ENTEBBE

city, south-central Uganda, eastern Africa, at the end of a peninsula jutting into Lake Victoria 21 miles (34 km) south of Kampala. Founded as a garrison post in 1893, it served as the British administrative centre of Uganda until 1958. Its elevation (3,760 feet above sea level) gives it a perpetually moderate summer climate. Entebbe has noted botanical gardens, a veterinary research laboratory, and a virus research institute. Basically a residential centre for government employees, the city has no industry. It is, however, a transportation crossroads for eastern Africa, with an international airport and steamship connections via Lake Victoria to the countries of Kenya and Tanzania and to other parts of Uganda. The airport was the site of an Israeli airborne commando raid on the night of July 3/4, 1976, that freed 103 hostages from a jet hijacked by Palestinian terrorists. The population is African, with small minorities of Europeans. The Asian minority was expelled in 1972. Pop. (1980) 21,289.