Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province ( ''Dakuṇu Paḷāta'', ''Theṉ Mākāṇam'') of Sri Lanka is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. It is the 7th largest province by area and is home to 2.5 million people, the 3rd most populated province. The province is bordered by Sabaragamuwa Province and Uva Province to the North, Eastern Province to the Northeast, Western Province to the Northwest and the Indian Ocean to the South, West and East. The Province's capital is Galle. The Southern Province is a geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. Subsistence farming and fishing is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of this region. Government School education is primarily handled by thSouthe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Provinces Of Sri Lanka
Provinces (; ) are the first level administrative division, administrative divisions of Sri Lanka. Currently, Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces. Each province is further divided into Districts of Sri Lanka, districts, which are further divided into Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka, divisional secretariats. The provinces were first established by the United Kingdom, British rulers of British Ceylon, Ceylon in 1833. Over the next century, most of the administrative functions of the provinces were transferred to the districts, the second level administrative division of the country. By the middle of the 20th century, the provinces had become mostly ceremonial. This changed in 1987 when, following several decades of increasing demand for Devolution, decentralization, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established Provincial councils of Sri Lanka, provincial councils. Hist ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Uva Province
The Uva Province (, , ) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 8,500 km2 and a population of 1,266,463, making it the 2nd least populated province. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by the Eastern, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, and Central provinces. It is home to several tourist attractions, waterfalls and two national parks: Yala National Park and Gal Oya National Park. History Uva's provincial history records an 1818 uprising (also known as the Third Kandyan War) against the British colonial government which had been controlling the formally independent Udarata (Sinhalese: ''Up-Country''), of which Uva was a province. The uprising was led by Keppetipola Disawe, a rebel leader celebrated by the Sinhalese even today, who was sent initially by the British government to stop the uprising. The rebels managed to capture Matale and Kandy before Keppetipola fell ill and was captured and beheaded by the British. His skull was abno ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Weligama
Weligama (, ) 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 village" which refers to the area's sandy sweep bay. It is approximately south of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of above the sea level. History The main industries are tourism and fishing. Weligama is a popular tourist destination and hosts several boutique hotels including an off shore islet known as '' Taprobane'', which houses a villa constructed by the French Count de Mauny, and is currently owned by Geoffrey Dobbs. It was the birthplace of the scholar monk Weligama Sri Sumangala. Weligama was significantly affected by the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, with 15% of the area destroyed, with over 2,200 houses damaged or washed away, and 469 reported deaths. There are a number of sites of historical importance within Weligama and its vicinity, including a h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa, in south-west of Sri Lanka, is a large costal tourist area, covering 11 different villages over 6 km (3.7 mi) on the ocean, and 3 km (1.9 mi) inland. It is run by the Hikkaduwa Urban Council. Located in the Galle District, Hikkaduwa is divided into three main areas (from north to south): the Sri Lankan town, then the very lively tourist area, then the upmarket area Thiranagama on the edge of the long Narigama beach. Hikkaduwa is a Sinhalese Buddhist stronghold on the island. Religious composition in Hikkaduwa DS Division according to the 2012 census is Buddhists 100,955 (99.06%), other Christians 317 (0.31%), Roman Catholics 293 (0.29%), Hindus 257 (0.25%), Islam 79 (0.08%), others 8 (0.01%). History In the sixties, many hippies came to live in Hikkaduwa which was nicknamed ''Hippiduwa''. Its economy was based on fishing and coconut cultivation, which was replaced by tourism when its golden sandy beaches were widely discovered in the 1960s. The 2004 Indian Oce ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoting a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count (earl) or, in his stead, a viscount (''vicomte'').C. W. Onions (Ed.) ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology''. Oxford University Press, 1966. Literal equivalents in other languages, derived from the equivalent of "count", are now seldom used officially, including , , , , , , , and Slavic '' zhupa''; terms equivalent to 'commune' or 'community' are now often instead used. When the Normans conquered England, they brought the term with them. Although there were at first no counts, ''vicomtes'' or counties in Anglo-Norman England, the earlier Anglo-Saxons did have earls, sheriffs and shires. The shires were the districts that became the historic counties of England, and given the same ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Matara, Sri Lanka
