Arua District
Encyclopedia
Arua District is a district
in Northern Uganda
. Like most other Uganda
n districts, it shares its name with its administrative center of Arua
. The district is named after the town.
, a significant amount of local economic activity is the result of cross-border trade. Arua District is bordered by Yumbe District
to the north, Adjumani District
to the northeast, Amuru District
to the east, Nebbi District
to the southeast, Zombo District
to the southwest, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
to the west and Maracha District
to the northwest. The district headquarters at Arua
are located about 425 kilometres (264.1 mi), by road, northwest of Kampala
, the capital of Uganda
and that country's ;largest city. The coordinates of the district are:03 00N, 31 10E.
town. In the late 1970s the Ugandan president at the time Godfrey Binaisa
declared that all districts/ provinces acquire their names from their regional capital so that is how Arua district inherited the name from Arua town. The district originally included Aringa County, which was later split off to become Yumbe District
.
The district is the birthplace of former President Idi Amin
. Arua District was a springboard for some units of the Uganda People's Defense Force who entered the DRC at the beginning of the Second Congo War
.
Arua District is a peaceful district save for the disruption caused in the late 1990s by the Lord's Resistance Army
rebels on the Karuma
-Pakwach
road that provides the main road link into the district. In 2005, the northeastern part of the district was split off as a separate, new district of Koboko District
.
Arua District has five counties after three of the original six counties were split off. Koboko was granted district status. Maracha was, in 2006, also granted district status, (Maracha District). Initially, Terego County was also included in Maracha District (Maracha-Terego District). However, failing to agree on were the new district headquarters should be located, Terego County opted to remain part of the larger Arua District. The inhabitants of Terego County in Arua District and those of Maracha District
, regard themselves as different ethnicities; although the Government of Uganda recognizes them as the Lugbara
. The other counties in Arua District are: Vurra, Madi-Okollo and Ayivu; where the Arua District headquarters are located.
{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Arua District Population Trends
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Year!! Estimated Population
|-
|2002||413,100
|-
|2003||429,600
|-
|2004||446,800
|-
|2005||464,700
|-
|2006||483,300
|-
|2007||502,600
|-
|2008||522,700
|-
|2009||543,600
|-
|2010||565,300
|-
|}
In addition to crops, the following fauna is reared for food at home and for sale in the towns:
Due to a high influx of refugees from Southern Sudan (estimated at 50,000 at one time), the natural environment in the district has been severely stressed, causing deforestation in some areas. The refugee population extensively engages in the growth of tobacco
to raise cash for survival thus putting severe pressure on the land. With the return of peace in Southern Sudan, many of the refugees have gone back home.
In 2008 and 2009, honey
is steadily replacing tobacco as a leading income stream, with a ready International market. Piggery is also on the increase in the district. The district produces about 30 tons of fish from over 600 private fish farms and from the River Nile. The district has about 117,000 head of local Zebu cattle. However the district milk output remains low.
The biggest asset of the district is perhaps the continued prevalence of peace and security for the last 25 years and denunciation of rebellion which has attracted many developmental projects. Major achievements include infrastructural transformation such as the tarmacking of the Arua to Karuma Highway, the West Nile Rural Electrification Project
and numerous telephone communication networks that have been established in the region.
Districts of Uganda
Uganda is divided into 111 districts and one city across four administrative regions. Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns....
in Northern Uganda
Northern Region, Uganda
Northern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
. Like most other Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n districts, it shares its name with its administrative center of Arua
Arua
Arua is a town in Arua District, Northern Uganda. An important local commercial centre, it is a base for a large refugee population from Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is an aid distribution centre for those nations.-Location:...
. The district is named after the town.
Location
Located in a corner of the country that borders both Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the CongoDemocratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, a significant amount of local economic activity is the result of cross-border trade. Arua District is bordered by Yumbe District
Yumbe District
Yumbe District is a district in Northern Region, Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Yumbe, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Yumbe District is one of Uganda's most northern districts...
to the north, Adjumani District
Adjumani District
Adjumani District is a district in Northern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Adjumani, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the northeast, Amuru District
Amuru District
Amuru District is a district in Northern Uganda. Like most Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Amuru, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
to the east, Nebbi District
Nebbi District
Nebbi District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its main municipal, commercial and administrative centre, Nebbi, the location of the district headquarters.-Location:...
to the southeast, Zombo District
Zombo District
Zombo District is a district in Northern Uganda. It is named after its main municipal, administrative and commercial center, Zombo.-Location:Zombo District is bordered by Arua District to the north, Nebbi District to the east, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south and west...
to the southwest, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
to the west and Maracha District
Maracha District
Maracha District is a district in Northern Uganda. It was formed in 2006 from Arua District. Initially the county of Terego was also removed from Arua District, to be part of the new district...
to the northwest. The district headquarters at Arua
Arua
Arua is a town in Arua District, Northern Uganda. An important local commercial centre, it is a base for a large refugee population from Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is an aid distribution centre for those nations.-Location:...
are located about 425 kilometres (264.1 mi), by road, northwest of Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, the capital of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and that country's ;largest city. The coordinates of the district are:03 00N, 31 10E.
Overview
Arua District got its name from AruaArua
Arua is a town in Arua District, Northern Uganda. An important local commercial centre, it is a base for a large refugee population from Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is an aid distribution centre for those nations.-Location:...
town. In the late 1970s the Ugandan president at the time Godfrey Binaisa
Godfrey Binaisa
Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa QC was a Ugandan lawyer who was Attorney General of Uganda from 1962 to 1968 and later served as President of Uganda from June 1979 to May 1980. At his death he was Uganda's only surviving former president....
declared that all districts/ provinces acquire their names from their regional capital so that is how Arua district inherited the name from Arua town. The district originally included Aringa County, which was later split off to become Yumbe District
Yumbe District
Yumbe District is a district in Northern Region, Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Yumbe, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:Yumbe District is one of Uganda's most northern districts...
