Arabic
Religions: Protestant 45.1% (Anglican 32.0%, Pentecostal/Born Again/Evangelical 11.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.7%, Baptist .3%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, Muslim 13.7%, other 1.6%, none 0.2% (2014 est.)
Demographic profile: Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world; its total fertility rate is among the world’s highest at close to 5.5 children per woman. Except in urban areas, actual fertility exceeds women’s desired fertility by one or two children, which is indicative of the widespread unmet need for contraception, lack of government support for family planning, and a cultural preference for large families. High numbers of births, short birth intervals, and the early age of childbearing contribute to Uganda’s high maternal mortality rate. Gender inequities also make fertility reduction difficult; women on average are less-educated, participate less in paid employment, and often have little say in decisions over childbearing and their own reproductive health. However, even if the birth rate were significantly reduced, Uganda’s large pool of women entering reproductive age ensures rapid population growth for decades to come. Unchecked, population increase will further strain the availability of arable land and natural resources and overwhelm the country’s limited means for providing food, employment, education, health care, housing, and basic services. The country’s north and northeast lag even further behind developmentally than the rest of the country as a result of long-term conflict (the Ugandan Bush War 1981-1986 and more than 20 years of fighting between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Ugandan Government forces), ongoing inter-communal violence, and periodic natural disasters. Uganda has been both a source of refugees and migrants and a host country for refugees. In 1972, then President Idi AMIN, in his drive to return Uganda to Ugandans, expelled the South Asian population that composed a large share of the country’s business people and bankers. Since the 1970s, thousands of Ugandans have emigrated, mainly to southern Africa or the West, for security reasons, to escape poverty, to search for jobs, and for access to natural resources. The emigration of Ugandan doctors and nurses due to low wages is a particular concern given the country’s shortage of skilled health care workers. Africans escaping conflicts in neighboring states have found refuge in Uganda since the 1950s; the country currently struggles to host tens of thousands from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and other nearby countries.Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations in the world; its total fertility rate is among the world’s highest at close to 5.5 children per woman. Except in urban areas, actual fertility exceeds women’s desired fertility by one or two children, which is indicative of the widespread unmet need for contraception, lack of government support for family planning, and a cultural preference for large families. High numbers of births, short birth intervals, and the early age of childbearing contribute to Uganda’s high maternal mortality rate. Gender inequities also make fertility reduction difficult; women on average are less-educated, participate less in paid employment, and often have little say in decisions over childbearing and their own reproductive health. However, even if the birth rate were significantly reduced, Uganda’s large pool of women entering reproductive age ensures rapid population growth for decades to come.Unchecked, population increase will further strain the availability of arable land and natural resources and overwhelm the country’s limited means for providing food, employment, education, health care, housing, and basic services. The country’s north and northeast lag even further behind developmentally than the rest of the country as a result of long-term conflict (the Ugandan Bush War 1981-1986 and more than 20 years of fighting between the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and Ugandan Government forces), ongoing inter-communal violence, and periodic natural disasters.Uganda has been both a source of refugees and migrants and a host country for refugees. In 1972, then President Idi AMIN, in his drive to return Uganda to Ugandans, expelled the South Asian population that composed a large share of the country’s business people and bankers. Since the 1970s, thousands of Ugandans have emigrated, mainly to southern Africa or the West, for security reasons, to escape poverty, to search for jobs, and for access to natural resources. The emigration of Ugandan doctors and nurses due to low wages is a particular concern given the country’s shortage of skilled health care workers. Africans escaping conflicts in neighboring states have found refuge in Uganda since the 1950s; the country currently struggles to host tens of thousands from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and other nearby countries.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 48.21% (male 10,548,913/female 10,304,876)

15-24 years: 20.25% (male 4,236,231/female 4,521,698)

25-54 years: 26.24% (male 5,202,570/female 6,147,304)

55-64 years: 2.91% (male 579,110/female 681,052)

65 years and over: 2.38% (male 442,159/female 589,053) (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 92.3

youth dependency ratio: 88.5

elderly dependency ratio: 3.8

potential support ratio: 26.2 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 15.7 years

male: 14.9 years

female: 16.5 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.27% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 40.94 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: population density is relatively high in comparison to other African nations; most of the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country, particularly along the shores of Lake Victoria and Lake Albert; the northeast is least populated as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 26.2% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 3.652 million KAMPALA (capital) (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.86 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 19.4 years (2016 est.)

