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

That leaves Uganda, where crude is due to start being produced next year and sent via a massive new pipeline to Tanzania, though even that can only cater to a maximum of 246,000 bpd.

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

West Nile virus was first recognized in the West Nile District of Uganda in 1937, according to the vector control district.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

If confirmed it would have been the first case in the UK since an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda in May.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

It said staff had reported that "no-one was allowed to enter or leave the compound", while NTV Uganda and Spark TV viewers "were met with blank screens displaying the message 'video unavailable'."

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

I decided to wait until dawn, when it would be twilight in Uganda, and tried the call again.

From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau