Mbale is a town in the eastern region of Uganda, at the foot of Mount Elgon. It is one of the nation's largest urban areas and the commercial center for a coffee-producing agricultural region. Mbale is linked by rail with Kampala (Uganda's capital) and Nairobi (Kenya's capital) which is used mainly for cargo and by highway with Kampala.

Uganda's population is made up of a complex and diverse range of tribes. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking peoples, who dominate much of east, central and southern Africa. In Uganda they include the Buganda and several other tribes. In the north live the Lango and the Acholi, who speak Nilotic languages. To the east are the Teso and Karamojong, who are related to the Maasai and who also speak Nilotic languages.

Country Facts

Population: 31,367,972
Nationality: Ugandan
Language: Ganda, English
Capital: Kampala
Percent population under age of 15: 50%
Years of life expectancy at birth: 46.8
Infant mortality (per 1000 live births): 81
Child mortality (death before age 5): 140
Per capita health expenditure: $77