The Vanni, also spelled Wanni, is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province of

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. It covers the entirety of

Mannar Mannar may refer to the following places: India * Mannar, Alappuzha, a town in Chengannur Taluk, Kerala Sri Lanka * Mannar District, one of 25 districts in Sri Lanka ** Mannar Island, an island within the district **Mannar Bridge, a bridge connect ...

, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of

Kilinochchi District Kilinochchi District ( ta, கிளிநொச்சி மாவட்டம் ''Kiḷinocci Māvaṭṭam''; si, කිලිනොච්චි දිස්ත්‍රික්කය) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level ...

, and has an area of approximately . The population and infrastructure of the Vanni were devastated by the Sri Lankan Civil War.

History

Tamil feudal chiefs called

Vanniar chiefs Vanniar or Vanniyar (, ) was a title borne by chiefs in medieval Sri Lanka who ruled in the Chiefdom of Vavuni regions as tribute payers to the Jaffna vassal state. There are a number of origin theories for the feudal chiefs, coming from an indig ...

who have their origin here cultivated the Vanni in the first millennium of the

Common Era Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...

governing what were called

Vannimai The Vanni chieftaincies or Vanni principalities was a region between Anuradhapura and Jaffna, but also extending to along the eastern coast to Panama and Yala, during the Transitional and Kandyan periods of Sri Lanka. The heavily forested land ...

, the

Jaffna kingdom The Jaffna Kingdom ( ta, யாழ்ப்பாண அரசு, si, යාපනය රාජධානිය; 1215–1624 CE), also known as Kingdom of Aryachakravarti, was a historical kingdom of what today is northern Sri Lanka. It came i ...

's land divisions located south of the Jaffna Peninsula in the present-day

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

, North Central and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

Geography

Geographically, the Vanni is distinct from the Jaffna Peninsula, the other area of the Northern Province. Jaffna peninsula is irrigated by underground aquifers fed by

wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

whereas the Vanni has irrigation tanks fed by perennial rivers. Major rivers include:

Akkarayan Aru Akkarayan Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in north-west Mullaitivu District, before flowing north through Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into Jaffna Lagoon. See also * List of ri ...

Aruvi Aru The Malwathu Oya ( si, මල්වතු ඔය Malwathu Oya, ta, அருவி ஆறு Aruvi Aru), at long, is the second longest river in Sri Lanka. The river originates in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka and enters the sea on ...

Kanakarayan Aru Kanakarayan Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in eastern Vavuniya District, near Omanthai, before flowing north through Vavuniya District, Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into the Chun ...

Kodalikkallu Aru Kodalikkallu Aru is a small river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in south-east Mullaitivu District, before flowing north-east/north through Mullaitivu District. The river empties into Nanthi Kadal lagoon. See also * List of r ...

Mandekal Aru Mandekal Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in western Mullaitivu District, before flowing north through Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into Palk Bay. See also * List of rivers in S ...

, two called Nay Aru,

Netheli Aru Netheli Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in central Mullaitivu District, before flowing north through Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into Chundikkulam Lagoon. See also * List of r ...

Pali Aru Pali Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in northern Vavuniya District, near Puliyankulam, before flowing north/northwest through Vavuniya District, Mullaitivu District and Mannar District. The river empties into Palk B ...

Pallavarayankaddu Aru Pallavarayankaddu Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in western Mullaitivu District, before flowing north-west through Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into Palk Bay. See also * List ...

Parangi Aru Parangi Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in central Vavuniya District, before flowing north/north-west through Vavuniya District, Mannar District and Mullaitivu District. The river empties into Palk Bay. The esti ...

Per Aru Per Aru is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in northern Vavuniya District, before flowing north/north-east through Vavuniya District and Mullaitivu District. The river empties into Nanthi Kadal lagoon. See also * List o ...

Piramenthal Aru Piramenthal is a small river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in northern Mullaitivu District, before flowing north through Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into Chundikkulam Lagoon. See also * Li ...

Theravil Aru Theravil Aru (or Toravil Aru) is a river in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The river rises in central Mullaitivu District, before flowing north through Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District. The river empties into Chundikkulam Lagoon. Se ...

. There are also a number of

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

s around the Vanni, the largest being Jaffna Lagoon,

Nanthi Kadal Nanthi Kadal ( ta, நந்திக்கடல் Nantikkaṭal) is a lagoon in Mullaitivu District, north-east Sri Lanka. The English translation of Nanthi Kadal is "the sea of conches". The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers, including ...

Chundikkulam Lagoon Chundikkulam Lagoon ( ta, சுண்டிக்குளம் கடல் நீரேரி, si, කුම්බවැව Kumbavæwa) is a lagoon in Jaffna District and Kilinochchi District, north-east Sri Lanka. The town of Chundikkulam is ...

, Kokkilai Lagoon,

Nai Aru Lagoon Nai Aru Lagoon (or Nay Aru Lagoon) is an estuarine lagoon in Mullaitivu District, north-east Sri Lanka. The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers, including Nay Aru (Mullaitivu). It is linked to the sea by a narrow channel to the south that ...

and

Chalai Lagoon Chalai Lagoon is a lagoon in Mullaitivu District, north-east Sri Lanka. The town of Chalai is located on a sand bar between the lagoon and the Indian Ocean. The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers. It is linked to the sea by a narrow chann ...

. Much of the interior (approximately ) of the Vanni is covered by dense

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Demographics

The Vanni had a population of nearly 700,000 in 2007, making it one of the most sparsely populated areas of Sri Lanka. However, the area's population figures have been highly volatile due to massive displacement caused by the Sri Lankan Civil War.

External links

A closer look at southern part of the Vanni
{{Sri Lankan Tamil people Geography of Kilinochchi District Geography of Mannar District Geography of Mullaitivu District Geography of Vavuniya District