Bubembe Island
Encyclopedia
Bubembe Island is an island in Lake Victoria
inside the country of Uganda. In the religion of the Buganda
people, it is the home of the temple of Mukasa.
people, Bubembe Island is the home of the temple of Mukasa.
, used for cosmetics and biofuels. After violent protests, the Ugandan government has stopped further destruction for the moment, but the unique biosphere is currently under serious threat.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
inside the country of Uganda. In the religion of the Buganda
Buganda
Buganda is a subnational kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Ganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda, comprising all of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala, with the exception of the disputed eastern Kayunga District...
people, it is the home of the temple of Mukasa.
Overview
Bubembe Island is one of 84 islands in Lake Victoria known as the Ssese Islands. The islands belong to the Kalangala District , and lie in the north-western section of Lake Victoria. Many of the 84 islands are uninhabited except for a few fishermen, so the forests, and swamps which abound around some of the coasts make the islands a perfect habitat for birds. It should be easy to spot the whale-headed Stork and the many herons and geese, but more exclusive birds include the Grey Parrot, kingfishers and Fish Eagles. The virtually virgin land is rich in plant life, and many, of the species are reportedly new to botanists.http://www.myuganda.co.ug/tourTravel/ssese.php. Currently, the island is fighting against heavy environmental degradation.Culture
Life on the islands is simple, the people welcoming. Life centers around the religion, the fishing boats and the trading centres. In the religion of the BugandaBuganda
Buganda is a subnational kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Ganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda, comprising all of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala, with the exception of the disputed eastern Kayunga District...
people, Bubembe Island is the home of the temple of Mukasa.
Wildlife
The wildlife on the Islands includes hippo and crocodile, found near the shores, and waterbuck roam freely, as does the shy Sitatunga antelope. In the forested areas, chimps and monkeys are free to swing from the trees. Vervet monkey, colobus monkey, a prolific variety of water and forest birds including hornbill, touraco, flycatcher, weaver, fish eagle, paradise flycatcher, colourful butterflies are simply everywhere.Environmental Destruction
Recently, the vegetable oil producer Bidco has started to bulldozer parts of the island to set up monocultures of oil palmOil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
, used for cosmetics and biofuels. After violent protests, the Ugandan government has stopped further destruction for the moment, but the unique biosphere is currently under serious threat.