Southern Province දකුණු පළාත தென் மாகாணம் | |
|---|---|
 Location within Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates:6°10′N80°45′E / 6.167°N 80.750°E /6.167; 80.750 | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Created | 1833 |
| Admitted | 14 November 1987 |
| Capital | Galle |
| Largest City | Galle |
| District | |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Vacant |
| • Chief Minister | Vacant |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,544 km2 (2,141 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 7th (8.46% of total area) |
| Population (2011 census) | |
• Total | 2,464,732[1] |
| • Rank | 3rd (12.18% of total pop.) |
| • Density | 444.6/km2 (1,151/sq mi) |
| Gross Regional Product (2010)[2] | |
| • Total | Rs 492 billion |
| • Rank | 3rd (10.2% of total) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka) |
| ISO 3166 code | LK-3 |
| Vehicle registration | SP |
| Official Languages | Sinhala,Tamil |
| Website | www |
TheSouthern Province (Sinhala:දකුණු පළාතDakuṇu Paḷāta,Tamil:தென் மாகாணம்Theṉ Mākāṇam) ofSri Lanka is one of the nineprovinces of Sri Lanka, the first leveladministrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka establishedprovincial councils.[3][4] 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 bySabaragamuwa Province andUva Province to the North,Eastern Province to the Northeast,Western Province to the Northwest and theIndian Ocean to the South, West and East. The Province's capital isGalle.
The Southern Province is a geographic area consisting of the districts ofGalle,Matara andHambantota. 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 theSouthern Provincial Education Department.
Southern Province is divided into 3districts and 47divisional secretariats.
| District | Capital | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galle District | Galle | 1,652 km2 (638 sq mi) | 1,075,000 |
| Hambantota District | Hambantota | 2,609 km2 (1,007 sq mi) | 596,617 |
| Matara District | Matara | 1,283 km2 (495 sq mi) | 831,000 |
Thedistricts of theSri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known asdivisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudalcounties, thekorales andratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became 'Assistant Government Agents' and the divisions were known as 'A.G.A. Divisions'. Currently, the divisions are administered by a 'Divisional Secretary', and are known as a 'D.S. Divisions'.
There are 47 divisional secretariats in the Southern Province, with 19 inGalle District, 12 inHambantota District and 16 inMatara District.
| Cities of Southern Province byPopulation (2012)[5] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | District | Population | ||||||
| 1 | Galle | Galle | 86,333 | ||||||
| 2 | Matara | Matara | 74,193 | ||||||
| 3 | Hikkaduwa | Galle | 27,075 | ||||||
| 4 | Hambantota | Hambantota | 23,236 | ||||||
| 5 | Weligama | Matara | 22,377 | ||||||
| 6 | Ambalangoda | Galle | 19,990 | ||||||
| 7 | Tangalle | Hambantota | 8,473 | ||||||
Important landmarks of the Southern Province include the wildlife sanctuaries of theYala andUdawalawe National Parks. Ussangoda inAmbalantota is a panoramic view of the beach and the sea, and the holy city ofKataragama, and the ancient cities ofTissamaharama,Kirinda andGalle. (Although Galle is an ancient city, almost nothing survives from before thePortuguese invasion.) During the Portuguese period there were two famous Sinhalese poets called Andare who was fromDickwella and Gajaman Nona who was from Denipitiya in Matara District, composing poems on common man.
The Southern Province was seriously affected by the tsunami in 2004. The province is going through a rebuilding process.
Places adjacent to Southern Province, Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
.PNG)
