Entebbe StreetSign post of European Cemetery in Entebbe, Uganda
Entebbe is a city inCentralUganda which is located onLake Victoria peninsula, approximately 36 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of the Ugandan capital city,Kampala.[3] Entebbe was once the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda prior to independence, in 1962. The city is the location ofEntebbe International Airport, Uganda's largest commercial and military airport, which gained worldwide attention in 1976Israeli rescue of 100 hostages kidnapped by the militant group of thePFLP-EO andRevolutionary Cells (RZ) organizations. Entebbe is also the location ofState House, the official office and residence of thePresident of Uganda.[4][5]
The word came fromLuganda languagee ntebe which means 'seat' / 'chair'. Entebbe was a cultural site for the Mamba clan and it was called "entebbe za Mugula" - Mugula was the title of a chief of a subdivision of the Mamba clan - and is now the location of the official office and residence of thePresident of Uganda, as it was for British governors before independence. Entebbe was the former seat of power in the country, but has now been replaced by Kampala.[6]
Entebbe sits on the northern shores ofLake Victoria, Africa's largestlake. The town is situated inWakiso District, approximately 34 kilometres (21 mi) south ofKampala, Uganda'scapital and largest city.[7] The metropolis is located on a peninsula into Lake Victoria, covering a total area of 56.2 square kilometres (21.7 sq mi), out of which 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) is water. The coordinates of Entebbe are:0°03'00.0"N, 32°27'36.0"E (Latitude:0.0500; Longitude:32.4600).[8] Neighborhoods within Entebbe City include Bugonga, Katabi, Nakiwogo, Nsamizi, Kitooro, Lunnyo andLugonjo.[9]
During the 2002 national census, Entebbe's population was estimated at 55,100 people. In 2010, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimated the population of the town at 76,500. In 2011, UBOS estimated the population of Entebbe at approximately 79,700.[10] On 27 August 2014, the national population census put Entebbe's population at 69,958.[1]
"Entebbe", in the localLuganda language, means a "seat" and was probably named that because it was the place where aBaganda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases. It first became aBritish colonial administrative and commercial centre in 1893 whenSir Gerald Portal, a colonial Commissioner, used it as a base.[12]Port Bell went on to become Kampala's harbour. Although no ships dock there now, there is still ajetty, which was used byLake Victoria ferries.
Entebbe International Airport, the main international airport of Uganda, has been the site of some well known events, making it famous in Europe and abroad. It was from this airport thatQueenElizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952 when she learned of her father's death and that she had become Queen. The airport was the scene ofOperation Entebbe, a hostage rescue on 4 July 1976, when soldiers from theSayeret Matkal,Paratroopers Brigade andGolani Brigade units of theIsraeli Army freed over 100 hostages following ahijacking by a group ofPalestinian and German militia.
The city of Entebbe also hosted final resolution talks to end theM23 rebellion.[13]
Entebbe is also home to one of the historical site in Kigungu where the first catholic missionaries Brother Amans and Father Mon Maple Lourdel landed to establish the catholic faith in Uganda.
Entebbe is home of the oldest golf course in East Africa calledEntebbe Golf Club, which was established in 1900. Entebbe Golf Club is surrounded by the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, (formerly Entebbe Zoo), on its south side.
The Special Forces Command, a specialized unit of theUganda People's Defense Forces, responsible for the security of the president of Uganda, his immediate family, constitutional monarchs, state guests and vital national assets, including the national oil fields, maintains its headquarters in Entebbe.[21]
Other points of interest within the city limits or close to its edges include the offices of Entebbe City Council and several branches of foreign and indigenous commercial banks. The supermarket chain,Shoprite, maintains a branch in Entebbe.[22]
Entebbe is home to theEntebbe Children's Surgical Hospital, a children's hospital, center of excellence for pediatric surgery, owned and operated byEmergency, an internationalNGO that offers "free medical treatment to the victims of war, poverty and landmines".[23]
Entebbe experiences atropical rainforest climate (Af) according to theKöppen climate classification as the city has no real dry season throughout the year. Its driest month is July with precipitation averaging 72 millimetres or 2.83 inches, while the wettest is April with precipitation averaging 264 millimetres or 10.39 inches. The temperature is moderated by the altitude. The hottest month is February with an average temperature of 22.8 °C (73.0 °F), while the coolest is July with an average temperature of 20.6 °C (69.1 °F).
