Teso sub-region

Teso sub-region borders Karamoja to the north and east, Lango to the west, and Bukedi to the south. Much of the countryside forms an undulating plateau with rock outcrops, plus shallow lakes, swamps, and extensive wetlands linked to the Lake Kyoga basin. The sub-region has a bimodal rainfall pattern supporting two main cropping seasons. Vegetation includes grassland savannah, and soils are often sandy loam, varying with terrain. == Administrative units ==

Teso sub-region includes ten districts plus Soroti City as a separate local government unit in the 2024 census reporting tables. == Demographics ==

The 2024 census (preliminary results) reports population growth from 1,819,708 in 2014 to 2,462,344 in 2024 for Teso sub-region. The largest ethnic group is the Iteso, and the sub-region also includes communities such as the Kumam, including areas of intermarriage. == Languages ==

The main language is Ateso (Teso), an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Uganda and Kenya. Ethnologue lists Ateso under ISO 639-3 code teo. == Economy ==

Agriculture is a major livelihood. Common crops include cassava, sorghum, finger millet, groundnuts, rice, and sweet potatoes, plus oilseed crops and cotton as a major cash crop in parts of the farming system. == Environment and tourism ==

Wetlands linked to the Lake Kyoga system support birdlife, including species associated with the Lake Opeta–Bisina wetland system highlighted in regional profiles. The sub-region also includes heritage sites such as the Nyero rock paintings in Kumi District, listed on Uganda’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List (submission date 10 September 1997). == Transport and education ==

Soroti Airfield serves aviation training and is used by the East African Civil Aviation Academy (Soroti), with some ad hoc commercial operations. The East African Civil Aviation Academy reports establishment in 1971 under the then East African Community’s Directorate of Civil Aviation. == History ==

The late 1980s and early 1990s period included an armed insurgency in parts of the sub-region involving the Uganda People's Army, a group recruited largely from the Iteso, active from 1987 to 1992. Livestock raiding and insecurity along the Karamoja border has also affected neighbouring districts in northeastern Uganda in multiple periods, including early 2000s reporting on raids into bordering districts. == Culture ==

Cultural leadership among the Iteso is organised under the Iteso Cultural Union, headed by the Emorimor (paramount chief). Media reporting identifies Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot as a recent cultural leader in public functions. == See also ==