Uganda Equator, Kayabwe Mpigi

The Uganda Equator – 00 Latitude

What is meant by the equator?
An Equator is an imaginary line that exists at same distances apart from both the northern and the southern poles of the earth’s surface. The Equator divides the earth into two different hemispheres, that is the southern and the northern hemispheres.

In Uganda the equator landmark are found in two different regions. One can be spotted at Kayabwe along Kampala-Masaka road, about 72km from Kampala Uganda’s capital city. This is a common and mostly known landmark that most of the tourists to Uganda visit. It’s also a 1hr and 30min drive from Kampala to this equator landmark destination.

This is not only a tourist destination, it is a flourishing centre where local people have set restaurants like the Flamingoz joint, Uganda Equator line restaurant, Equator barberque commonly known for its only Chinese food etc., art galleries like the gallery of traditional techniques, child Africa art gallery and kaffe or shops where tourists buy some souvenirs.

The other landmark can be spotted in Kasese district within Queen Elizabeth national park in the western region of Uganda.

Experience at the Uganda Equator
At the equator you will always experience warm temperatures as you also get a chance of standing in the middle of the world, that is one part of the body in the northern hemisphere and the other part in the southern hemisphere of the world. Still at this same position (equator line) your body weight is lost by 3%, this can be proved by weighing yourself at the weighing machine provided at this point. But you will weigh your normal weight at any other point besides the imaginary equator line.

For those whose who move compass direction, when you get to this imaginary line you observe that the compass needle will have no dip hence remaining in a perfect horizontal position.

How water whirls in different directions at different hemispheres?
When in the northern side of the hemisphere, water is observed rotating and draining in the clockwise direction, when in the southern side of the hemisphere water rotates and drains in the anti-clockwise direction and when on this imaginary line no rotations can take place every motions are just constant, that is water drains straight downwards.

NB: In Africa, the Equator passes through 7 countries and these include: Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Kenya and Somalia.

Other countries through which the Equator passes.

  • Asia-Pacific – 3 countries that is Maldives, Indonesia and Kiribati
  • South America – 3 countries that is Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil

Activities around the equator landmarks or monuments in Uganda

  • Shopping at the local established galleries and shops
  • Memorable photo taking
  • Carrying out water whirl experiment at and around the equator line.

Nearby tourist destinations

  • Lake Mburo national park
  • Queen Elizabeth national park