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49
Maternal mortality ratio: 375 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 30.45 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 33.88 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 26.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 68.96 years

male: 66.71 years

female: 71.27 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.36 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 41.8% (2018)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 92.5% of population

rural: 80% of population

total: 83.1% of population

unimproved: urban: 7.5% of population

rural: 20% of population

total: 16.9% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 3.8% (2019)
Physicians density: 0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density: 0.5 beds/1,000 population
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 67.3% of population

rural: 27.5% of population

total: 37.4% of population

unimproved: urban: 32.7% of population

rural: 72.5% of population

total: 62.6% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.4% (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.4 million (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 22,000 (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and Trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness)

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Uganda is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 5.3% (2016)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 10.4% (2016)
Child marriage: women married by age 15: 7.3% (2016)

women married by age 18: 34% (2016)

men married by age 18: 5.5% (2016 est.)
Education expenditures: 3% of GDP (2020)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 76.5%

male: 82.7%

female: 70.8% (2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 10 years

male: 10 years

female: 10 years (2011)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 15.6%

male: 13.8%

female: 17.6% (2017 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial discharge and water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; widespread poaching
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 48.41 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 5.68 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 30.24 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February, June to August); semiarid in northeast
Land use: agricultural land: 71.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 34.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 11.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 25.6% (2018 est.)

forest: 14.5% (2018 est.)

other: 14.3% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 26.2% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 5.41% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 7.32% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and Trypanosomiasis-Gambiense (African sleeping sickness)

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases: rabies

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Uganda is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Food insecurity: widespread lack of access: due to reduced incomes, and floods - in traditionally food secure urban areas, including the capital, Kampala, more than 600,000 people were food insecure due to the restrictive measures introduced to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus; the food security situation in urban areas was the most affected by the COVID‑19‑related restrictive measures, as poor households mainly rely on the daily wages obtained through casual labor, petty trading, food vending, construction activities and domestic work; despite the phasing out of some restrictive measures, the food security situation of the urban poor has not significantly improved, as the restrictions still in place on business operations are resulting in a slow recovery of the economic activities; in rural areas, torrential rains in April and May 2020 resulted in localized crop and livelihood losses (2021)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 7,045,050 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 422,703 tons (2017 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 6% (2017 est.)
Major lakes (area sq km): Fresh water lake(s): Lake Victoria (shared with Tanzania and Kenya) - 62,940 sq km; Lake Albert (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 5,590 sq km; Lake Kyoga - 4,430 sq km; Lake Edward (shared with Democratic Republic of Congo) - 2,150 sq km
Major rivers (by length in km): Nile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouthNile (shared with Rwanda [s], Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt [m]) - 6,650 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km), (Mediterranean Sea) Nile (3,254,853 sq km)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 328 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 50 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 259 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 60.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Uganda

conventional short form: Uganda

etymology: from the name "Buganda," adopted by the British as the designation for their East African colony in 1894; Buganda had been a powerful East African state during the 18th and 19th centuries
Government type: presidential republic
Capital: name: Kampala

