Arua is approximately 475 kilometres (295 mi) north-west of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda,[4] Arua is about 228 kilometres (142 mi), by road, west of Gulu, the largest city in Uganda's Northern Region.[5] The geographical coordinates of the city of Arua are 03°02'07.0"N, 30°54'39.0"E (Latitude:3.035278; Longitude:30.910833).[6] Arua sits at an average elevation of 1,310 metres (4,298 ft) above sea level.[7] 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.[8]
Due to its strategic location, Arua is also part of the refugee program of hosting up to 20% of the refugees entering Uganda annually.[9]
A branch of the Uganda Railways was to be extended to Arua sometime after 1964,[10] but there has been no passenger rail service in Uganda for many years.[11]
The Vurra–Arua–Koboko–Oraba Road passes through town, in a south–north direction.[12] Arua is connected to the other towns in West Nile by road which include: Nebbi, Pakwach, Paidha, Koboko, Yumbe, Moyo, Obongi, Adjumani and other smaller towns. There is regular road transport between Arua and Kampala, Gulu, Masindi and Hoima
The city is served by Arua Airport, which has scheduled air service.[13] Arua airport has been the second busiest in Uganda after Entebbe. It was due to be upgraded to an international airport.
Population
Boda, car and bicycle moving on Arua Main Street
The 1969 national census enumerated the population of Arua Town at 10,837. In 1991, the census enumerated 22,217 people in the town. In 2002, the population had increased to 43,929. The August 2014 national census and household survey enumerated the population of Arua Town Council at 61,962. In 2020, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the mid-year population to be 72,400. UBOS calculated that the population of Arua Municipality grew at an average rate of 2.7 percent annually, between 2014 and 2020.[1]
BTN TV and Nile FM studios in Anyafio Village, Arua Hill Division
Analog broadcasts, which originate from Kampala, include WBS TV (which is currently closed), UBC TV, and NTV. In early 2014, MBC 2 was aired in Arua as a test broadcast to pave way for Vision Group's Urban TV.[18]. WestNile TV emerged as the only functional TV Station situated on ground in Arua meanwhile Host Tv, an Online TV Station also pioneered in Arua aiding digital transformation
Voice of Life, a Church of Uganda-founded radio station, has pioneered FM broadcasting in Arua since 1997.[19]
^"Klimatafel von Arua / Uganda"(PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
