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TheVanni, also spelledWanni, is the name given to themainland area of theNorthern Province ofSri Lanka. It covers the entirety ofMannar,Mullaitivu andVavuniya Districts, and most ofKilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately 7,650 square kilometres (2,950 sq mi). The population and infrastructure of the Vanni were devastated by theSri Lankan Civil War.^[1]

Tamil feudal chiefs calledVanniar chiefs cultivated the Vanni in thefirst millennium of theCommon Era governing what were calledVannimai, theJaffna Kingdom's land divisions located south of theJaffna Peninsula in the present-dayNorthern,North Central andEastern provinces of Sri Lanka.^[2]

The Vanni was further irrigated and cultivated under British rule in the 1930s. Due to overcrowding in Jaffna, people were moved into the Vanni to farm the newly-irrigated land.

The Vanni was the LTTE stronghold during the civil war, especially after the recapture of Jaffna by government forces in 1995.^[1] After 2009, the fighting had resulted in the destruction of three quarters of all houses in the region. Fields were destroyed and documentation was lost, making it difficult for families to prove they had a right to occupy the land. As a result, poverty continues to be an ongoing problem in the region, despite a reduction in poverty in most other parts of Sri Lanka. Militarisation of the area also hinders development and local livelihoods.^[1]

As of 2018, most of the land in the Vanni is owned by the government, and residents are given permits to occupy and farm the land.^[1]

Geographically, the Vanni is distinct from theJaffna Peninsula, the other area of the Northern Province. The Jaffna peninsula is irrigated bywells fed byaquifers whereas the Vanni hasirrigation tanks fed byperennial rivers. Major rivers include:Akkarayan Aru,Aruvi Aru,Kanakarayan Aru,Kodalikkallu Aru,Mandekal Aru, two calledNay Aru,Netheli Aru,Pali Aru,Pallavarayankaddu Aru,Parangi Aru,Per Aru,Piramenthal Aru,Theravil Aru. There are also a number oflagoons around the Vanni, the largest beingJaffna Lagoon,Nanthi Kadal,Chundikkulam Lagoon,Kokkilai Lagoon,Nai Aru Lagoon andChalai Lagoon.

Much of the Vanni is covered bydry zone evergreen forest.^[1]

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 theSri Lankan Civil War.^[1] In 2018, the population of the area had decreased to 475,000.^[1] At the end of 2017 there were still 4719 internally-displaced persons in the Vanni, compared with 34,000 in Jaffna.^[1]

• A closer look at southern part of the Vanni

• Geography of Kilinochchi District
• Geography of Mannar District
• Geography of Mullaitivu District
• Geography of Vavuniya District

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