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

“We refer you to the governments of Ghana and Uganda regarding legislation in their countries,” a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

The affected countries are, external the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded more than 1,000 confirmed cases and Uganda which has had 20 confirmed cases - most imported from DR Congo - so far.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

As an ecologist who has studied chimpanzees and lemurs in the field in Uganda and Madagascar, I am fascinated by the environments that shaped our primate ancestors.

From Science Daily • Jun. 20, 2026

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

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston