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Map of East Africa
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Uganda
Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable forest
Situated in the heart of Africa and astride the Equator, this lush and fertile country with spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife - is the Pearl of Africa. Its beauty is only surpassed by its most famous attraction - Bwindi, home of the elusive gorilla. The last of the Mountain Gorillas (only 600 remain in the wild), half of the populations of the world’s gorilla live in the Virunga Mountains and diverse eco-system that support a large variety of birdlife, insects and reptiles. Uganda offers a unique and truly dramatic destination to see the great apes.
Amongst Uganda's attractions are the magnificent Murchison Falls where the 50 metres wide Nile is forced through a narrow cleft in the rocks, plunging hundreds of feet into a narrow gorge. Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest of Uganda's National Parks. A pleasant area of rolling grassland and wooded savanna, the park extends from Karuma Falls in the east to Lake Albert in the west.
The main attraction for tourists here is the launch trip on the source of River Nile where one has the opportunity to see riverine species such as the crocodiles and hippopotamus, together with a variety of game animals and an impressive array of bird species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the treasures of Uganda and a Mecca for bird-watchers. The Ruwenzoris or the Mountains of the Moon, as the Greek astrologer Ptolemy first named them, have a legendary beauty, and are perhaps the most beautiful mountain range in the whole of Africa.
