Uganda is a treasure trove for lovers of natural history. The country is awash with colour which earned it the accolade of “the Pearl of Africa” by the War-time British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The country is indeed the pearl of Africa’s crown. Most of the country is fertile and well-watered. There is a wide range of wetland habitats ranging from swamps, sandbanks, papyrus mats, rivers and vast expanses of water in Lake Victoria.
Uganda is a country of exceptional diversity. It lies at the overlap between tropical East African savannah and the West African rainforest zones. Seven of Africa’s 18 plant kingdoms are represented in Uganda, which is more than any other country on the continent. The tropical rain forests of Western Uganda have unique flora and fauna, some of which are endangered species.
As part of the emphasis on eco-tourism and in response to increasing demand from tourists, new nature trails have been developed in virtually every protected area.
These trails offer an unhurried way of exploring the wilderness and getting near to nature. The south of the country is mostly covered by forest and sub-tropical cultivation (plantains, coffee and tea). There are woodland and open Savanah grassland areas. The north is drier than most of the country. It is covered in semi-desert and dry acacia woodland, which lacks the heavy intertwining canopy found in tropical forests.
Uganda is presently the best location for tracking mountain gorillas, the country boasts a wide variety of primates ranging chimpanzees and several types of monkeys to the tiny wide-eyed bush baby. All these are easily visible among the wide variety of 343 species of large mammals that the country has to offer.