Uganda – It has always been the Pearl of Africa.
Why is Uganda called the Pearl of Africa? – Winston Churchill popularized the Phrase in his 1908 Book “My African Journey.”
Why is Uganda called the Pearl of Africa? Who first named Uganda the Pearl of Africa? What is Winston Churchill, who first called Uganda the Pearl of Africa?
The Slogan – Uganda – the Pearl of Africa – was made famous by Winston Churchill in his 1908 book “My African Journey” about his trip to Uganda in 1907.
Winston Churchill was quite enthused about what he found in Uganda. He wrote, “For magnificence, for variety of form and color, for the profusion of brilliant life — bird, insect, reptile, beast — for vast scale — Uganda is truly “the Pearl of Africa.”
Why is Uganda called the Pearl of Africa, and who was the first to refer to Uganda as the Pearl of Africa?
Today, most in Uganda attribute the name “Pearl of Africa” to Sir Winston Churchill. However, almost every Western Explorer and Discoverer who came to Uganda felt similarly impressed as Winston Churchill.
The earlier Explorers spoke in glowing terms about the Country they found and referred to it as the Pearl of Africa.
Yes, Winston Churchill may not have been the one who first called Uganda the Pearl of Africa, and he is the one who most often is given credit. Winston Churchill popularized the term through his book and was not the first to call Uganda the Pearl of Africa.
“My African Journey.” You can buy the book on Amazon Com and Find it in our Gorilla Safari Reads Book Section. We strongly suggest that you read the book before coming to Uganda.
Was Winston Churchill the First to call Uganda – the Pearl of Africa?
Uganda infected and inspired the early explorers years before Winston Churchill arrived in the Country in 1907. They were astounded by what is now Uganda, which contained much more than the other countries they had passed through.
The explorers were amazed by the incredible beauty, natural wonders, Climate, and people. When modern travel became possible, tourists flocked to Uganda and fell in love with the Pearl of Africa.
In 1858 John Hanning Speke and Richard Burton ventured through the Buganda Kingdom and were amazed by what they found. It was John Hanning Speke that discovered Lake Victoria as the source of the Nile. He was impressed with the vast and open streets in the capital of Buganda, Kampala. He was also surprised by Buganda Kingdom’s structured society, culture, and ways.
Speke traveled through much of Uganda and headed north like Winston Churchill to the Safari circuit in Western Uganda.
John Hanning Speke’s Journey in Uganda was made known through the movie “Mountains of the Moon.” Many discounted his claims of discovering the Nile’s source only after his unfortunate death. John Hanning Speke was proven correct by Samuel and Florence Baker’s discoveries.
The earliest and most credible source referring to Uganda as the Pearl of Africa was the ruthless Henry Morton Stanley at times. He twice ventured throughout Uganda long before Winston Churchill. Sir Henry Morton Stanley was a Welsh American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author, and politician. His written words carried a lot of weight in England and America.
Frederick John D. Lugard (who saved Uganda for the British from the French) wrote, “Stanley was even louder in his praises of Uganda than Speke describing it as the “Pearl of Africa” in 1893.
Most sources name Henry Morton Stanley as the earliest and probably the most credible source of “The Pearl of Africa. ” This is especially true in American Writings before Winston Churchill’s visited the Country in 1907, and his next book was published in 1908.
Why is Uganda called the Pearl of Africa, and who named it that?
No matter who was the first to refer to “Uganda – as the Pearl of Africa.” The reality is that It has been known as and called the Pearl of Africa for over one hundred-plus Year before Winston Churchill showed up in Uganda on his African Journey in 1907 and popularized “the Pearl of Africa” in his book published in 1908.
Why is Uganda the Pearl of Africa?
Defining “The Pearl of Africa” in the 21st Century
Precious Pearls are a rare find in Nature. Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is a rare find among the fifty-plus countries that make up the African continent.
Pearls are the only gems formed and located within a living creature, and Uganda is that Gem found in the living creature called Africa.
