Masindi District

Masindi District
District
District location in Uganda
Coordinates:01°41′N31°44′E
Country	Uganda
Region	Western Uganda
Sub-region	Bunyoro sub-region
Capital	Masindi
Area
• Land	2,584.6 km2(997.9 sq mi)
Population (2012 Estimate)
• Total	352,400
• Density	136.3/km2(353/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3(EAT)
Website	www.masindi.go.ug

Masindi Districtis adistrictinWestern Uganda.Like many otherUgandandistricts, it is named after its 'chief town' ofMasindi,the location of the district headquarters.

Location

Masindi District is bordered byNwoya Districtto the north,Kiryandongo Districtto the east,Nakasongola DistrictandNakaseke Districtto the southeast,Kyankwanzi Districtto the south,Hoima Districtto the southwest andBulisa Districtto the northwest.Masindi,the 'chief town' of the district is located approximately 220 kilometres (140 mi) west ofUganda's capitalKampala.The coordinates of the district are: 01 41N, 31 44E.

Overview

Masindi District comprises a total area of 9,326 square kilometres (3,601 sq mi), of which 8,087 square kilometres (3,122 sq mi) (86.7%) is land, 2,843 square kilometres (1,098 sq mi) (30.5%) national wild reserve area, 1,031 square kilometres (398 sq mi) (11.1%) is national forest reserve and 799.6 square kilometres (308.7 sq mi) is open water.Approximately 196.3 square kilometres (75.8 sq mi) (2.1%) of the district are permanent wetlands.

Population

Masindi street

The region of the country in which the district is located is comparatively dry, but is fertile enough to support a predominantly agriculturalist population. Most of the district residents are both poor and rural. The district, as configured currently, had population of about 129,700 during the 1991 national population census. Eleven years later, during the national census of 2002, the population had increased to about 208,420. At that time, 50.1% of the population were males and 49.9% were females. The annual population growth rate in the district at that time was 5.1%.During 2012, the mid-year population of the district was estimated at approximately 352,400.

Masindi District has a diverse ethnic composition of 55 tribes, with the dominant tribes, theBanyoroand theBagungu,forming about 59.9% of the population. TheAlur,theJonamand theAringaform 5.3%. TheBaruliform 4.5%. People fromRwanda,Kenya,South Sudanand theDemocratic Republic of the Congohave also settled permanently in the district. The average household size is about 4.86 persons, lower than the regional average of 5.2. The population is predominantly rural, with only 5.43% of the residents living in urban areas.

Economic activities

Agriculture is the main economic activity in the district. Crops grown include:

• Millet
• Sorghum
• Sunflower
• Simsim
• Sweet potatoes
• Irish potatoes
• Cassava
• Maize
• Cotton
• Coffee
• Tobacco
• Cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Soybeans
• Peas
• Bananas

Fishing is practiced in the rivers and onLake Albert.Fish farmingis an important economic activity with over 250 ponds in the district. Bee keeping for honey production is an increasing practice in the district. Tourism is also increasing with a steady stream of visitors toMurchison Falls National Park.

73.1% of the population in the district are engaged insmallholderagricultural activities. About 6.2% of the total farmland is under large scale commercial farming. The district is the leading producer of maize in the region. In Uganda, onlyIganga DistrictandKapchorwa Districtproduce more maize than Masindi District.

Points of interest

The following points of interest are found in Masindi District:

• Murchison Falls National Park- More than 50% of the park is located in Masindi District, south of theVictoria Nile
• Murchison Falls- On the Victoria Nile, are also located in Masindi District, inside the national park.
• * Budongo Forest Reserve - About 40 kilometres (25 mi), by road, west of Masindi on the Masindi-Butiaba Road
• Omukama's Palace- One of the palaces of theOmukama of Bunyoro

See also

• Masindi
• Bunyoro Kingdom
• Bunyoro sub-region
• Murchison Falls National Park
• Murchison Falls