Uganda Protectorate

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a British protectorate in east Africa; extending along the N. W. shore of the Victoria Nyanza, and lying on both sides of the equator; area 121,437 square miles; pop. about 3,000,000. It was first visited (in 1862) by Speke and Grant, and by Stanley was called the "Pearl of Africa." The country is partly mountainous, partly undulating, partly in plain, very fertile on the whole, and well wooded. The climate is mild and singularly uniform throughout the year, the variation being from 50° to 90° F. The Waganda are a warlike and highly intelligent people speaking a language g a language of the Bantu stock, with well-developed native industries. At the request of King Mtesa, English Protestant missionaries settled here in 1877, and French Catholics followed in 1879. The Christians had much to endure from Mtesa's son, King Mwanga, by whose orders Bishop Hannington was murdered in 1885 on the borders of Uganda, and hundreds of Christians were burned. The presence of Arabs and Mohammedanism further complicated matters, and intestine struggles were not long in breaking out. Dr. Peters tried to extend German influence hither, but the Imperial British East Uganda as thaidrea under the mpany regarded ing within British sphere Anglo-German agreement of 1887, and that it was so settled between England 1892 a war and Germany in 1890. In broke out between sections of the people calling themselves respectively Protestants and Catholics. In 1896 Great Britain bought out the rights of the Imperial British East Africa Company, and Uganda became a British protectorate under a resident commissioner. There are several railroads in the protectorate. In recent years there has been consideragricultural develable commercial and opment. Cotton is grown extensively and is the chief product. Coffee, peanuts and hides are also exported.