Why is Uganda poor?
Uganda isn't as ridiculously poor as many of the countries that surround it, but it still qualifies as a “low income” country. This is especially tragic because Uganda's resources (loads of fertile land, mineral deposits, gold, copper, regular rainfall) have great potential and are thought to be able to feed all of Africa if seized properly. Its poverty can be mostly attributed to its history of chronic political drama and, subsequently, very questionable governing choices – particularly during the Idi Amin-led period during the '70s - have left Uganda as a very poor under-developed country. The average life expectancy age in Uganda is a mere 53 (most “well-developed” countries have it at around 80) and its literacy rate, while increasing fairly fast, is still only at around 75% at current. Its urban population is a mere 13% (though admittedly this doesn't mean as much in an “agriculture-centric” country such as Uganda as it would in other countries). And while the country has attempted to reinstall and reinvent itself to relatively impressive results (poverty headcount ratio at rural poverty line has decreased from 42.7% to 34.2% in a mere 3 years), it has still suffered from shady-at-best monetary policies and overblown civil disagreements that do nothing to help Uganda's situation.
Under-5 mortality rate as of 2009: 128
Primary school net enrolment/attendance as of 2009: 82%
Total population (thousands), 2009: 32710