UGANDA

GEOGRAPHY
Uganda is a landlocked country astride the equator, about 800 kilometers inland from the Indian Ocean. It lies on the northwestern shores of Lake Victoria, extending from 1 south to 4 north latitude and 30 to 35 east longitude.Uganda is bordered by Tanzania and Rwanda to the south, Zaire to the west, Sudan to the north, and Kenya to the east. With a land surface of 241,139 square kilometers (roughly twice the size of the state of Pennsylvania), Uganda occupies most of the Lake Victoria Basin, which was formed by the geological shifts that created the Rift Valley during the Pleistocene era. The Sese Islands and other small islands in Lake Victoria also lie within Uganda's borders.
Like no other country, Uganda represents the changing faces of recent African history. Behind the people's optimism and the country's beauties lie the horrors and ruins of a dark and gloomy past. However, during the colonial times and the first few years of its independence, Uganda was the British's favourite colony, and everybody predicted the country a glorious future - it was the young Winston Churchill in his book 'My African Journey', published in 1908, who created the famous line that Uganda was 'The Pearl of Africa'.
Kampala, the capital city of Uganda is spread over ten hills and derives its name from a kiganda expression "kasozi k'empala, "the hill of antelopes"

CLIMATE
The majority of the country has a tropical climate which varies according to altitude. During the year the hottest months are from December to February when the temperature reaches 29 degrees Celsius. The rainy seasons are from April to May and October to November, with the wettest month being April. Temperatures in some parts of the country can be quite cool owing to the country’s high altitude, despite its position on the equator. The mountain areas become much cooler and the top of Mount Elgon is often covered with snow. Other parts of the country are much warmer. There is heavy rain between March and May and between October and November. The best times to visit are December-March and June-September. It can be somewhat rainy then, but not as rainy as in the rainy season, March-June. December-February and June-July are the driest times, when things can even be a bit dusty. Although the country lies astride the equator, most of Uganda is on a plateau 3,600-6,000 ft/900-1,830 m above sea level.

KENYA


GEOGRAPHY
Some 583 000 kilometers square, bisected by the equator, inhabited by over 40 different tribes, and populated by the most numerous and varied wildlife in the world, Kenya is the 'Cradle of Mankind' and a land of spectacular contrast. From the pre-historic splendour of the Rift Valley to the beautiful beaches of the Indian Ocean, from the cultural hub of Nairobi to the game-parks of Tsavo and the Masai Mara, this vast country is a traveller's heaven. Kenya . In Hemingway's words, “Unknowable, unimaginable, unbelievable." And completely Kenya’s landscape ranks among the most fascinating and diverse the world over.
This is truly, "The Land of Contrasts ". It is the whole world just in one country.

CLIMATE
The vegetation which covers the rocks and the wildlife that live there and the overall attractiveness of a climate essentially depend on three major factors: temperature, rainfall and humidity. In Kenya these three factors are con trolled by altitude. In general the low areas are very hot and the temperature falls as the land rises. The low areas also tend to have poor rainfall and a dry atmosphere with low humidity. The main exceptions are the coastal strip and the area along the shore of Lake Victoria in the west. Both are hot with high rainfall and high humidity.

TANZANIA


GEOGRAPHY
Tanzania is situated just south of the Equator bordering the Indian Ocean and is 930,704 sq. km. in area. Of this, inland waters cover 53,000-sq. km. and 247,537-sq. km. is devoted to the protection of wildlife. Most of the land area of the country falls within the central plateau region, although the most distinctive feature is the Great Rift Valley with its associated series of lakes from Nyasa in the south, to Tanganyika in the west and Victoria in the north. Volcanic activity is common throughout the Rift Valley area. The coastline comprises long tropical beaches and the major offshore islands of Zanzibar , Mafia and Pemba . The population presently occupying Tanzania is about 30,3 million. Approximately 3,2 people per square kilometre.