Uganda is like an exceptional natural pearl created by Nature without polishing or cutting by man. As has been said, Uganda is, by some, a country that is “Gifted by Nature.”
It is no wonder that explorers and travelers have proclaimed Uganda a rare find of incredible beauty for years. Its Natural Wonders and its people make Uganda none other than the Pearl of Africa.
Some have not, like Uganda. One such was Katharine Hepburn, who came to Uganda to participate in “The African Queen.” Her book title alone gives away her feelings. “THE MAKING OF THE AFRICAN QUEEN: Or How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall, and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind.” For most, Uganda is and remains “the Pearl of Africa.”
Here are the reasons why Uganda is the Pearl of Africa:
1. Welcoming and Friendly People
“The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy tale. The scenery is different, the Climate is different, and most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa….what message I bring back….concentrate on Uganda.”
Ugandans are some of Africa’s most Welcoming and friendly People—people who are their home and, even more importantly, their hearts.
The Friendly Ugandan Welcome follows the concept of Traditional African Culture, where the Host assumes responsibility for the visitors’ well-being.
Winston Churchill commented on Uganda’s friendly people in 1907. That is still the reality in the 21st Century, and the only exception might be the bureaucratic Immigration officials.
It is one thing to be among friendly people, but there’s often a language barrier in many countries. Uganda is Africa’s Best English-Speaking Country, and even Winston Churchill noted that in his book. You might be advised to learn a bit of UgLish, a version of Ugandan English, which will make your time in Uganda more enjoyable.
2. Stunning scenery that continues to Amaze Visitors to Uganda as it did Winston Churchill:
Winston Churchill wrote, “The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy tale. The landscape is different… from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa….what message I bring back….concentrate on Uganda…it is the Pearl of Africa.
The scenery differs from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa. Those who have visited here would agree that the lonely Planet called Uganda, “Africa, is condensed into one Country.”
Uganda was one reason Lonely chose it as “Best Country to Visit” in 2012, and CNN Travel chose Bwindi Impenetrable Forest as the “Most Beautiful Place in the World.”
Bwindi Forest, Lake Bunyonyi, and the Rwenzori Mountains could be seen in the Blockbuster “Black Panther” movie. Uganda has the river Nile running through it.
The Virunga Volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla Park 2019 was declared the 3rd “Must Photograph Location in the World. Winston Churchill was right when he wrote: “The scenery is different.” It is one of the reasons that Uganda is the Pearl of Africa.
3. The Weather is Different- Best Weather in East Africa
Winston Churchill wrote about Uganda’s Weather and Climate: “the climate is different…from all of Africa.”
Uganda’s Climate is the best Holiday Weather in all of East Africa. Another reason is that Uganda is the Pearl of Africa.
Uganda is located on the Equator because of its Elevation and Climate. The weather is excellent all year long because of Lake Victoria, the Rwenzori Mountains, and the Virunga Volcanoes, making it a favorite Holiday Travel Destination.
For most of Uganda, there are two rainy seasons, and the sun comes out during the rainy seasons since most rain showers come at night or early morning hours.
The best months of the Year to visit Uganda are June, July, August, September, and early October. December, January, February, and early March are the other months of the Year. Even during the rainy seasons, the sun will appear on most days. The average temperature in Kampala is 28 – 30 degrees Celsius.
In Uganda, the Climate is different. Yes, it is in the Pearl of Africa.
4. A Tropical Paradise – Africa’s Tropical Fruit Basket
Winston Churchill wrote in his book My African Journey: Uganda is from end to end one beautiful garden, where the staple food of the people grows almost without labor. Does it not sound like a paradise on Earth?… Concentrate on Uganda… It is the Pearl 0f Africa.
” Get a Taste of Uganda’s Tropical Fruits on Safari in the Pearl of Africa.
Taste the bounty that this paradise called Uganda produces. Another reason is that it is the Pearl of Africa. There are over fifty kinds of different Bananas, the best Pineapple in the World, and large Papayas, flavorful passion fruits. It is Africa’s tropical fruit paradise.