Matara (; ) is a major city in Sri Lanka, on the southern coast of Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province. It is the second largest city in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province. It is from Colombo. It is a major commercial hub, the administrative capital and largest city of Matara District. Ethnic composition in Matara DS Division according to 2012 census data is Sinhalese 111,039-95.88%, Muslims 4,296-3.71%, Tamils 326-0.28%, Others 144-0.12%. Etymology Consisting of two elements, the term Matara gives its meaning as ''the Great Ferry'', that may be the meaning "great seaport" or "great fortress". It is also thought as being derived from the mispronunciation of the word 'Matora' by the Portuguese who called it 'Mature' or ''Maturai'' in 1672. The native word 'Matora' might also derived from 'Maha Tera' meaning the place where the Great River was crossed. It was also called 'Maha Tota' (Malo Tota) or Maha-Pattana, the great ferry.''Maha Ethara'' meani ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hambantota
Hambantota (, ) is the main city in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. This area was hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and underwent a number of major development projects including the construction of a new Port of Hambantota, sea port and Mattala International Airport, international airport finished in 2013. These projects and others such as Hambantota Cricket Stadium are said to form part of the government's plan to transform Hambantota into the second major urban hub of Sri Lanka, away from Colombo. History When the Kingdom of Ruhuna was established it received many travellers and traders from Siam, China and Indonesia who sought anchorage in the natural harbor at Godawaya, Ambalantota. The ships or large boats these traders travelled in were called "Sampans" and ''thota'' means port or anchorage so the port where sampans anchor came to be known as ''Sampantota''. After some time ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Districts Of Sri Lanka
Districts (, ) are the second level administrative divisions of Sri Lanka, preceded by Provinces of Sri Lanka, provinces. Sri Lanka has 25 districts organized into 9 provinces. Districts are further divided into a number of Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka, divisional secretariats (commonly known as D.S. divisions), which are in turn subdivided into 14,022 grama niladhari divisions. There are 331 DS divisions in Sri Lanka. Each district is administered under a District Secretary, district secretary, who is appointed by the central government. The main tasks of the district secretariat involve coordinating communications and activities of the central government and divisional secretariats. The district secretariat is also responsible for implementing and monitoring development projects at the district level and assisting lower-level subdivisions in their activities, as well as revenue collection and coordination of elections in the district. History The country was first di ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hambantota District
Hambantota District ( ''hambantoṭa distrikkaya''; ''Ampāntōṭṭai māvaṭṭam'') is a Districts of Sri Lanka, district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a Government Agent (Sri Lanka), District Secretary (previously known as a Government Agent (Sri Lanka), Government Agent) appointed by the Government of Sri Lanka, central government of Sri Lanka. Hambantota District is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. It has an area of and a very dry climate. The district capital is Hambantota town; the administrative headquarters are there as well as the center of salt production. Other prominent towns include Tangalle, Ambalantota, Sooriyawewa, Tissamaharama, and Beliatta. Before modern development took place after the country gained independence in 1948, the agriculture in the district was characterised by swi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Matara District
Matara ( ''Mātara distrikkaya''; ''Māttaṛai māvaṭṭam'') is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division 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 by former Sri Lankan national cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya who stood for the United People's Freedom Alliance. Administrative units Matara District is divided into 16 Divisional Secretary's Division (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 Divisions (GN Divisions), with 1,658 vi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Galle District
Galle ( ''gālla distrikkaya''; ''Kāli māvattam'') is a Districts of Sri Lanka, district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a Government Agent (Sri Lanka), District Secretary (previously known as a Government Agent (Sri Lanka), Government Agent) appointed by the Government of Sri Lanka, central government of Sri Lanka. Geological background Its area is : is water and is land. Galle District is bounded on the north by the Benthara River, south and west by the Indian Ocean and east by Matara District, Matara and Ratnapura District, Ratnapura districts. The topography of the Galle District is very diverse. The climatic condition of Hiniduma Patthuwa is very similar to the central hill country of Sri Lanka. This area consists of rainforests, which is the water catchment area for most of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |