It is a beautiful country that has had the blessing of mother nature so generously that you feel tempted to think God Himself was unfair in his creation to other countries, given the harsh natural conditions we find in certain parts of the world. Until recently, Uganda used to enjoy two rainy seasons and abundant fresh water bodies that are homes to a variety of wild life and fish, some of which grow to their ripe old age in our waters.
The Great Nile River has its source in Uganda, flowing out of Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world and watering and dutifully watering the lands of Sudan and Egypt all year round with un wavering commitment! We of such strategic importance to the Sudan and Egypt that if anything happens to our water bodies, the entire Egyptian civilization will vanish from the face of the earth.
The North Eastern part of this blessed country is the only area that passes for a semi-arid region, yet in comparative terms, it is not a desert. It receives rains sufficient enough to grow draught resistant crops and it is rich in minerals like gold, marble and precious stones. It is in the North Eastern extreme of this country that we find the Kidepo National Park. This is home to the Giraffes, Ostriches, Uganda Kob and thousands of Antelopes. It is also the home to the Karimojong speaking people who have a passionate attachment to a cattle culture.
The Western region on the other hand is even more spectacular. The Rwenzori Mountains offers the biggest tropical contradictions in the world. It has the Equator passing next to its foot, but quite amazingly, its peak, the Margarita, is snow capped with sprawling white glaciers. The base of this Block Mountain spills over to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is here that we have the famous Queen Elizabeth National Park and Home to the mountain Gorillas. There are about 348 Gorillas in Uganda, Rwanda, DRC and Central Africa living in about 32 families and about 80-100 of these rare animals live in Uganda. Many tourists visit our country to see these Gorillas in their natural habitat
Mountain Gorillas of Uganda
The people of Uganda have a proud history. There are historical sites gazetted for tourist to go and have an insight into our past. In Eastern Uganda, there are Ngero Rock paintings which depict the minds of pre-historic man who lived here long before the present people settled on these lands.
In Central Uganda, the Kasubi tombs where all the Buganda Kings have been buried since time immemorial also attract a lot of people from foreign lands. Buganda was the most significant Inter-lacustrine Kingdom from which Uganda got its current national nomenclature.
In Mubende, there is a tree Called
Nakiyima,
which is about 800 years old. Legend has it that Nakiyima, wife of one of the Chwezi King's called Ndahura, planted it in about 1200 AD. The Chwezi were the mythical Aristocrats who ruled the great lakes regions in the era shortly before the arrival of the Luo conquerors from Southern Sudan. There is a strong belief in the population that the 800 year old tree which has breasts, does indeed, have mystical powers and the ability to bring good luck to those who pay homage to it. In recent years, it has become a tourist destination and many white tourists regularly visit the tree for good luck.
The Mid Western region of Uganda boasts of some of the most beautiful women in the world. These are Banyankole/Batoro queens whose European-like features make them more Europeans than Africans. They are elegant and refined in their ways. They are highly educated and that is also where the President of the land hails from. Today Power is effectively in the hands of westerners-they are using it to put the West well on the edge of development compared to other regions. Many people think the current Western dominated leaders have failed to provide balanced development in the country but for sure, they have given peace to the Ugandans
Recently huge oil resources were discovered in the Lake Albert regions of Western Uganda. If things continue the way they are at the moment, I dare say that this beautiful country which Churchill, the Former Prime Minister of Britain fondly called The Pearl of Africa will soon become a powerful member of OPEC and we shall not only be seen, but also heard on the world stage.
