Entebbe << ehn TEHB ay >>, (pop. 69,430), is a major city in Uganda. It lies on Lake Victoria’s northwest shore south of Kampala, Uganda’s commercial center and capital.
Entebbe was founded in 1893 as the British colonial headquarters of Uganda. It was the capital from 1894 until Uganda gained independence in 1962, and it is still the site of many government departments. The city also has botanical gardens, the president’s official residence, and Uganda’s international airport. Major sources of employment include construction, fishing, government, small-scale industry, tourism, and transportation.
In 1976, Palestinian terrorists hijacked a French airplane and forced the pilot to land at Entebbe. They held over 100 of the passengers—chiefly Israeli citizens—as hostages. A week later, Israeli commandos staged a daring raid at the airport. They freed almost all of the hostages. However, three hostages were killed in cross fire between the commandos, the terrorists, and Ugandan soldiers.
