Uganda

[yoo-gan-duh, oo-gahn‑]

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.

Uganda

/ 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)

Uganda

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.

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

Meanwhile, flash flooding and landslides in Uganda, near the border with Kenya, have killed a number of people since last Wednesday.

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Earlier this month, Standard Chartered agreed to sell its wealth and retail banking business in Uganda to South African bank Absa Group.

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The candidate was born in Uganda to a Muslim family of Indian origin and became a US citizen in 2018.

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KAMPALA, Uganda—Sudanese rebels captured the last government stronghold in Darfur, seizing full control of a region where they have twice been accused of committing genocide.

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The 34-year-old election frontrunner was born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin and has lived in the United States since he was seven, becoming a naturalized US citizen in 2018.

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