Ampara District அம்பாறை மாவட்டம் අම්පාර දිස්ත්රික්කය | |
|---|---|
 Paddy field in Oluvil | |
 Location within Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates:07°05′N81°45′E / 7.083°N 81.750°E /7.083; 81.750 | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Eastern |
| Created | April 1961 |
| Capital | Ampara |
| Largest City | Kalmunai |
| DS Division | |
| Government | |
| • District Secretary | D. M. L. Bandaranayake |
| • MPs | |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,415 km2 (1,705 sq mi) |
| • Land | 4,222 km2 (1,630 sq mi) |
| • Water | 193 km2 (75 sq mi) 4.37% |
| • Rank | 4th (6.73% of total area) |
| Population (2012 census)[2] | |
• Total | 648,057 |
| • Rank | 14th (3.20% of total pop.) |
| • Density | 153.5/km2 (397.6/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity (2012 census)[2] | |
| • Moor | 282,484 (43.59%) |
| • Sinhalese | 251,018 (38.73%) |
| • Sri Lankan Tamil | 112,750 (17.40%) |
| • Burgher | 849 (0.13%) |
| • Other | 956 (0.15%) |
| Religion (2012 census)[3] | |
| • Muslim | 282,746 (43.63%) |
| • Buddhist | 250,213 (38.61%) |
| • Hindu | 102,454 (15.81%) |
| • Christian | 12,609 (1.95%) |
| • Other | 35 (0.01%) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka) |
| Post Codes | 32000-32999 |
| Telephone Codes | 063, 067 |
| ISO 3166 code | LK-52 |
| Vehicle registration | EP |
| Official Languages | Tamil,Sinhala |
| Website | Ampara District Secretariat |
Ampara District (Tamil:அம்பாறை மாவட்டம்,romanized: Ampāṟai Māvaṭṭam;Sinhala:අම්පාර දිස්ත්රික්කය,romanized: Ampāra Distrikkaya) is one of the 25districts ofSri Lanka, the second-leveladministrative divisions of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by aDistrict Secretary (previously known as aGovernment Agent) appointed by thecentral government of Sri Lanka. Thecapital of the district is the town ofAmpara. The district was carved out of the southern part ofBatticaloa District in April 1961.[4][5]
Ampara District is located in the south east of Sri Lanka in theEastern Province. It has an area of 4,415 square kilometres (1,705 sq mi).[1] It is bounded byBatticaloa andPolonnaruwa districts from north,Indian Ocean from east,Hambantota District from south,Badulla andMatale districts from northwest and by theMonaragala District from west and southeast.[4]
The north-western panhandle of Ampara District (Dehiyattakandiya D.S. Division) is separated from the rest of the district andEastern Province by the Maduru Oya Reservoir.
Ampara District's population was 648,057 in 2012.[2] The district is one of the most diverse in Sri Lanka, both ethnically and religiously.
The population of the district, like the rest of the east andnorth, was affected by thecivil war. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people.[6] Several hundred thousand Sinhalese move to west side of the country. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capitalColombo. The war also caused many people from all ethnic and religious groups who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the district since the end of the civil war.
| Year | Sri Lankan Moor | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Tamil | Indian Tamil | Other | Total No. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
| 1963 Census | 97,621 | 46.11% | 61,996 | 29.28% | 49,185 | 23.23% | 1,312 | 0.62% | 1,618 | 0.76% | 211,732 |
| 1971 Census | 126,365 | 46.35% | 82,280 | 30.18% | 60,519 | 22.20% | 1,771 | 0.65% | 1,670 | 0.61% | 272,605 |
| 1981 Census | 161,568 | 41.54% | 146,943 | 37.78% | 77,826 | 20.01% | 1,411 | 0.36% | 1,222 | 0.31% | 388,970 |
| 2001 Census | 244,620 | 41.25% | 236,583 | 39.90% | 109,188 | 18.41% | 715 | 0.12% | 1,891 | 0.32% | 592,997 |
| 2007 Enumeration | 268,630 | 43.99% | 228,938 | 37.49% | 111,948 | 18.33% | 58 | 0.01% | 1,145 | 0.19% | 610,719 |
| 2012 Census | 282,484 | 43.59% | 251,018 | 38.73% | 112,750 | 17.40% | 165 | 0.03% | 1,640 | 0.25% | 648,057 |
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islam | 45.65% | |||
| Buddhism | 37.09% | |||
| Hinduism | 15.39% | |||
| Catholicism | 0.99% | |||
| OtherChristianity | 0.87% | |||
| Other or not stated | 0.01% | |||
| Year | Islam | Buddhist | Hindu | Christian[a] | Others | Total No. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
| 1981 Census | 162,140 | 41.68% | 145,687 | 37.45% | 72,809 | 18.72% | 8,030 | 2.06% | 304 | 0.08% | 388,970 |
| 2001 Census | 245,179 | 41.35% | 235,652 | 39.74% | 100,213 | 16.90% | 11,785 | 1.99% | 168 | 0.03% | 592,997 |
| 2012 Census | 282,746 | 43.63% | 250,213 | 38.61% | 102,454 | 15.81% | 12,609 | 1.95% | 35 | 0.01% | 648,057 |
Ampara District has 20local authorities of which two are Municipal Councils, one is an Urban Council and the remaining 17 are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha).