.
The district is the birthplace of former President Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
. Arua District was a springboard for some units of the Uganda People's Defense Force who entered the DRC at the beginning of the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
.
Arua District is a peaceful district save for the disruption caused in the late 1990s by the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
rebels on the Karuma
Karuma
-Location:Karuma is located on the Victoria Nile, at the present location of the Karuma Falls. This location is adjacent to the location where the Masindi-Gulu Highway, crosses the river Nile. It is approximately , by road, northeast of Masindi and approximately , by road, south of Gulu...
-Pakwach
Pakwach
- Location :Pakwach is located in Nebbi District, in West Nile sub-region, in Northern Uganda. It is situated approximately , by road, southeast of Arua, the largest town in West Nile. This location lies along the western bank of the Albert Nile, approximately , by road, southwest of Gulu, the...
road that provides the main road link into the district. In 2005, the northeastern part of the district was split off as a separate, new district of Koboko District
Koboko District
Koboko District is a district in Northern Uganda. The district is named after its 'chief town', Koboko, where the district headquarters are located.-Location:...
.
Arua District has five counties after three of the original six counties were split off. Koboko was granted district status. Maracha was, in 2006, also granted district status, (Maracha District). Initially, Terego County was also included in Maracha District (Maracha-Terego District). However, failing to agree on were the new district headquarters should be located, Terego County opted to remain part of the larger Arua District. The inhabitants of Terego County in Arua District and those of Maracha District
Maracha District
Maracha District is a district in Northern Uganda. It was formed in 2006 from Arua District. Initially the county of Terego was also removed from Arua District, to be part of the new district...
, regard themselves as different ethnicities; although the Government of Uganda recognizes them as the Lugbara
Lugbara
The Lugbara are an ethnic group who live mainly in the West Nile region of Uganda and in the adjoining area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. The other counties in Arua District are: Vurra, Madi-Okollo and Ayivu; where the Arua District headquarters are located.
Population
The 2002 national census estimated the district population at about 413,100, with an annual population growth rate of about 4%. It is estimated that in 2010, the district population is approximately 565,300. See table below:{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Arua District Population Trends
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Year!! Estimated Population
|-
|2002||413,100
|-
|2003||429,600
|-
|2004||446,800
|-
|2005||464,700
|-
|2006||483,300
|-
|2007||502,600
|-
|2008||522,700
|-
|2009||543,600
|-
|2010||565,300
|-
|}
Economic activities
Agriculture is the backbomne of Arua District's economy. Crops raised include- GroundnutPeanutThe peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s - Beans
- MaizeMaizeMaize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
- MilletMilletThe millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
- SimsimSimsimSimsim may refer to:*Simsim, the word for sesame in various Semitic languages. Also widely used in Arab-influenced East Africa.*Simsim, Gaza, a depopulated Arab village in what is today Israel...
- MangoMangoThe mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es - AvocadoAvocadoThe avocado is a tree native to Central Mexico, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel...
- CassavaCassavaCassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
- Matooke
- Flowers
- TobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
In addition to crops, the following fauna is reared for food at home and for sale in the towns:
- African goats
- Boer goatBoer goatThe Boer goat was developed inSouth Africa in the early 1900s for meat production. Their name is derived from the Dutch word "Boer" meaning farmer. The Boer goat was probably bred from the indigenous goats of the Namaqua Bushmen and the Fooku tribes, with some crossing of Indian and European...
s - Hybrid goats
- ChickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
- both for eggs and meat - Fish farmingFish farmingFish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
- PigPigA pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s - Bee keeping
Due to a high influx of refugees from Southern Sudan (estimated at 50,000 at one time), the natural environment in the district has been severely stressed, causing deforestation in some areas. The refugee population extensively engages in the growth of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
to raise cash for survival thus putting severe pressure on the land. With the return of peace in Southern Sudan, many of the refugees have gone back home.
In 2008 and 2009, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
is steadily replacing tobacco as a leading income stream, with a ready International market. Piggery is also on the increase in the district. The district produces about 30 tons of fish from over 600 private fish farms and from the River Nile. The district has about 117,000 head of local Zebu cattle. However the district milk output remains low.
The biggest asset of the district is perhaps the continued prevalence of peace and security for the last 25 years and denunciation of rebellion which has attracted many developmental projects. Major achievements include infrastructural transformation such as the tarmacking of the Arua to Karuma Highway, the West Nile Rural Electrification Project
Nyagak Power Station
-Location:The power station is located across the Nyagak River, in Nyapea Sub County, Okoro County, Zombo District, in West Nile, Northern Uganda. This location lies in the town of Paidha, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and numerous telephone communication networks that have been established in the region.
See also
- AruaAruaArua is a town in Arua District, Northern Uganda. An important local commercial centre, it is a base for a large refugee population from Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is an aid distribution centre for those nations.-Location:...
- Arua AirportArua AirportArua Airport is a civilian airport in the town of Arua, Uganda. It is one of the forty-six airports in the country.-Location:The airport is located in the town of Arua, Arua District, West Nile Sub-Region, in Northern Uganda, close to the International borders with the Democratic Republic of the...
- West Nile sub-regionWest Nile sub-regionWest Nile sub-region is a region in north-western Uganda that consists of the districts of Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Maracha-Terego, Moyo, Nebbi and Yumbe...
- Northern Region, UgandaNorthern Region, UgandaNorthern Region is a region of Uganda. It is divided into the following districts:...
- Districts of UgandaDistricts of UgandaUganda is divided into 111 districts and one city across four administrative regions. Most districts are named after their main commercial and administrative towns....