uganda
Travellers are flocking to Uganda's beautiful mountains, trekking opportunities and communities of mountain gorillas. Kampala is now the modern, bustling capital of a new Uganda, a country with one of the fastest growing economies in Africa.

The church in Uganda is looking ahead to see God continue to transform the nation. Uganda is famous as one of the first countries in the world to see a dramatic reduction in HIV. The war in northern Uganda which led to over 1 million people being displaced from their homes ended with a ceasefire in 2006. Since then northern Uganda has begun a process of redevelopment although many people remain traumatised. Poverty and unemployment remain as major social problems throughout the country.

full name
Republic of Uganda

government type
republic

head of state and government
President Yoweri Museveni

capital city
Kampala

area
236,040 sq km (15.39% water)

population
24,699,073 (2000)

time zone
GMT/UTC +3 (East African Time)

languages
English (official), Luganda / Lusoga (around Jinja)
There are over 40 languages spoken in Uganda.

religion
Roman Catholic (33%), Protestant (33%), indigenous beliefs (18%), Muslim (16%)

currency
Ugandan Shilling (UGX / USh) localy written as /=

The diversity of Uganda's peoples as well as the countries attractions will continue to draw visitors to this contry straddling the equator. For those considering a visit you will be rewarded by national parks untrammeled by the masses, rare and endangered animals that cannot be seen elsewhere on the continent, spectacular bird life, trekking on the volcanoes of the Virunga and Mt. Elgon, and  the 'Mountains of the Moon' the Ruwenzori Mountains, a proclaimed a world heritage site.

jinja
Best known for the town's location at Source of the Nile however for most visitors it is not Jinja town they come to visit but to experience the river rafting, quad biking and bungee jumping conducted on the Nile some 8 kms out of Jinja at the Bujagali Falls.

Jinja lies on the shores of Lake Victoria. Old Asian-style buildings characterize the town, reflecting the days when the town had a sizeable Asian community. Many returning Asians to Uganda are choosing to set up businesses in Jinja and the town is once again becoming prosperous.

Jinja is close to the Owen Falls Dam, a hydroelectric station that supplies Uganda with the bulk of its electricity. The main Kampala to Jinja road runs across the top of the dam, and the railway line crosses on a bridge close by. Before the building of the Owen Falls Dam, the Source of the Nile was the Ripon Falls, where the Nile left Lake Victoria on its way to the Mediterranean. The waters of the new dam inundated and submerged the Falls.

Jinja is 80 kms north-east of Kampala and is easily accessible by buses and minibus taxis (matatu). There is a good tarmac road between Kampala and Jinja which continues to the Malaba and Busia border posts with Kenya.

Several bus companies operate services between Nairobi and Kampala passing through Jinja on the way.

Map of Jinja