History of Entebbe

Published on 2nd January 2007

With a population of approximately 90,500, Entebbe is a city in Uganda that is located on the shore of Lake Victoria. In the local Luganda language, Entebbe means a "seat". It was probably named that because it was the place where a Baganda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases.

Majority of Entebbe's residents are civil servants and others make their livelihood through agriculture, fishing, producing consumer goods, or through small-scale industry. The primary languages are English and Lugandan. Entebbe is 21 miles from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. 

Entebbe was founded in 1893. It first became a British colonial administrative and commercial centre when Sir Gerald Portal, a colonial Commissioner, used it as a base. Port Bell went on to become Kampala's harbor. Although no ships land there now, there is still a jetty, which was used by Lake Victoria ferries.  

From 1894 to 1962 the city was the administrative capital of the British Uganda Protectorate. In 1972, Entebbe's Asian population was forced to leave as part of a nationwide expulsion of Asians by Gen. Idi Amin. In 1976, Entebbe's airport was the site of a raid by Israeli commandos who freed 103 Israeli hostages from a plane hijacked by Palestinian terrorists. Eleven Ugandan warplanes and much of the airport were destroyed in the raid.

Basically a residential centre for government employees, the city is located in a region producing cotton, coffee, and plantains. Entebbe is a transportation crossroads for eastern Africa, with an international airport and steamship connections via Lake Victoria to Kenya, Tanzania and to other parts of Uganda. 

Some of the city’s main attractions include the Ugandan Wildlife Education Center, the Botanical Gardens, and beaches along Lake Victoria. Entebbe also hosts Uganda's International Airport and the Official Residence of Uganda's President. 

Reference:

http://concise.britannica.com
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0817422.html

http://www.ugandatourism.org/Entebbe.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entebbe


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