Uganda

American  

[yoo-gan-duh, oo-gahn‑] / juˈgæn 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 case is the first of the deadly haemorrhagic fever identified outside the African continent during the current outbreak, which has also affected Uganda.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

The World Bank, under U.S. pressure, suspended $5 billion in development funding for Uganda.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

Karua faced several hurdles before she was eventually cleared to represent Besigye - including her initial application to practise as a lawyer in Uganda being rejected.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Besigye has been jailed on treason charges since being abducted in Kenya and forcibly returned to Uganda in late 2024.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

“Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg.”

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling