Descriptions:

Landlocked Uganda has transformed itself from a country with a troubled past to one of relative stability and prosperity.

Since its independence from Britain in 1962, the east African nation has endured a military coup, followed by a brutal military dictatorship which ended in 1979, disputed elections in 1980 and a five-year war that brought current President Yoweri Museveni to power in 1986.

The country has also had to contend with a brutal 20-year insurgency in the north, led by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

While the country has won praise for its vigorous campaign against HIV/AIDS it has also attracted international attention for its hardening stance against the LGBT community.

• Republic of Uganda
• Capital: Kampala
• Population 35.6 million
• Area 241,038 sq km (93,072 sq miles)
• Languages English (official), Swahili (official), Luganda, various Bantu and Nilotic languages
• Major religionsChristianity, Islam
• Life expectancy 54 years (men), 55 years (women)
• Currency Ugandan shilling