International BusinessChapter 9: Organizational Management and StrategyWorld Market Passport
The Environment Officially named the Republic of Uganda, this landlocked East African nation is bordered by Kenya on the east, Sudan on the north, the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west, Rwanda on the southwest, and Tanzania on the south. Lake Victoria dominates the southern part of the country, and shares its shores with Kenya and Tanzania. Other large lakes in Uganda include Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, and Lake Edward. Located on the East African plateau, which averages about 2,950 feet above sea level, Uganda enjoys a generally tropical climate. Its most important cities are found in the south near Lake Victoria, and include the capital, Kampala, and nearby Entebbe. History While early inhabitants of Uganda were hunters and gatherers, it is believed that Bantu speaking people migrated from central and western Africa some 1500 to 2000 years ago. The settlers brought agricultural and iron working skills, as well as ideas on social and political organization. The earliest forms of organization developed into the Kingdom of Buganda and that of Bunyoro-Kitara. By the 15th and 16th centuries, other kingdoms and fiefdoms were formed. Arab traders moved in from the Indian Ocean in the 1830s, followed by British explorers in the 1860s. The United Kingdom placed the region under charter in 1888 and by 1914, had integrated the territories, calling it Uganda. In 1962, Uganda became an independent nation, followed by a series of coups and counter-coups shifting the reigns of power within the country. Culture and People One of the most striking facts about Uganda is that the average age is 15, the youngest in the world. Its more than 27.6 million people primarily speak English and Swahili, and its government remains a democratic, multi-party republic. Substantial natural resources, from fertile soils and rainfall for agriculture, to sizeable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt, to coffee, have allowed for a solid economy. Because of its large number of ethnic communities, culture within Uganda is diverse. Click to hear the music of Uganda.
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