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Entebbe

 

Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. On a Lake Victoria peninsula, approximately 37 kilometres (23 mi) southwest of the Ugandan capital, Kampala, it was once 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-EO 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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Etymology

The word came from Luganda language e ntebe which means 'seat' / 'chair'. Entebbe was the seat of the colonial governor in the early 1900s, when the country was a British protectorate, and is now the location of the official office and residence of the President of Uganda, hence the name. Entebbe is the seat of power in the country.

 

Location

Entebbe sits on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake. The town is situated in Wakiso District, approximately 37 kilometres (23 mi) southwest of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. 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 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).[

 

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) 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.

  • 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.

  • t also has a snake/reptile park

  • being located on the shores, it has got a variety sand beaches eg aero beach, entebbe resort beach,                                   

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