Entebbe
Entebbe is a city in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake 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 of Entebbe International Airport, Uganda's largest commercial and military airport, best known for the Israeli rescue of 100 hostages kidnapped by the militant group of the PFLP-EO and Revolutionary Cells (RZ) organizations. Entebbe is also the location of State House, the official office and residence of the President of Uganda.[4][5]
Entebbe | |
|---|---|
Overview of Entebbe | |
Entebbe Location in Uganda Entebbe Entebbe (Africa) | |
| Coordinates: 00°03′00″N 32°27′36″E / 0.05000°N 32.46000°ECoordinates: 00°03′00″N 32°27′36″E / 0.05000°N 32.46000°E | |
| Country | Uganda |
| Region | Central Uganda |
| District | Wakiso District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vincent Kayanja[2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 56.2 km2 (21.7 sq mi) |
| • Water | 20 km2 (8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,180 m (3,870 ft) |
| Population (2014 Census) | |
| • Total | 69,958[1] |
Etymology
The word came from Luganda language e 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 the President 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 Entebbe was the former seat of power in the country, but has now been replaced by Kampala.[6]
Location
Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. The town is situated in Wakiso District, approximately 34 kilometres (21 mi) south of Kampala, Uganda's capital 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 and Lugonjo.[9]
Population
During the 2002 national census, Entebbe's population was estimated at about 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]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 21,096 | — |
| 1980 | 21,289 | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 42,763 | +100.9% |
| 2002 | 55,086 | +28.8% |
| 2014 | 70,219 | +27.5% |
| source:[11] | ||
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.[12] 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 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 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. The airport was the scene of Operation Entebbe, a hostage rescue on 4 July 1976, when soldiers from the Sayeret Matkal, Paratroopers Brigade and Golani Brigade units of the Israeli Army freed over 100 hostages following a hijacking by a group of Palestinian and German militia.
The city of Entebbe also hosted final resolution talks to end the M23 rebellion.[citation needed]
Biomedical research hub
Entebbe is home to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), a Ugandan government organization which provides space to conduct research to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative HIV vaccine program, the UK Medical Research Centre Laboratories (MRC), the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).[13] Most research performed at UVRI is infectious disease-oriented and focuses on HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and helminth infections.[14] It is also home for the headquarters of Uganda National Medical Stores, until the new headquarters and main warehouse building in Kajjansi is completed, then the headquarters will relocate to Kajjansi.[15]
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 Centre (UWEC)[16] The centre also serves as the national zoo. The entrance to the centre is located near the jetty. Foreign visitors have noted the seeming incongruity of wild monkeys sitting in the trees over the centre's paths.
- Entebbe is the location of Nkumba University, one of the more than thirty licensed institutions of tertiary education in Uganda.
- State House, the official residence of the President of Uganda, is located in Entebbe.[17]
- 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.
Sunset over Entebbe
Bugonga Church in Entebbe
Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria
Entebbe along Lake Victoria
- Entebbe is home of the oldest golf course in East Africa called Entebbe 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.
Government and infrastructure
The head office of the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority is on the property of Entebbe International Airport.[18] The Uganda Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries maintains its headquarters in Entebbe.[19]
The Special Forces Command, a specialized unit of the Uganda 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.[20]
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 indigenous commercial banks. The supermarket chain, Shoprite, maintains a branch in Entebbe.[21] In 2014, the American fast-food chain KFC opened a franchise in the town.[22]
Geography
Climate
Entebbe experiences tropical rainforest climate (Af) according to the Köppen climate classification as the city has no real dry season throughout the year. The driest season is January with precipitation total 65 millimetres (2.6 in), while the wettest season is April with precipitation total 256 millimetres (10.1 in). The temperature is moderated by the altitude. The hottest month is February with average temperature 22.8 °C (73.0 °F), while the coolest month is July with average temperature 20.6 °C (69.1 °F).