Discover tropical fruits such as jackfruit, Starfruit, perfect Avocadoes, mangoes, lemons, oranges, tangerines, etc.
T has been said to put a stick into the ground, and the next day leaves will spring forth. That might be true since Harvest time in Uganda is several times a year, unlike in many other countries.
5. Uganda – One of the most Biodiverse Countries in the World
The words of Winston Churchill, published in 1908, still ring true today in the 21st Century. “For magnificence, variety of form and color, a profusion of brilliant life — bird, insect, reptile, beast — for vast scale — Uganda is true “the Pearl of Africa.”
Uganda, a small, landlocked country, the State of Oregon, makes the top ten countries regarding Biodiversity. Some call Uganda gifted by Nature.
Unlike other Safari Destinations, Uganda is home to the -Big-7.” Lions, Elephants, Hippos, Rhinos, Leopards, Buffaloes, Mountain Gorillas, and Chimpanzees. Over 1,160 Species of Birds, including the elusive Shoebill Stork, Butterflies, giant Crocodiles in Africa, and the Nile Crocodiles.
The most considerable number of endangered Nubian (Rothschild) Giraffes. That is just the beginning. One could add Tropical Jungles, Afromontane Rainforests, endless Savannahs, lakes as large as an ocean, and more.
Uganda is filled with biodiverse wonders and sights that are beyond your imagination.
The Pearl of Africa is a Timeless Slogan
The Pearl of Africa is a Brand, and no other African country has that label, and it is, in our opinion, a Timeless Slogan.
It is a Brand not created by the Ugandan Government, the Ministry of Tourism, the Uganda Tourism Board, or a hired marketing agency. There was a time when President Museveni wanted it copyrighted somehow, but that never happened.
Uganda’s Track record in Branding the Country is dismal. The only thing they could come up with was “Gifted by Nature,” a big Dud.
In 2019, tourism officials stated that “the Pearl of Africa” is no longer relevant, outdated, and a slogan that does not evoke what the Country is, something we disagree with and suggest you read.
Thank goodness common sense prevailed in 2022. The new tourism slogan is “Explore Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
The Pearl of Africa – Reality Check:
Winston Churchill’s visit to Uganda did not promote Tourism by popularizing “the Pearl of Africa.” His trip was to see how Britain could benefit economically from Uganda.
Uganda was a British Protectorate. Winston Churchill came to East Africa, Uganda, as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, not as an Ambassador of Tourism for Uganda. His book increased interest among Big Game Hunters (American President Teddy Roosevelt was one), who subsequently visited Uganda.
The Pearl of Africa is used today to promote Tourism and Commerce, which might be a term’s redemption. However, when Winston Churchill traveled here in 1907, they described Uganda’s wealth and riches as exploitation.
Today, Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is used as a Tourist Slogan that shows why Uganda is a unique African Safari Destination different from any other.
Winston Churchill saw Africa and Uganda through the lenses of his time. The Western World saw Africans as lesser than whites. The theory of Charles Darwin had become widespread, which taught white races, Europeans, to be more evolutionary and advanced than Africans. It was a time when Black Africans were famous such as the Bronx Zoo (the New York Times was all for it) in the US and other countries displays of Africans like animals. Thank goodness the times have and are changing.
Today, most Ugandans do not associate “the Pearl of Africa” with the British Colonial Era but as the slogan that describes this Country’s uniqueness. There is a sense of pride in living in the Pearl of Africa.
You will find the “Pearl of Africa” everywhere. Pearl of Africa eateries, hotels, guest houses, choirs, dance troupes, tour operators, and travel agencies.
Even schools and higher places of education have jumped on the bandwagon. They think that it is a timeless and beautiful slogan.
Ugandans see the Pearl of Africa as describing excellence, such as “the Pearl of Africa Hotel. It is part of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s decolonizing of the African mind. Nevertheless, it is a slogan we will always use at Kabiza Wilderness Safaris.
Even when it comes to our Safaris, we concentrate on Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
