Matara ( si, මාතර දිස්ත්රික්කය ''Mātara distrikkaya''; ta, மாத்தறை மாவட்டம் ''Māttaṛai māvaṭṭam'') is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
in
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province ( si, දකුණු පළාත ''Dakuṇu Paḷāta'', ta, தென் மாகாணம் ''Theṉ Mākāṇam'') of Sri Lanka is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of ...
. It is one of 25 districts of
Sri Lanka, the second level
administrative division
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a
District Secretary (previously known as a
Government Agent) appointed by the
central government of Sri Lanka.
Geography
Matara District is located in the south west of Sri Lanka and has an area of .
It is represented in the
Sri Lankan Parliament following the
2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on 8 and 20 April 2010, to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka's 14th Parliament. 14,088,500 Sri Lankans were eligible to vote in the election at 11,102 polling stations. It was the first general election ...
by former Sri Lankan national Cricketer
Sanath Jayasuriya
Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya ( si, සනත් ජයසූරිය, ta, சனத் ஜெயசூர்யா; born 30 June 1969), is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and a captain. He is credited for having revolutionized one-day in ...
who stood for the
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance (abbreviated UPFA; si, එක්සත් ජනතා නිදහස් සන්ධානය ''Eksath Janathā Nidahas Sandānaya''; ta, ஐக்கிய மக்கள் சுதந்திரக ...
.
Administrative units
Matara District is divided into 16
Divisional Secretary's Division
The districts of Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as ''divisional secretariats''. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the ''korale''s and ''rata''s. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the ...
(DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent).
The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 650
Grama Niladhari
''Grama Niladhari'' (''village officers'') ( si, ග්රාම නිලධාරී) is a Sri Lankan public official appointed by the central government to carry out administrative duties in a ''grama niladhari'' division, which is a sub-un ...
Divisions (GN Divisions),
[ with 1,658 villages.
]
Major cities
* Matara (Municipal Council)
Other towns
* Aparekka
* Weligama
Weligama ( si, වැලිගම, ta, வெலிகாமம்) is a town on the south coast of Sri Lanka, located in Matara District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. The name ''Weligama'', literally means "sandy v ...
( Weligama Urban Council)
* Akuressa
Akuressa ( Sinhalese: අකුරැස්ස) is located in Matara District
Matara ( si, මාතර දිස්ත්රික්කය ''Mātara distrikkaya''; ta, மாத்தறை மாவட்டம் ''Māttaṛai māvaṭ ...
* Tihagoda
* Mirissa
* Deniyaya
Deniyaya is a small town located towards the south of Sri Lanka. It is located in Matara District of the Southern Province. It is surrounded by the Sinharaja rainforest, and the climate is relatively cool. The main source of income is tea cultiv ...
* Pitabeddara
* Kamburupitiya
* Thelijjawila
* Malimbada
* Welipitiya
* Denipitiya
* Welihinda
* Morawaka
Morawaka ( si, මොරවක) is a small town in the Matara District, Southern Province of Sri Lanka, a centre of Ceylon tea plantations and rice paddies. Additionally, Morawaka is said to have gem resources.
Located at an elevation of , a ...
* Devinuwara
* Gandara
* Hakmana
* Karaputugala
Demographics
Population
Matara District's population was 803,999 in 2012. The majority of the population are Sinhalese
Sinhala may refer to:
* Something of or related to the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka
* Sinhalese people
* Sinhala language, one of the three official languages used in Sri Lanka
* Sinhala script, a writing system for the Sinhala language
** Sinha ...
, with a minority Sri Lankan Moor
Sri Lankan Moors ( ta, இலங்கைச் சோனகர், translit=Ilaṅkaic Cōṉakar; si, ලංකා යෝනක, translit=Lanka Yonaka; formerly Ceylon Moors; colloquially referred to as Sri Lankan Muslims) are an ethnic minorit ...
and Indian Tamil Indian Tamils may refer to:
* Tamil people from or living in India
* Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka
Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka are Tamil people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka. They are also known as Malayaga Tamilar,
Hill Country Tamils, Up-Country ...
population.
Ethnicity
Religion
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Provinces and Districts of Sri Lanka
Districts of Sri Lanka