Arua


Arua is a city and commercial centre within the Arua District in the Northern Region of Uganda.

Location

Arua is approximately, by road, north-west of Kampala, the capital and oldest city of Uganda, and approximately, by road, west of Gulu, the largest city in Uganda's Northern Region. The geographical coordinates of the city of Arua are 03°02'07.0"N, 30°54'39.0"E. Arua sits at an average elevation of above sea level. Arua is closely bordered to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the west and South Sudan in the north which makes it a strategic location for business between Uganda and her two neighbors to the west and north.
Due to its strategic location, Arua is also part of the Refugee program of homing up to 20% of refugees annually entering into Uganda.

Overview

Arua is an important base for non-governmental organizations working in the West Nile sub-region or serving Western Equatoria in South Sudan and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It became an important commercial supply centre and transport route when the Yei–Juba road opened, enabling supplies to come into Juba from the south on the Kaya Highway instead of through Khartoum from the north.

Transport

A branch of the Uganda Railways was extended to Arua sometime after 1964, but there has been no passenger rail service in Uganda for many years.
The Vurra–Arua–Koboko–Oraba Road passes through town, in a south/north direction.
The city is served by Arua Airport, which has scheduled air service.

Population

The 2002 national census estimated the population of Arua Town at 43,930. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated the population to be 57,500. In 2011, UBOS estimated the population at 59,400. In August 2014, the national population census put the population at 62,657.

Climate

Arua has a tropical savanna climate.

Activities

Administrative activities

The following administrations are seated in Arua:
Analog broadcasts, which originate from Kampala, include WBS TV, , and . In early 2014, MBC 2 was aired in Arua as a test broadcast to pave way for Vision Group's Urban TV.
Voice of Life, a Church of Uganda-founded radio station, has pioneered FM broadcasting in Arua since 1997.