5X1XA Uganda. From DXNews.com

Alan, G3XAQ will be active again from Kampala , Uganda 4 – 16 March 2016 as 5X1XA.
He will operate on HF Bands including activity in RSGB Beru Contest.
QSL via G3SWH, OQRS, LOTW.
Ads for direct QSL:
PHIL WHITCHURCH, 21 DICKENSONS GROVE, Congresbury, BRISTOL BS49 5HQ, England.

Uganda: A tropical forest

Officially the Republic of Uganda, Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country achieved independence from the UK in 1962.It is bordered to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the east by Kenya, to the south by Tanzania, to the north by South Sudan and to the southwest by Rwanda.

The country lies across the equator and is divided into the three main areas of swampy lowlands, a fertile plateau with wooded hills, and a desert region. The southern border of the country comprises of Lake Victoria, which is also shared by Tanzania and Kenya. Since it takes a big portion of the lake, it is noted among the countries in the African Great Lakes region. In addition, the country also lies within the Nile basin.

There are a number of languages to be found in the country, with English and Swahili being the official language.

Hippopotamus, Uganda. Author – Luz D. Montero Espuela.

Geographical aspects

Uganda’s geographical coordinates are 1 00 N, 32 00 E with a total area of 236,040 sq km, of which 199,710 sq km is land and 36,330 sq km is water.

The country has no coastline hence making it a landlocked country. In addition, it has no maritime claims to speak of. On average, Uganda sits of about 1,100 meters above sea level while steadily sloping downwards towards the Sudanese Plain to the north. It mainly lies within the Nile basin with the Victoria Nile draining from Lake Victoria into Lake Kyoga then onto Lake Albert which is on the Congolese border.

Lake Kyoga provides for a rough boundary between the Bantu speakers in the south and the Nilotic and Central Sudanic language speakers in the north.

The country’s lowest point is Lake Albert, 621m while the highest point is Margherita Peak, 5,110m

The country’s terrain is mainly plateau with rim of mountains. Mountainous regions include the Rwenzori Mountains that run along the border with the DRC, Kigezi in the southwest of the country and the Virunga Mountains on the border with Rwanda and the DRC. Straddling the border with Kenya is Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano.

The country boasts of varied sceneries inclusive of a tropical forest, the bone-dry plains of the Karamoja, a semi-desert area in the northeast, the undulating savannah of Acholi, Tororo, Ankole, and Bunyoro, the lush, heavily populated Buganda as well as the tea plantations and the rich cotton area of Teso.

Climate

Uganda has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging from 21-25°C (70- 77°F), aside from the mountainous areas, which tend to be cooler. Snow tends to cover the top of Mount Elgon. The months of December to February are the hottest months. The evening hours make for a rather chilly climate following the heat of the day, most especially in the mountainous and hilly regions of the country.

Aside from the dry north areas of the country, most of the regions tend to have an annual rainfall of between 1,000mm and 2,000mm.

Generally, the country receives plenty of rain aside from the two dry seasons between the months of December to February and June to August. The Northeastern part of the country tends to be semiarid.

Ethnic Groups

Different parts of the country have different ethinic groups such as the Baganda in the central region, the Basoga, Japadhola, Iteso, Bagisu and Basamya in the Eastern region; the Bakiga, Banyankole, Batooro, Banyooro, Bafumbira and Bakonjo in the western region, the Acholi, Langi, Karamojong, Alur, and Lugbra in the Northern region. In essence, there is a huge diversity of ethnic groups in the county.

Religions

The Roman Catholics boast of most of the population, followed by the protestants, Muslims, and those with indigenous beliefs. Other religions to the country include: the Presbyterian denominations such as the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Uganda, the Presbyterian Church in Uganda the Evangelical Free Church in Uganda; Bahá’í, Hindu and Ismaili for the Indian nationals found in the country.

Culture

With a diversity in communities comes a diversity in culture. Each community in Uganda follows its own set of cultural norms, with slight similarities here and there, especially if the basis is per region.

Sports

The national sport in Uganda is Football. Other sporting activities include; cricket, rugby, rallying, basketball, volleyball and hockey.

Cuisine

The local cuisine to the country varies from region to region, with influences from the English, Asian and Arabs. Common foods served included ugali, matooke, millet, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, beans, groundnuts, meat, rice, irish potatoes, soya beans, and chapatti among others.

Facts

The country takes on a large portion of Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world, which also forms the source of the Nile(the second largest river in the world)
There is a diversity in ethnic groups in the country hence a diversity in cultures.
English is the official language to the country
The country boasts of a very rich wildlife, with mountain gorillas and numerous bird species taking on a number of tourists’ interest. 10.2% of bird species of the world is found in Uganda.
Its tropical climate makes it an ultimate destination to many
The country’s people are known for their good hospitality and warmth.
Uganda has the world’s best bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and avocados.
Uganda is the pearl of Africa
Uganda is a tree loving nation, in fact, there is a rule that if you cut down a tree then you must plant three others.
Uganda is the home of a vast number of mountain gorillas
Plenty of bicycles can be found in the country, more so in the rural areas
The country has been ranked among the high alcohol consuming countries
It has one of the youngest population in the world with nearly 50% falling under the age of 14
Soccer is the country’s favorite sport
Motorcycles transportation is dubbed as ‘boda boda’ because previously, they were used to transport people across the ‘no-man’s-land’( a piece of land between the Uganda Kenya border).