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Entebbe
Entebbe Location in Uganda
Coordinates: 0°02′40″N 32°27′57″E / 0.04444°N 32.46583°E / 0.04444; 32.46583
Country	Uganda
Admin. division
District	Wakiso District
Government
- Mayor	Stephen Kabuye
Elevation	3,871 ft (1,180 m)
Population (2008 Estimate)
- Total	70,200

Entebbe is a city in Uganda. The city 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 terrorists of the PFLP and Revolutionary Cells (RZ) organizations.

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.^[1][2]

Population

During the 2002 national census, Entebbe's population was estimated at 55,086 people. In 2008, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimated the population of the town at 70,200.^[3]

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 terrorists. It was also from this airport that Queen Elizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952 when learning of her father's death and that she had become Queen.

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)^[4] 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.
• Entebbe is also the location of State House, the official residence of the President of Uganda^[5]

Sunset over Entebbe

Entebbe International Airport

Bugonga Church in Entebbe

Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria

Other Landmarks

Landmarks within the city limits or close to its edges include:

• The offices of Entebbe City Council
• Three branches of Barclays Bank
• A branch of Ecobank
• A branch of Equity Bank
• Two branches of Orient Bank
• A branch of PostBank Uganda
• Two branches of Stanbic Bank
• A branch of Bank of Africa^[6]
• A branch of Uganda Finance Trust Limited - A Tier III Financial Institution

See also

Uganda portal

• Operation Entebbe
• Entebbe Airport

References

Coordinates: 00°02′40″N 32°27′57″E / 0.04444°N 32.46583°E / 0.04444; 32.46583

Wakiso District Capital: Wakiso Counties and sub-counties Kyaddondo County · Busiro County Parishes Busukuma · Entebbe Municipality · Gombe · Kakiri Municipality · Katabi · Kasanje · Kira Municipality · Makindye · Masuliita · Nabweru · Namayumba · Nangabo · Nansana Municipality · Nsangi · Ssisa · Wakiso Municipality ·  · Towns and villages Banda · Buddo · Entebbe · Kira · Banda · Bweyogerere  · Kireka · Namugongo · Kasangati  · Gayaza · Nakweero · Matugga · Wakiso · Kakiri · Nansana · Kajjansi · Kyengera · Sentema · Lubowa · Namulonge · Naalya · Kulambiro · Mpererwe · Kanyanya ·  ·  · Economy Uganda Clays Limited · Roofings Limited · Uganda Civil Aviation Authority · Bank of Africa · Barclays Bank · Crane Bank · Equity Bank · Orient Bank · Uganda Finance Trust Limited · PostBank Uganda · Stanbic Bank · Ugachick Limited  · Kingstone Enterprises Limited ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  · Notable landmarks Old Entebbe Town · Entebbe Botanical Gardens · State House Entebbe · Lake Victoria · Kasubi Tombs · Mandela National Stadium · Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel  · Imperial Resort Beach Hotel · Imperial Golf View Hotel · Uganda Martyrs Basilica · Banda Kabaka's Palace · Kireka Kabaka's Palace · Bulago Resort Island · Ngamba Island ·  · Transport Entebbe International Airport · Kajjansi Airport · Namulonge Airport · Kampala-Jinja Highway · Gayaza-Ziroobwe Road · Matugga-Kapeeka Road · Kampala Northern Bypass Highway ·  · Education Uganda Martyrs High School Namugongo · King's College Budo · African Bible College (Uganda) · Nkumba University · Gayaza High School ·  · Notable people Gilbert Bukenya · Apolo Nsibambi · Nelson Sewankambo ·  ·

From Wikitravel

Entebbe is a city built on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda.

Understand

The city is the location of the international airport. The drive to or from Kampala is about an hour. The United Nations uses Entebbe as a depot and staging area for their vehicles and heavy equipment that are part of peace keeping and other missions in the central African region. Entebbe offers a relaxed stop-over alternative to Kampala on your way into or out of the country by airplane, as the air is clean, the streets are safe to walk, and the old colonial gardens and parks with the lake in the background make for a serene atmosphere.

Get in

To get to Entebbe, one must show intrepid and insightful research skills. It is not hard to catch a ride to Entebbe--the difficulty lies in understanding the journey itself. There is a small minibus go to Entebbe from Kampala every 30 minutes or 1 hour. The fee is USh 2000 (1.8 USD) but for foreigners ussually the driver will ask for USh 2500 (2.3 USD. The journey itself will take 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can take the minibus in the minibus station near to the Kampala central market with sign of every town destination.

Get around

Boda-boda (Motorcycle Taxi) is the easiest choice to go around. As boda-boda accidents are one of the most common medical concerns in Uganda, hiring a taxi from a trusted source (decent hotel, friend, or colleague recommendation) may be wiser.

• The Botanical Gardens - while not spectacular, the gardens are of interest to botanists and bird-watchers. They host stands of large trees in a parklike setting, an alleged filming site of a "Tarzan" movie, a troop of colobus monkeys, and various birds. As of 2005, the unofficial guides at the gardens were unusually aggressive for Uganda, and if you engage their services you should agree on a reasonable price beforehand.

Buy

Fresh fruits and wonderful, sweet smelling, black German bread at the authentic, if somewhat cheesy, bakery that opened its doors on the lakeside in early 2008. A popular retreat for all tourists and not simply Germans, Cafe Bavariana offers excellent pastries and proper mircofoam cappucinos and other espresso based coffees. They are particularly proud of the organic, free-trade, coffee that they procure from the gorilla-clad slopes near the Rwandan border. Open six days a week, Monday to Saturday, from 730am until 10pm.

• Boma Guesthouse, Julia Sebutinde Road, ph: +256(0)772 467929, (email:[1]) They have excellent food, good service, and a friendly atmosphere.

Get out