Central Province, Sri Lanka

The Central Province ( ''Madhyama Paḷāta'', ''Maddiya Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 5,674 km² and a population of 2,421,148, making it the 2nd most populated province. The city of Kandy has been its capital since 1469.

The Central Province is located primarily in the central mountainous terrain of Sri Lanka. It is bordered by the North Central Province to the north, the Uva Province to the east, the North Western Province to the west and the Sabaragamuwa Province to the south and west.

The province is famous for its production of Ceylon tea, the cultivation of which was initiated by the British in the 1860s after a devastating disease killed all coffee plantations in the province. The province attracts many tourists, with hill station towns such as Gampola, Hatton and Nuwara Eliya. The province is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

History

Though three successive European powers invaded and established colonies on the island of Sri Lanka between the 16th and 19th centuries, the central province managed to maintain its independence until 1815, when the British conquered the Kingdom of Kandy. The British then established a colonial headman ranking system in 1824, which came into effect in 1832.

The provinces of Sri Lanka were established by the British in 1833. In independent Sri Lanka, provinces did not have any legal status or power until 1987, when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils.

;Colonial head mudaliyars
* Sir Christofel de-Silva (1824–1842)
* Don William Gunawardene De-Saram III (1842–1856)
* Sir Hendrick Ekanayake (1856–1860)
* Sir Alexander-James Divakara Mohotti (1860–1888)
* Don Agaris Divakara Mohotti (1888–1924)

The Mudaliyar Office was abolished in 1924 and the last of the colonial headmen retired from their positions and gave up the rule to the British officers in 1926. All headman positions were then passed down to the newly elected governor-general of the Central Province. This was established in 1929 as a way for the British to directly rule the provinces.

The central province is home to many sites historical and cultural importance, such as the historic town of Matale, the Temple of the Tooth, the Dambulla cave temple, the Aluwihare temple and the Sigiriya rock fortress.

Geography

The province has an area of 5,674 km² and a population of 2,421,148. Major towns include Kandy, Matale, Dambulla, Gampola, Nuwara Eliya and Hatton.

Mountain ranges

The terrain of the Central Province is mostly mountainous, with deep valleys cutting into it. The Knuckles Mountain Range, Adam's Peak and Horton Plains are UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. The mountain of Pidurutalagala, an ultra-prominent peak and the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka at , is also located in the Central Province.

Climate

The Central Province has a relatively cooler climate, and many areas above 1,500 metres often have chilly nights. The western slopes are very wet, some places have almost 7,000 mm of rain per year. The eastern slopes are parts of the mid-dry zone and receives rain only from the North-Eastern monsoon. Temperatures range from 24 °C in Kandy to 16 °C in Nuwara Eliya, which is 1,889 m above sea level.

Demographics

The Central Province is an ethnically diverse province, with a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamil and Moor communities. Many tea plantation workers are Indian Tamils, brought over to Sri Lanka by the British in the 19th century.

Ethnicity

Religion

As per the 2012 Sri Lankan census, there were 1,672,625 Buddhists, 540,339 Hindus, 263,874 Muslims, 94,402 Christians and 317 people following other faiths in the Central Province.

Administrative divisions

The Central Province is divided into three districts and 36 divisional secretariats.

Districts

Divisional secretariats

The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the and ''. They were formerly known as 'DRO Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the DROs became 'Assistant Government Agents' and the Divisions were known as 'AGA Divisions'. Currently, the divisions are administered by a 'Divisional Secretary' and are known as a 'DS Divisions'.''

There are 36 divisional secretariats in Central Province. There are 20 in the Kandy District, 11 in the Matale District and 5 in the Nuwara Eliya District.

Major population centres

See also

* List of settlements in Central Province (Sri Lanka)
* Provinces of Sri Lanka
* Districts of Sri Lanka
* Tea production in Sri Lanka

References

Maps

Searchable Map of Sri Lanka

External links

Central Provincial Council Sri Lanka

Office of the Council Secretary – Central Provincial Council Sri Lanka

Chief Secretary's Office – Central Provincial Council Sri Lanka

Central Provincial Postal Codes Sri Lanka

Cities in Central province

{{Authority control

Provinces of Sri Lanka
Geography of the Kingdom of Kandy