Uganda

Uganda is a small, densely-populated country in eastern Africa. It is generally considered to be a physically beautiful country; Winston Churchill called it "the pearl of Africa", words which are repeated in the national anthem Oh, Uganda!.

In the modern era, Uganda came to the notice of westerners for various reasons. The search for the Nile River caused the exploration of much of East Africa, and Uganda was "discovered by contesting explorers Speak and Stanley, and by Samuel Baker. Late in the 19th Century, Christian missionaries made strong inroads, resulting in devout converts. The Uganda Martyrs were a group of young noblemen killed for their faith; as with most martyrs, their constancy and faith served to win others to the new religion and Christianity remains the faith of a majority of Ugandans.

Immediately after World War I, Uganda was suggested as a possible homeland for the settlement of Jews, though the idea was quickly abandoned. Following the rise of the African intelligentsia in the 1960s and the attendant push for the independence of African nations, Uganda became a showpiece for modern Africa, with a high GNP, good roads, adequate hydro-electric power, modern cities (Kampala, the capital, the international airport at Entebbe, and Jinja, site of the Owen Falls Dam and Nytil Industries (clothing). Makerere University and Makerere University Medical School enjoyed a world-class reputation and tourism to its first-class game parks accounted for about 80% of GNP and made Uganda a popular holiday destination.

Still, for most of the modern era, Uganda was little known among ordinary westerners. Uganda was occasionally mentioned in popular culture when an exotic, faraway or unlikely venue was needed. In 1972 at the Munich Olypics, runner John Akii-Bua surprised most when he won the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles in world record time. Someone handed him a Ugandan flag, and in his excitement he ran around the track with it; starting a "victory lap" tradition which continues to the present.