| Climate data for Entebbe, Uganda (1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.0 (86.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.9 (84.0) | 29.8 (85.6) | 29.6 (85.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 29.5 (85.1) | 31.7 (89.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.4 (77.7) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.1 (79.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.0 (64.4) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.7 (63.9) | 17.9 (64.2) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.9 (64.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) | 10.7 (51.3) | 14.4 (57.9) | 12.2 (54.0) | 14.3 (57.7) | 14.0 (57.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.0 (53.6) | 13.2 (55.8) | 13.9 (57.0) | 14.3 (57.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 10.0 (50.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 86.7 (3.41) | 84.4 (3.32) | 184.5 (7.26) | 264.4 (10.41) | 253.8 (9.99) | 116.2 (4.57) | 72.1 (2.84) | 77.8 (3.06) | 79.0 (3.11) | 127.6 (5.02) | 171.7 (6.76) | 120.6 (4.75) | 1,638.8 (64.52) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7.3 | 7.3 | 13.1 | 16.8 | 16.2 | 9.4 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 10.7 | 13.6 | 10.2 | 124.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 76 | 76 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 77 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 234 | 204 | 205 | 181 | 191 | 187 | 197 | 194 | 194 | 205 | 202 | 214 | 2,408 |
| Source 1: World Meteorological Organization[23] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and humidity),[24] Danish Meteorological Institute (sun, 1931–1960)[25] | |||||||||||||
See also
References
- ^ a b UBOS (27 August 2014). "The Population of The Regions of the Republic of Uganda And All Cities And Towns of More Than 15,000 Inhabitants". Citypopulation.de Quoting Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- ^ Ssebuyira, Martin (26 May 2011). "New Entebbe Mayor Faces Sh600 Million Debt Hurdle". Daily Monitor via AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ Google (30 August 2021). "Road Distance Between Central Kampala, Uganda And Entebbe City, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ Ampurire, Paul (22 May 2019). "Cabinet Approves Phased Creation Of Nine New Cities Beginning 2020". Kampala: SoftPower Uganda. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Uganda Radio Network (21 May 2019). "Cabinet approves creation of nine cities". Daily Monitor Quoting Uganda Radio Network. Kampala. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
- ^ Visit Entebbe (28 December 2020). "Our History". Entebbe, Uganda: Visitentebbe.net. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ Google (28 December 2020). "Distance between Central Kampala, Uganda and Entebbe Town, Uganda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
- ^ Google (2 July 2015). "Location of Entebbe At Google Maps" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Eve Muganga (26 September 2018). "Lugonjo never goes to sleep". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ (PDF). Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ Entebbe population statistics
- ^ Britannica, Entebbe, britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019
- ^ "NIH International Center for Excellence in Research". Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- ^ "Research on Endemic, Neglected, Emerging and Re-emerging infections (ENERI), MRC/UVRI". MRC/UVRI. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- ^ Deo Wasswa (10 May 2018). "National Medical Store to shift base to Kajjasi". Kampala: Capital Radio Uganda. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "UWEC Homepage". Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "Homepage of State House Entebbe". State House Entebbe. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ Airport-technology.com (2019). "Entebbe International Airport Expansion". Copyright 2019 Verdict Media Limited. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Uganda Ministry of Agriculture (2019). "Uganda Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries: Contact Details". Entebbe: Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Uganda). Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Global Security (18 May 2016). "About the Special Forces Command (SFC)". Washington DC: GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Uganda Business News (8 September 2017). "Shoprite to open a fourth store at Victoria Mall". Kampala: Uganda Business News. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Ogwal, Lawrence (31 July 2014). "KFC Opens New Branch At Victoria Mall In Entebbe". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ "World Weather Information Service – Entebbe". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Klimatafel von Entebbe (Flugh.) / Uganda" (PDF). Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ (PDF). Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
External links
- Updated Website: A guide to Entebbe City
- Profile of Entebbe Town In August 2012 2016-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
- UVRI-IAVI HIV Vaccine Program in Entebbe 2019-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS
Media related to Entebbe at Wikimedia Commons