geographic coordinates: 0 19 N, 32 33 E

time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the site of the original British settlement was referred to by its native name as Akasozi ke'Empala ("hill of the impala" [plural]); over time this designation was shortened to K'empala and finally Kampala
Administrative divisions: 134 districts and 1 capital city*; Abim, Adjumani, Agago, Alebtong, Amolatar, Amudat, Amuria, Amuru, Apac, Arua, Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Bugweri, Buhweju, Buikwe, Bukedea, Bukomansimbi, Bukwo, Bulambuli, Buliisa, Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu, Bushenyi, Busia, Butaleja, Butambala, Butebo, Buvuma, Buyende, Dokolo, Gomba, Gulu, Hoima, Ibanda, Iganga, Isingiro, Jinja, Kaabong, Kabale, Kabarole, Kaberamaido, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kalaki, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kalungu, Kampala*, Kamuli, Kamwenge, Kanungu, Kapchorwa, Kapelebyong, Karenga, Kasese, Kasanda, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kazo, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kibuku, Kikuube, Kiruhura, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitagwenda, Kitgum, Koboko, Kole, Kotido, Kumi, Kwania, Kween, Kyankwanzi, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Kyotera, Lamwo, Lira, Luuka, Luwero, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Madi-Okollo, Manafwa, Maracha, Masaka, Masindi, Mayuge, Mbale, Mbarara, Mitooma, Mityana, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit, Nakaseke, Nakasongola, Namayingo, Namisindwa, Namutumba, Napak, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntoroko, Ntungamo, Nwoya, Obongi, Omoro, Otuke, Oyam, Pader, Pakwach, Pallisa, Rakai, Rubanda, Rubirizi, Rukiga, Rukungiri, Rwampara, Sembabule, Serere, Sheema, Sironko, Soroti, Tororo, Wakiso, Yumbe, Zombo
Independence: 9 October 1962 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution: history: several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1995, promulgated 8 October 1995

amendments: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership in the second and third readings; proposals affecting "entrenched clauses," including the sovereignty of the people, supremacy of the constitution, human rights and freedoms, the democratic and multiparty form of government, presidential term of office, independence of the judiciary, and the institutions of traditional or cultural leaders, also requires passage by referendum, ratification by at least two-thirds majority vote of district council members in at least two thirds of Uganda's districts, and assent ofthe president of the republic; amended several times, last in 2017 (2021)
Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and customary law
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a native-born citizen of Uganda

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: an aggregate of 20 years and continuously for the last 2 years prior to applying for citizenship
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since coming to power on 26 January 1986; re-elected for sixth term on 14 January 2021); Vice President Jessica Rose Epel ALUPO (since 21 June 2021); Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 21 June 2021); First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca KADAGA (since 24 June 2021); Second Deputy Prime Minister Moses ALI (since 21 June 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government: President Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since coming to power on 26 January 1986; re-elected for sixth term on 14 January 2021); Vice President Jessica Rose Epel ALUPO (since 21 June 2021); Prime Minister Robinah NABBANJA (since 21 June 2021); First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca KADAGA (since 24 June 2021); Second Deputy Prime Minister Moses ALI (since 21 June 2021)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among elected members of the National Assembly or persons who qualify to be elected as members of the National Assembly

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in 2026)

election results:
2021: Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 58.6%, Bobi WINE (NUP) 34.8%, Patrick Oboi AMURIAT (FDC) 3.2%, other 3.4%

2016: Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (NRM) 60.6%, Kizza BESIGYE (FDC) 35.6%, other 3.8%
Legislative branch: description: unicameral National Assembly or Parliament (556 seats; 353 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 146 for women directly elected in single-seat districts by simple majority vote, and 30 "representatives" reserved for special interest groups - army 10, disabled 5, youth 5, labor 5, older persons 5; 27 ex officio members appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 14 January 2021 (next to be held in February 2026)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NRM 336, NUP 57, FDC 32, DP 9, UPDF 10, UPC 9, independent 76 (excludes 27 ex-officio members)
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court of Uganda (consists of the chief justice and at least 6 justices)

judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the president of the republic in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission, an 8-member independent advisory body, and approved by the National Assembly; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts: Court of Appeal (also acts as the Constitutional Court); High Court (includes 12 High Court Circuits and 8 High Court Divisions); Industrial Court; Chief Magistrate Grade One and Grade Two Courts throughout the country; qadhis courts; local council courts; family and children courts
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for National Transformation or ANT [Ms. Alice ALASO, acting national coordinator]; note - Mugisha MUNTU resigned his position as ANT national coordinator in late June 2020 to run in the 2021 presidential election
Activist Party [Stephen BAMPIGGA]
Democratic Party or DP [Norbert MAO]
Conservative Party [Walyemera Daniel MASUMBA]
Forum for Democratic Change or FDC [Patrick Oboi AMURIAT]
Justice Forum or JEEMA [Asuman BASALIRWA]
National Resistance Movement or NRM [Yoweri MUSEVENI]
Uganda People's Congress or UPC [James AKENA]
National Unity Platform [Nkonge KIBALAMA]
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, C, COMESA, EAC, EADB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNOCI, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mull Ssebujja KATENDE (since 8 September 2017)

chancery: 5911 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone: [1] (202) 726-7100

FAX: [1] (202) 726-1727

email address and website:
washington@mofa.go.ug; info@ugandaembassysus.org; ambauganda@aol.com

https://washington.mofa.go.ug/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Natalie E. BROWN (since 17 November 2020)

embassy: 1577 Ggaba Road, Kampala

mailing address: 2190 Kampala Place, Washington DC  20521-2190

telephone: [256] (0) 312-306-001

FAX: [256] (0) 414-259-794

email address and website:
KampalaUScitizen@state.gov

https://ug.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow, and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a grey crowned crane (the national symbol) facing the hoist side; black symbolizes the African people, yellow sunshine and vitality, red African brotherhood; the crane was the military badge of Ugandan soldiers under the UK
National symbol(s): grey crowned crane; national colors: black, yellow, red
National anthem: name: Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty!

lyrics/music: George Wilberforce KAKOMOA

note: adopted 1962
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (c), Rwenzori Mountains National Park (c), Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, substantial reserves of recoverable oil, and small deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals. Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the economy, employing 72% of the work force. The country’s export market suffered a major slump following the outbreak of conflict in South Sudan, but has recovered lately, largely due to record coffee harvests, which account for 16% of exports, and increasing gold exports, which account for 10% of exports. Uganda has a small industrial sector that is dependent on imported inputs such as refined oil and heavy equipment. Overall, productivity is hampered by a number of supply-side constraints, including insufficient infrastructure, lack of modern technology in agriculture, and corruption.Uganda’s economic growth has slowed since 2016 as government spending and public debt has grown. Uganda’s budget is dominated by energy and road infrastructure spending, while Uganda relies on donor support for long-term drivers of growth, including agriculture, health, and education. The largest infrastructure projects are externally financed through concessional loans, but at inflated costs. As a result, debt servicing for these loans is expected to rise.Oil revenues and taxes are expected to become a larger source of government funding as oil production starts in the next three to 10 years. Over the next three to five years, foreign investors are planning to invest $9 billion in production facilities projects, $4 billion in an export pipeline, as well as in a $2-3 billion refinery to produce petroleum products for the domestic and East African Community markets. Furthermore, the government is looking to build several hundred million dollars’ worth of highway projects to the oil region.Uganda faces many economic challenges. Instability in South Sudan has led to a sharp increase in Sudanese refugees and is disrupting Uganda's main export market. Additional economic risks include: poor economic management, endemic corruption, and the government’s failure to invest adequately in the health, education, and economic opportunities for a burgeoning young population. Uganda has one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa - only 22% of Ugandans have access to electricity, dropping to 10% in rural areas.Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils, regular rainfall, substantial reserves of recoverable oil, and small deposits of copper, gold, and other minerals. Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the economy, employing 72% of the work force. The country’s export market suffered a major slump following the outbreak of conflict in South Sudan, but has recovered lately, largely due to record coffee harvests, which account for 16% of exports, and increasing gold exports, which account for 10% of exports. Uganda has a small industrial sector that is dependent on imported inputs such as refined oil and heavy equipment. Overall, productivity is hampered by a number of supply-side constraints, including insufficient infrastructure, lack of modern technology in agriculture, and corruption.Uganda’s economic growth has slowed since 2016 as government spending and public debt has grown. Uganda’s budget is dominated by energy and road infrastructure spending, while Uganda relies on donor support for long-term drivers of growth, including agriculture, health, and education. The largest infrastructure projects are externally financed through concessional loans, but at inflated costs. As a result, debt servicing for these loans is expected to rise.Oil revenues and taxes are expected to become a larger source of government funding as oil production starts in the next three to 10 years. Over the next three to five years, foreign investors are planning to invest $9 billion in production facilities projects, $4 billion in an export pipeline, as well as in a $2-3 billion refinery to produce petroleum products for the domestic and East African Community markets. Furthermore, the government is looking to build several hundred million dollars’ worth of highway projects to the oil region.Uganda faces many economic challenges. Instability in South Sudan has led to a sharp increase in Sudanese refugees and is disrupting Uganda's main export market. Additional economic risks include: poor economic management, endemic corruption, and the government’s failure to invest adequately in the health, education, and economic opportunities for a burgeoning young population. Uganda has one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa - only 22% of Ugandans have access to electricity, dropping to 10% in rural areas.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $99.61 billion (2020 est.)

