Uganda

American  

[yoo-gan-duh, oo-gahn‑] / yuˈgæn də, uˈgɑn‑ /

noun

1. an independent state in E Africa, between the NE Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British protectorate. 91,065 sq. mi. (241,068 sq. km). Kampala.

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Uganda British  

/ juːˈɡændə /

noun

1. a republic in E Africa: British protectorate established in 1894–96; gained independence in 1962 and became a republic in 1963; a member of the Commonwealth. It consists mostly of a savanna plateau with part of Lake Victoria in the southeast and mountains in the southwest, reaching 5109 m (16 763 ft) in the Ruwenzori Range. Official language: English; Swahili, Luganda, and Luo are also widely spoken. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: Ugandan shilling. Capital: Kampala. Pop: 34 758 809 (2013 est). Area: 235 886 sq km (91 076 sq miles)

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Uganda Cultural  

1. Landlocked nation on Lake Victoria in east-central Africa, bordered by Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, Sudan to the north, and Kenya to the east. Its capital and largest city is Kampala.

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Discover More

From 1971 to 1979, Uganda was ruled by the notorious military strongman Idi Amin. It is estimated that Amin killed as many as 300,000 Ugandans through internal purges and campaigns of terror before he was overthrown.

Under Amin, Uganda was a sponsor of international terrorism. In 1976, a French airliner was hijacked and flown to Entebbe Airport outside Kampala. An Israeli commando unit subsequently rescued the hostages in a sensational raid.

Other Word Forms

• Ugandan
  adjective

Example Sentences

The story connects a town in Uganda with animal lovers thousands of miles away.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

About a month after the two met, Davy moved to Uganda to work at a nonprofit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

For decades, the 200 Ngogo chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda, lived what seemed a calm and normal existence.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

Last month, the human world-record holder, Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda, finished the roughly 13-mile race in 57 minutes and 20 seconds in Lisbon, Portugal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

It turned out they had been trapped at locations all over central Uganda.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston