History
Main article: History of Uganda
Little is known about the history of the region until the arrival of the first non-Africans, although humans are known to have lived at least since the first millennium BC. When Arabs and Europeans arrived in the 19th century, they encountered a number of kingdoms in the area, supposedly founded in the 16th century. The largest and most important of these kingdoms was the still-existing Buganda.
The area was placed under the charter of the British East Africa Company in 1888, and became a protectorate under the United Kingdom in 1894. Uganda was granted independence in 1962.
A 1971 coup saw Idi Amin take power, ruling as a dictator for the coming decade. His rule cost an estimated 300,000 Ugandans' lives. His reign was ended by a Tanzanian invasion in 1979. The situation improved little with the coming of Milton Obote, who was deposed in 1985, although rebels continued to fight long afterwards. Current president Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Uganda
The president, currently Yoweri Museveni is both head of state and head of government. The president appoints a prime minister, who aids him in his tasks. The parliament is formed by the National Assembly, which has 303 members. 81 of these members are nominated by interest groups, including women and the Ugandan army. The remaining members are elected for five-year terms during general elections.
Districts
Main article: Districts of Uganda
Uganda is divided into 45 distritcts, listed below. The districts are all named after their chief city.