| Local Authority | Area | Population | Registered Electors (2011) | Elected Members (2011) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPFA[b] | SLMC | UNP | TNA | Other | Total | ||||
| Addalaichchenai Divisional Council | 94.50 | 43,499 | 25,510 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Akkaraipattu Divisional Council | 64.22 | 39,148 | 4,074 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Akkaraipattu Municipal Council | 20,971 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| Alayadivembu Divisional Council | 129.20 | 26,175 | 15,358 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| Ampara Urban Council | 13,523 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| Damana Divisional Council | 23,899 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| Dehiattakandiya Divisional Council | 40,099 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 21 | ||
| Irakkamam Divisional Council | 8,185 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| Kalmunai Municipal Council | 22.80 | 100,427 | 68,198 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 19 |
| Karaitivu Divisional Council | 8.60 | 18,435 | 12,044 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Lahugala Divisional Council | 5,861 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | ||
| Maha Oya Divisional Council | 697.80 | 17,801 | 12,607 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Namal Oya Divisional Council | 105.10 | 16,715 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Navithanveli Divisional Council | 12,799 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | ||
| Nintavur Divisional Council | 42.90 | 28,247 | 19,124 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Padiyatalawa Divisional Council | 11,686 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | ||
| Pottuvil Divisional Council | 269.00 | 31,995 | 21,398 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Sammanthurai Divisional Council | 198.40 | 75,257 | 37,469 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Thirukkovil Divisional Council | 212.12 | 29,860 | 18,076 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9 |
| Uhana Divisional Council | 415.00 | 60,071 | 40,694 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| Total | 428,290 | 91 | 42 | 36 | 25 | 7 | 201 | ||
Ampara District is divided into 20Divisional 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 507Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions).
| DS Division | Main Town | Divisional Secretary | GN Divisions | Area (km2) [11] | Population (2012 Census)[12] | Population Density (/km2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lankan Moors | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Tamil | Burgher | Other | Total | ||||||
| Addalaichchenai | Addalaichchenai | I. M. Haniffa | 32 | 62 | 38,948 | 2,218 | 942 | 30 | 27 | 42,165 | |
| Akkaraipattu | Akkaraipattu | M. Y. Saleem | 28 | 60 | 39,016 | 165 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 39,223 | |
| Alayadivembu | Alayadivembu | V. Jahadeesan | 22 | 90 | 22 | 228 | 22,014 | 129 | 18 | 22,411 | |
| Ampara (Namal Oya) | Ampara | M. M. S. K. Bandara Mapa | 22 | 174 | 133 | 43,177 | 172 | 45 | 193 | 43,720 | |
| Damana | Damana | S. K. Kulathunga Mudali | 33 | 542 | 137 | 38,302 | 28 | 5 | 17 | 38,489 | |
| Dehiattakandiya | Dehiattakandiya | W. G. M.Hemantha Kumara | 14 | 394 | 108 | 58,948 | 67 | 0 | 505 | 59,628 | |
| Irakkamam (Eragama) | Irakkamam | M. M. Nazeer | 12 | 13,084 | 938 | 350 | 0 | 1 | 14,373 | ||
| Kalmunai (Muslim) | Kalmunai | J. Likayath Ali | 28 | 22 | 44,306 | 124 | 66 | 1 | 12 | 44,509 | |
| Kalmunai (Tamil) | Kalmunai | K. Lavanathan | 29 | 2,376 | 231 | 26,564 | 490 | 52 | 29,713 | ||
| Karaitivu | Karaitivu | S. Jegarajan | 17 | 7 | 6,753 | 13 | 9,891 | 123 | 1 | 16,781 | |
| Lahugala | Lahugala | L. A. Somarathna | 12 | 815 | 1 | 8,253 | 645 | 0 | 1 | 8,900 | |
| Maha Oya | Maha Oya | A. M. Wickramarachchi | 17 | 667 | 42 | 20,655 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 20,715 | |
| Navithanveli | Navithanveli | S. Garan | 20 | 6,399 | 153 | 12,101 | 9 | 10 | 18,672 | ||
| Nintavur | Nintavur | R U. Abdul Jaleel | 25 | 35 | 25,347 | 8 | 969 | 2 | 3 | 26,329 | |
| Padiyathalawa | Padiyathalawa | K. G. S. Nishantha | 20 | 379 | 87 | 18,091 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 18,209 | |
| Pottuvil | Pottuvil | M. I. M. Thawfieek | 27 | 265 | 27,213 | 881 | 6,581 | 3 | 71 | 34,749 | |
| Sainthamaruthu | Sainthamaruthu | A. L. Mohamed Saleem | 17 | 6 | 25,389 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 25,412 | |
| Sammanthurai | Sammanthurai | A. Mansoor | 51 | 229 | 53,114 | 297 | 7,178 | 1 | 6 | 60,596 | |
| Thirukkovil | Thirukkovil | M. Gopakaretnam | 22 | 184 | 2 | 100 | 25,055 | 1 | 29 | 25,187 | |
| Uhana | Uhana | U. P. Indika Anurudda Piyadasa | 59 | 485 | 7 | 58,231 | 32 | 1 | 5 | 58,276 | |
| Total | 507 | 4,415 | 282,484 | 251,018 | 112,750 | 849 | 956 | 648,057 | 147 | ||
