Climatic Characteristics

Uganda has a tropical savanna climate with an annual average temperature of 22.3℃. The temperature is highest in October, averaging 23.5℃, and lowest from June to July, averaging 21.4℃. Most areas receive annual precipitation ranging from 1000 to 1500 millimeters, with rainy seasons from March to May and from September to November, and two dry seasons in between. In recent years, the distinction between Uganda's rainy and dry seasons has become less clear, with changes in the alternating timing.

Natural Resources

Uganda is rich in mineral resources, with over 50 types of minerals having been discovered, including oil, mica, feldspar, limestone, phosphate, and iron. Among them, proven reserves include oil (6 billion barrels) and natural gas (14.2 billion cubic meters). Uganda has a forest coverage rate of 12%, producing hardwood. Lake Victoria is one of the world's largest producers of freshwater fish. Uganda has a hydropower potential of approximately 2,000 megawatts.

Administrative Division

The administrative division of the country is divided into 5 levels, with 111 districts under the central government and the capital city of Kampala

Economic Development

Agriculture and animal husbandry play a dominant role in the national economy, accounting for 70% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 95% of export revenue respectively. The agricultural population accounts for about 80% of the total population. The main cash crops include coffee, cotton, tobacco, tea, etc. Industry is relatively underdeveloped, with steel and cement being the industries with a certain development foundation in Uganda at present. In order to attract foreign investment for industrial development, the Ugandan government established the Investment Authority in 1991, which has since attracted thousands of foreign-funded enterprises to invest in Uganda, with the stock of foreign investment reaching $19.433 billion (data from 2023). In 2023, Uganda's GDP was $52.39 billion, with a GDP growth rate of 4.6% and a per capita GDP of $1,160.

Foreign Trade

It plays an important role in the national economy, with overall import and export volumes showing a growing trend in recent years. The main export commodities include coffee, gold, aquatic products, tobacco, corn, flowers, leather, etc. The main import commodities of Uganda include refined oil, automobiles, steel, telecommunications and audio-visual equipment, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Uganda's main export markets include the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa [Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo], the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, Türkiye, Tanzania, India, etc.

Traffic Conditions

Uganda is a landlocked country, with over 90% of its import and export goods passing through the Mombasa Port in Kenya. Domestic transportation is primarily by road, with a total road mileage of approximately 159,400 kilometers. National highways connect all commercial center cities and are mostly two-lane roads. Roads account for 95% of passenger transport and 96.5% of freight transport in Uganda. The total railway mileage is about 1,266 kilometers, with 1-meter-wide narrow-gauge railways. Uganda intends to upgrade its existing railways to standard-gauge railways, connecting Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. In terms of water transportation, the cargo capacity between Uganda and the Kisumu Port in Kenya, as well as the Mwanza South Port in Tanzania, is 1,000 tons per trip. In terms of air transportation, Entebbe International Airport is Uganda's only port airport, located 45 kilometers from the capital city of Kampala. The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority predicts that by 2033, the number of passengers transported by Uganda's aviation industry will rise to 7.5 million, and the freight volume will increase to 172,000 tons.

Foreign Relations

Uganda is a member of the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, the African Union, the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). It pursues an independent and non-aligned foreign policy and advocates developing friendly relations with all countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

Investment Environment

After Museveni came into power in 1986, he ended the chaotic state of the civil war in Uganda and formed a broad-based coalition government that prioritized the "Resistance Movement" while taking into account the interests of all parties, leading to increasingly stable political conditions. Uganda has a high degree of market liberalization, with almost all sectors open to foreign investment and allowing 100% foreign-owned enterprises. Except for registered trading and investment companies, which have thresholds (with a minimum registered capital of US$100,000), other areas are not heavily regulated, attracting many innovators to experiment here. For example, Binance chose Uganda as its first foothold in Africa to test and promote cryptocurrencies and wallets. Uganda implements a free foreign exchange policy, allowing capital to flow in and out freely, and is also one of the few countries in Africa with liberalized electricity markets. With a high population density, low labor costs, and minimal influence from religion and trade unions on investment, Uganda is a member of the East African Community and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, allowing products to enter other member countries and enjoy preferential treatment. At the same time, Uganda is one of the direct beneficiaries of the Rome Convention and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and many of its products, such as agricultural products and textiles, enjoy preferential treatment such as tariff-free and quota-free exports to countries like the European Union and the United States.