$96.84 billion (2019 est.)

$90.67 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 4.8% (2017 est.)

2.3% (2016 est.)

5.7% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $2,200 (2020 est.)

$2,200 (2019 est.)

$2,100 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $34.683 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (2019 est.)

2.6% (2018 est.)

5.6% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: B+ (2015)

Moody's rating: B2 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: B (2014)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 28.2% (2017 est.)

industry: 21.1% (2017 est.)

services: 50.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 74.3% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 23.9% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.3% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 18.8% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -25.1% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: sugar cane, plantains, cassava, maize, sweet potatoes, milk, vegetables, beans, bananas, sorghum
Industries: sugar processing, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles; cement, steel production
Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 15.84 million (2015 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 71%

industry: 7%

services: 22% (2013 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2014 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 15.6%

male: 13.8%

female: 17.6% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line: 21.4% (2016 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 42.8 (2016 est.)

45.7 (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4%

highest 10%: 36.1% (2009 est.)
Budget: revenues: 3.848 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 4.928 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -4.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 40% of GDP (2017 est.)

37.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 14.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Current account balance: -$1.212 billion (2017 est.)

-$707 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $6.12 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$5.63 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

$5.958 billion (2017 est.)
Exports - partners: United Arab Emirates 58%, Kenya 9% (2019)
Exports - commodities: gold, coffee, milk, fish and fish products, tobacco (2019)
Imports: $9.54 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$8.65 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

$7.44 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - partners: China 19%, India 17%, Kenya 16%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Japan 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: packaged medicines, aircraft, delivery trucks, cars, wheat (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.654 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$3.034 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

note: excludes gold
Debt - external: $13.85 billion (2019 est.)

$12.187 billion (2018 est.)

$6.241 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates: Ugandan shillings (UGX) per US dollar -

3,680 (2020 est.)

3,685 (2019 est.)

3,735 (2018 est.)

3,234.1 (2014 est.)

2,599.8 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 29% (2019)

electrification - urban areas: 66% (2019)

electrification - rural areas: 17% (2019)
Electricity - production: 3.463 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 3.106 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports: 121 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - imports: 50 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 1.02 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 19% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 68% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 2.5 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 32,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 31,490 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 90,774 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 27,688,987 (2020)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60.53 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: telecom infrastructure has developed through private partnerships; as of 2018, fixed-fiber backbone infrastructure is available in over half of Uganda’s districts; mobile phone companies now provide 4G networks across all major cities and national parks, while offering 3G coverage in small cities and most rural areas with road access; price of commercial Internet services dropped substantially in 2019; consumers rely on mobile infrastructure to provide voice and broadband services as fixed-line infrastructure is poor; 5G migration is developing slowly; government commissioned broadband satellite services for rural areas in 2019 (2020)

domestic: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 and mobile cellular systems teledensity about 61 per 100 persons; intercity traffic by wire, microwave radio relay, and radiotelephone communication stations (2020)

international: country code - 256; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat; analog and digital links to Kenya and Tanzania

