Browse / Uganda / Northern / Lira
Lira
Northerncity
Lira
Total population
99,059
Founded
1919
Air quality index
Demographic figures from Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Lira is a city in the Northern Region of Uganda. It serves as the main urban center of the Lango sub-region. On 1 July 2020, Lira was officially elevated to city status as part of Uganda's government plan to create new cities across the country. Following this elevation, Lira City became a separate administrative entity distinct from Lira District.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Lira is the oldest district in Lango sub-region that was formed in 1974 with Lango ethnic group as the main occupants. Lira was one of the last towns in Uganda held by loyalists of Idi Amin during the Uganda–Tanzania War (1978–1979). A force consisting of the Tanzania People's Defence Force's 201st Brigade and the Uganda National Liberation Front's Kikosi Maalum attacked Lira on 15 May 1979, ousting the Amin loyalists after a short battle. The clash at Lira was the last important battle of the Uganda–Tanzania War, as the remnants of Amin's army completely disintegrated thereafter.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
10-year averages from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo).
Air quality
Current readings from Open-Meteo Air Quality API (Copernicus CAMS European reanalysis).
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines, 1789) · Aves7
- Gray-backed FiscalLanius excubitoroides Prevost & Des Murs, 1847 · Aves7
- Yellow-fronted TinkerbirdPogoniulus chrysoconus (Temminck, 1832) · Aves6
- PiapiacPtilostomus afer (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves6
- Black KiteMilvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves6
- African Palm-SwiftCypsiurus parvus (M.H.K.Lichtenstein, 1823) · Aves5
- Black-headed GonolekLaniarius erythrogaster (Cretzschmar, 1829) · Aves4
- Red-cheeked CordonbleuUraeginthus bengalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves4
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Earthquake history
Most recent
- M 4.4 — 2026-05-3127 km N of Nakasongola, Uganda
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in Northern
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Lira
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).
Events
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis)
- • Wikidata
- • Open-Meteo Air Quality (CAMS)
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • iNaturalist
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library