Lira District is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Northern Uganda The Northern Region is one of four regions in the country of Uganda. As of Uganda's 2014 census, the region's population was . Districts As of 2010, the Northern Region had 30 districts A district is a type of administrative division tha ...

. Like many other

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

n districts, it is named after its 'chief town',

Lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...

Location

Lira District is bordered by

Pader District Pader may refer to: People with the surname *Hilaire Pader (1607-1677), French painter and poet. Places * Pader District, a district of Uganda * Pader, Uganda, capital of Pader District * Pader (river), a river in Germany Organizations * PADER, ...

to the north,

Otuke District Otuke District is a district in Northern Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, Otuke district is named after its 'chief town', Otuke, where the district headquarters are located. Location Otuke District is bordered by Agago District to th ...

to the northeast,

Alebtong District Alebtong District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town of Alebtong is the site of the district headquarters. Location Alebtong District is located in the Lango sub-region. The district is bordered by Otuke District to the ...

to the east,

Dokolo District Dokolo District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town of Dokolo is its main municipal, administrative, and commercial centre. Location Dokolo District is bordered by Lira District to the northwest, Alebtong District to the no ...

to the southeast,

Apac District Apac District is a district in the Northern Region of Uganda. The Town of Apac hosts the district headquarters. Location Apac District is bordered by Oyam District to the north-east, Kole District to the north, Lira District to the north-east, D ...

to the southwest and

Kole District Kole District is a district in Northern Uganda. Like most other Ugandan districts, it is named after its 'chief town', Kole, where the district headquarters are located. Location Kole District is bordered by Lira District to the east, Apac Di ...

to the west. The main municipal, administrative and commercial center in the district,

, is located , by road, southeast of

Gulu Gulu is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the commercial and administrative centre of Gulu District. The coordinates of the city of Gulu are 2°46'54.0"N 32°17'57.0"E. The distance from Gulu to Kampala, Uganda's capital and large ...

, the largest city in Northern Uganda. The coordinates of the district are: 2° 16' 26" N / 32° 57' 11" E.

Overview

Until 2005, the district comprised six counties; Erute, Dokolo, Kyoga, Otuke, Moroto and Lira Municipality. These were further subdivided into 28 sub-counties. Of the 28 sub-counties, four are Municipal Divisions. There are a total of 192

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

es with 2,247

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

s. With

Dokolo Dokolo is a town in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial centre of Dokolo District. Location Dokolo is located approximately , by road, southeast of Lira, the largest city in the sub-region. Thi ...

becoming a district in 2005, Alebtong and Otuke in 2010, Lira District now consists of three counties: Erute North County, Erute South County and Lira Municipality.

Conflict and displacement

Long untouched by the

Lord's Resistance Army The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...

insurgency that ravaged

Kitgum Kitgum is a municipality in Kitgum District in the Northern Region of Uganda. The town is administered by Kitgum Municipality Council, an urban local government. It is the largest metropolitan area in the district and the site of the district ...

and

s to the north, the increased violence of 2002 resulted in massive

population displacement Forced displacement (also forced migration) is an involuntary or coerced movement of a person or people away from their home or home region. The UNHCR defines 'forced displacement' as follows: displaced "as a result of persecution, conflict, ...

within the district of Lira. However, as of June 2009, the security situation in the district was relatively peaceful. In 2006 and 2007, Lira District experienced a massive return of

Internally Displaced Persons An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. ...

. Over 310,000 of the estimated 350,000 left camps to return to their home villages in a period of 14 months.

Lango sub-region

Lira District is part of Lango sub-region, which consists of the following districts: Alebtong, Amolatar,

Apac Apac is a town in Apac District in the Northern Region of Uganda. It is the 'chief town' of the district and the district headquarters are located there. The district is named after the town. Location Apac is located approximately , by road ...

, Lira,

Kole Kole Weathers is a fictional superheroine in DC Comics. She is a former member of the Teen Titans. Fictional character biography Professor Abel Weathers, paranoid of an impending nuclear holocaust, was attempting to find a way for humanity to ...

, Otuke and Oyam. The sub-region is coterminous with the now defunct Lango District. Lango sub-region was home to an estimated 1.5 million Langi in 2002, according to the national census conducted at that time.

Population

In 1991, the Uganda national population census estimated the population in the district at about 191,500. Eleven years later, the 2002 national population census, put the district population at about 290,600, with an annual population growth rate of 3.4%. In 2012, the population of Lira District was estimated at about 403,100. The majority of the population are ethnic Lango and the predominant language spoken is Lango.

Economic activity

Lira District has a diversified economy including: # Grain Milling # Wholesale and retail sales #

Leisure industry The leisure industry is the segment of business focused on recreation, entertainment, sports, and tourism (REST)-related products and services. The field has developed to the point of having university degrees and disciplines focused on it, such ...

Brick making A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

Pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

# Roof tile making #

Carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...

Logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

Construction Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

Embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

# Crop processing & marketing # Metal repairs & fabrication # Printing services # Bookshop business #

Boda-boda Boda bodas are bicycles and motorcycle taxis commonly found in East Africa. While motorcycle taxis like boda bodas are present throughout Africa and beyond, the term ''boda boda'' is specific to East Africa. In Kenya, they are more frequently c ...

business # Pharmaceutical sales

References

External links

Lira District Website
{{Authority control Lango sub-region Districts of Uganda Northern Region, Uganda