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media: public broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), operates radio and TV networks; 31 Free-To-Air (FTA) TV stations, 2 digital terrestrial TV stations, 3 cable TV stations, and 5 digital satellite TV stations; 258 operational FM stations
Internet country code: .ug
Internet users: total: 12.16 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 23.71% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 58,594 (2021)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.13 less than 1 (2021)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 26

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 21,537 (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 5X
Airports: total: 47 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 5

over 3,047 m: 3

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 42

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 8

914 to 1,523 m: 26

under 914 m: 7 (2021)
Railways: total: 1,244 km (2014)

narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Roadways: total: 20,544 km (excludes local roads) (2017)

paved: 4,257 km (2017)

unpaved: 16,287 km (2017)
Waterways: (there are no long navigable stretches of river in Uganda; parts of the Albert Nile that flow out of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of the country are navigable; several lakes including Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga have substantial traffic; Lake Albert is navigable along a 200-km stretch from its northern tip to its southern shores) (2011)
Ports and terminals: lake port(s): Entebbe, Jinja, Port Bell (Lake Victoria)

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF): Land Forces, Air Forces, Marine Forces, Special Forces Command, Reserve Force (2021)

note - in 2018, President MUSEVENI created a volunteer force of Local Defense Units under the military to beef up local security in designated parts of the country
Military expenditures: 2.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.7% of GDP (approximately $870 million) (2019)

1.2% of GDP (approximately $640 million) (2018)

1.2% of GDP (approximately $610 million) (2017)

1.3% of GDP (approximately $620 million) (2016)
Military and security service personnel strengths: information varies; approximately 45-50,000 troops, including about 1,000-1,500 air and marine personnel; approximately 20,000 personnel in the Local Defense Units (2021)

note - in 2021, the Ugandan Government announced it would recruit another 10,000 Local Defense Units personnel
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the UPDF's inventory is mostly older Russian/Soviet-era equipment with a limited mix of more modern Russian- and Western-origin arms; since 2010, Russia is the leading supplier of arms to the UPDF (2021)
Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for voluntary military duty (men and women); 9-year service obligation (2021)
Military deployments: 6,800 Somalia (6,200 AMISOM; 620 UNSOM); 250 Equatorial Guinea (2022)
Military - note: the UPDF, which is constitutionally granted seats in parliament, is widely viewed as a key constituency for MUSEVENI; it has been used by MUSEVENI and the NRM to break up rallies, raid opposition offices, and surveil rival candidates as of 2022, the UPDF was conducting operations along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (including cross-border operations) against a Congo-based (and formerly based in western Uganda) Ugandan rebel group, the Allied Democratic Front (ADF), which was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department in March 2021 as the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC; see Appendix T); in addition, elements of the UPDF were deployed in the northeast region of Karamoja against cattle rustlers and criminal gangs beginning in 2012, the UPDF led regional efforts to pursue the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a small, violent group of Ugandan origin that conducted widespread attacks against civilians in much of Central Africa; the UPDF withdrew from the mission in 2017 after declaring that the LRA no longer posed a security threat Uganda intervened in the South Sudan civil war in 2013-2016 and UPDF forces have clashed with South Sudanese forces along the border as recently as 2020

