Kamwenge District

Kamwenge District
District

District location in Uganda
Coordinates: 00°11′N 30°27′E / 0.183°N 30.450°E / 0.183; 30.450Coordinates: 00°11′N 30°27′E / 0.183°N 30.450°E / 0.183; 30.450
Country  Uganda
Region Western Uganda
Sub-region Toro sub-region
Capital Kamwenge
Area
 • Total 2,439.4 km2 (941.9 sq mi)
 • Land 2,375.3 km2 (917.1 sq mi)
 • Water 64.1 km2 (24.7 sq mi)
Population (2012 Estimate)
 • Total 332,000
 • Density 139.8/km2 (362/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)
Website www.kamwenge.go.ug

Kamwenge District is a district in Western Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kamwenge, where the district headquarters are located. Kamwenge District is part of the Kingdom of Toro, one of the ancient traditional monarchies in Uganda. The kingdom is coterminous with Toro sub-region, home to an estimated 1 million inhabitants in 2002, according to the national population and housing census conducted that year. The districts that constitute the sub-region are: (a) Kabarole District (b) Kamwenge District (c) Kyegegwa District and (d) Kyenjojo District.

Location

Kamwenge District is bordered by Kyenjojo District to the north, Kyegegwa District and Kiruhura District to the northeast, Ibanda District to the east and southeast, Rubirizi District to the southwest, Kasese District to the west and Kabarole District to the northwest.[1] Kamwenge, the district headquarters lies approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi), by road, west of Uganda's capital, Kampala.[2] The coordinates of the district are:00 11N, 30 27E.

Overview

The district was created in 2000 by Act of Parliament. Prior to then, it was part of Kabarole District. It covers an area of approximately 2,439.4 square kilometres (941.9 sq mi). Of this, 64.1 square kilometres (24.7 sq mi) (2.6%) is covered by open water. It is predominantly a rural district with some of the worst poverty levels in the country. The district does not have a hospital.[3]

Kamwenge is made up of two counties and one Town council: 1. Kitagwenda County 2. Kibaale County and 3. Kamwenge Town Council. The district is endowed with numerous wetlands, tropical forests in the Kasyoha/Kitomi region, and Kibaale National Park, which it shares with Kabarole District and Kyenjojo District. In Bwizi subcounty, there are pockets of highland tropical forest on the mountain ranges. There are numerous aquatic systems in the district including:

Population

The 1991 national population census estimated the district population at about 201,700. The next census in 2002, put the population in the district at approximately 263,700, of whom 51.5% were female and 48.5% were male. In 2012, the population of Kamwenge District was estimated at about 332,000.[4]

Ethnicities and languages

The predominant ethnic group in the district are Bakiga, followed by Bafumbira.Other tribes include the indigenous Batoro; Batagwenda, Banyarwanda and several other tribes . Bakiga from Kabale District settled in the district in the late 1960s and early 1950s. The languages spoken include:

Rufumbira

Runyarwanda

Economic activities

Agriculture is the mainstay of the district economy. Crops raised include:

In the Kitagwenda area of the district, there is fishing, some of it for commercial purposes.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Uganda District Map
  2. ↑ "Distance Between Kampala And Kamwenge With Map". Globefeed.com. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Profile of Kamwenge District". Uganda Travel Guide. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Estimated Population of Kamwenge District In 1991, 2002 & 2012". Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.