Entebbe
| Entebbe | |
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 Entebbe
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| Coordinates: 0°02′40″N 32°27′57″E / 0.04444°N 32.46583°E | |
| Country |  Uganda |
| Region | Central Uganda |
| District | Wakiso District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vincent Kayanja[1] |
| Elevation | 3,870 ft (1,180 m) |
| Population (2011 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 79,700 |
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962. Entebbe is the location of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda's largest commercial and military airport, best known for the dramatic rescue of 100 hostages kidnapped by the resistance group of the PFLP and Revolutionary Cells (RZ) organizations. Entebbe is also the location of State House, the official office and residence of the President of Uganda.
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[edit] Location
Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. Entebbe lies at 00.04N, 32.465E. It is situated in Wakiso District, approximately 37 kilometres (23 mi), southwest of Kampala, Uganda's largest city and capital.
The Municipality 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 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) is water.[2][3]
[edit] Population
During the 2002 national census, Entebbe's population was estimated at 55,086 people. In 2008, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), estimated the population of the town at 70,200.[4] In 2011, UBOS estimated the population of Entebbe at approximately 79,700.[5]
[edit] History
"Entebbe", in the local Luganda language, means a "seat", and was probably named that because it was the place where a Baganda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases. It first became a British colonial administrative and commercial centre in 1893 when Sir Gerald Portal, a colonial Commissioner, used it as a base. Port Bell went on to become Kampala's harbour. Although no ships dock there now, there is still a jetty, which was used by Lake Victoria ferries. Entebbe is perhaps best known to Europeans as the home of Entebbe International Airport, the main international airport of Uganda, which was started in 1947. The Entebbe airport was the scene of one of the most daring counter-terrorism operations in history when soldiers from an elite unit of the Israeli army freed over 100 hostages following a hijacking by a group of Palestinian and German militia. It was also from this airport that Queen Elizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952 when she learned of her father's death and that she had become Queen.
[edit] Tourist attractions
- The extensive National Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1898, are located in Entebbe.
- Entebbe is the home of the Uganda Virus Research Institute.. (UVRI).
- Entebbe is the location of the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC)[6] The Center also serves as the national zoo. The entrance to the Center is located near the jetty. Foreign visitors have noted the seeming incongruity of wild monkeys sitting in the trees over the Center's paths.
- Entebbe is the location of Nkumba University, one of the thirty one (31) licensed institutions of tertiary education in Uganda.
- It feels great on landing to Entebbe International airport as it lands just after passing Lake Victoria. The scene looks extremely beautiful flying over Lake Victoria and just landing to the Airport.
- State House, the official residence of the President of Uganda, is located in Entebbe.[7]
- Entebbe is also home to 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.
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Sunset over Entebbe
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Bugonga Church in Entebbe
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Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria
[edit] Other points of interest
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 national banks.
[edit] Climate
Entebbe features a tropical rainforest climate with relatively constant temperatures throughout the course of the year. Entebbe has noticeably wetter and drier months, with January being the city's driest month and a noticeably drier stretch from July through September. However, since average monthly precipitation in each of these months is above 60 mm, Entebbe has no true dry season and therefore falls under the tropical rainforest climate category. Entebbe's wettest months are April and May, when, on average, roughly 250 mm of rain falls in each of these months. Entebbe's average annual temperature is approximately 21 degrees Celsius.
| Climate data for Entebbe | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 32 (90) |
32 (90) |
33 (91) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
29 (84) |
28 (82) |
29 (84) |
31 (88) |
29 (84) |
32 (90) |
29 (84) |
33 (91) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
27 (81) |
26 (79) |
26 (79) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
26 (79) |
26 (79) |
26 (79) |
26 (79) |
25.6 (78.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18 (64) |
18 (64) |
18 (64) |
18 (64) |
18 (64) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
18 (64) |
17 (63) |
17.5 (63.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 14 (57) |
14 (57) |
14 (57) |
15 (59) |
15 (59) |
14 (57) |
12 (54) |
13 (55) |
14 (57) |
14 (57) |
14 (57) |
14 (57) |
12 (54) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 66 (2.6) |
91 (3.58) |
160 (6.3) |
257 (10.12) |
244 (9.61) |
122 (4.8) |
76 (2.99) |
74 (2.91) |
74 (2.91) |
94 (3.7) |
132 (5.2) |
117 (4.61) |
1,507 (59.33) |
| Source: BBC Weather [8] | |||||||||||||
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Vincent Kayanja Elected Mayor in 2011
- ^ Location of Entebbe
- ^ Distance from Kampala to Entebbe with Map
- ^ 2002 and 2008 Estimated Populations of Ugandan Cities and Towns
- ^ 2011 Estimated Populations Of Ugandan Cities And Towns
- ^ UWEC Homepage
- ^ State House, Entebbe
- ^ "Average Conditions Toamasina, Madagascar". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000730. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
[edit] External links
Media related to Entebbe at Wikimedia Commons