the military traces its history back to the formation of the Uganda Rifles in 1895; the Uganda Rifles were merged with the Central Africa Regiment and the East Africa Rifles to form the King’s African Rifles (“KAR”) in 1902, which participated in both world wars; the UPDF was established in 1995the UPDF, which is constitutionally granted seats in parliament, is widely viewed as a key constituency for MUSEVENI; it has been used by MUSEVENI and the NRM to break up rallies, raid opposition offices, and surveil rival candidatesas of 2022, the UPDF was conducting operations along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (including cross-border operations) against a Congo-based (and formerly based in western Uganda) Ugandan rebel group, the Allied Democratic Front (ADF), which was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US State Department in March 2021 as the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC; see Appendix T); in addition, elements of the UPDF were deployed in the northeast region of Karamoja against cattle rustlers and criminal gangsbeginning in 2012, the UPDF led regional efforts to pursue the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a small, violent group of Ugandan origin that conducted widespread attacks against civilians in much of Central Africa; the UPDF withdrew from the mission in 2017 after declaring that the LRA no longer posed a security threatUganda intervened in the South Sudan civil war in 2013-2016 and UPDF forces have clashed with South Sudanese forces along the border as recently as 2020

the military traces its history back to the formation of the Uganda Rifles in 1895; the Uganda Rifles were merged with the Central Africa Regiment and the East Africa Rifles to form the King’s African Rifles (“KAR”) in 1902, which participated in both world wars; the UPDF was established in 1995

Topic: Terrorism
Terrorist group(s): al-Shabaab; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Democratic Republic of Congo (ISIS-DRC)

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Uganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders

Uganda-Kenya: Kenya and Uganda have begun a joint demarcation of the boundary in 2021

Uganda-Rwanda: a joint technical committee established in 2007 to demarcate sections of the border

Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo(DROC): Uganda rejects the DROC claim to Margherita Peak in the Rwenzori mountains and considers it a boundary divide; there is tension and violence on Lake Albert over prospective oil reserves at the mouth of the Semliki River

Uganda-South Sudan: Government of South Sudan protests Lord's Resistance Army operations in western Equatorial State, displacing and driving out local populations and stealing grain storesUganda is subject to armed fighting among hostile ethnic groups, rebels, armed gangs, militias, and various government forces that extend across its borders

Uganda-Kenya: Kenya and Uganda have begun a joint demarcation of the boundary in 2021

Uganda-Rwanda: a joint technical committee established in 2007 to demarcate sections of the border

Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo(DROC): Uganda rejects the DROC claim to Margherita Peak in the Rwenzori mountains and considers it a boundary divide; there is tension and violence on Lake Albert over prospective oil reserves at the mouth of the Semliki River

Uganda-South Sudan: Government of South Sudan protests Lord's Resistance Army operations in western Equatorial State, displacing and driving out local populations and stealing grain stores
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 963,086 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers), 459,073 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 48,555 (Burundi), 55,877 (Somalia) (refugees and asylum seekers), 26,092 (Rwanda), 22,843 (Eritrea) (2022)
Trafficking in persons: current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Uganda, and traffickers exploit victims from Uganda abroad; young Ugandan children are exploited in forced labor in agriculture, fishing, forestry, cattle herding, mining, stone quarrying, brick making, carpentry, steel manufacturing, street vending, bars, restaurants, gold mining, and domestic service; traffickers exploit girls and boys in commercial sex; most are children from the northeastern region and are exploited in forced begging, commercial sex in brothels, or sold in markets; traffickers compel  children from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Sudan into forced agricultural labor and sex trafficking in Uganda; young women most at risk for transnational trafficking seek employment as domestic workers in the Middle East and then are exploited in sex trafficking; traffickers subject Ugandans to forced labor and sex trafficking in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Bahrain, Jordan, China, Kenya, and India; traffickers are often relatives, friends of victims, or religious leaders who receive a fee per worker from recruiters

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch list — Uganda does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; efforts include investigating allegations of complicit officials, implementing the protection and prevention provisions of the 2009 anti-trafficking act, convicting alleged traffickers, developing a plan for an anti-trafficking department within the police force; however, the government reported the lowest number of investigations in the past five years and a substantial decrease in prosecutions; authorities provided no training for law enforcement and immigration officials and identified fewer victims; the Coordination Office for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons is severely underfunded, stifling efforts to coordinate and combat trafficking; no systematic procedures to refer or assist victims have been developed, and the government provides no resources to NGOs for protective services; Uganda was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List (2020)