Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Eastern Province
கிழக்கு மாகாணம் නැගෙනහිර පළාත | ||
---|---|---|
Provincial council 14 November 1987 | | |
Capital | Trincomalee | |
Largest City | Kalmunai | |
Cities & Towns | List
| |
Districts | ||
Government | ||
• Type | Governor Senthil Thondaman | |
• MPs | List
| |
Area Sinhalese | ||
Website | www |
The Eastern Province (
History
In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of
The
On 14 November 1987 the
The proclamations were only meant to be a temporary measure until a referendum was held in the Eastern Province on a permanent merger between the two provinces. However, the referendum was never held and successive Sri Lankan presidents issued proclamations annually extending the life of the "temporary" entity.[12]
The merger was bitterly opposed by Sri Lankan nationalists. The combined North-East Province occupied one fourth of Sri Lanka. The thought of the rebel
Much of the Eastern Province was under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during the
The Eastern Province has received at least $500 million from international donors since coming under the control of the government of Sri Lanka in 2007, according to the International Crisis Group.[17] Since the end of the war the Eastern Province has seen considerable development under the Nagenahira Navodaya (Eastern Revival) program which include various agricultural, infrastructural and Social development projects. These include the construction and repairing of roads, schools, hospitals, resettlement of IDPs and construction of Nanasala ICT centers.[18] There are currently 88 Nanasala ICT education centers in the Eastern Province.[19] Other Projects include reconstructing the Walai Iravu bridge which was destroyed by the LTTE, developing the Weber stadium in the Batticaloa town, increasing agricultural production, construction of Manmunai, Vavunativu and New Oddamavadi bridges, carpeting roads, constructing 48,000 houses in the Eastern province for the people who live below the poverty line,[20] developing the Trincomalee Harbour, construction of the Sampur Power Station, Development of Maritime park and a Maritime Museum in Trincomalee, creation of the Sampur industrial zone,[21][22] development of bus stands, canals and the Oluvil Harbour in Ampara district.[23][24]
Geography
Eastern province has an area of 9,996 square kilometres (3,859 sq mi).[1]
The province is surrounded by the
The province's coast is dominated by
Administrative units, cities and towns
Administrative units
The Eastern Province is divided into 3
District | Capital | District Secretary
|
DS
Divisions |
GN Divisions |
Total Area (km2)[1] |
Land Area (km2)[1] |
Population (2012 Census)[2] | Population Density (/km2) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sri Lankan Tamil |
Sri Lankan Moors | Sinhalese | Indian Tamil | Other | Total | ||||||||
Ampara | Ampara | Thusitha P Wanigasinghe | 20 | 507 | 4,415 | 4,222 | 112,750 | 282,484 | 251,018 | 165 | 1,640 | 648,057 | 147 |
Batticaloa | Batticaloa | P. S. M. Charles | 14 | 348 | 2,854 | 2,610 | 381,285 | 133,844 | 6,127 | 1,015 | 2,871 | 525,142 | 184 |
Trincomalee | Trincomalee | T. Thissa Ranjith de Silva | 11 | 230 | 2,727 | 2,529 | 115,549 | 152,854 | 101,991 | 6,531 | 1,257 | 378,182 | 139 |
Total | 45 | 1,085 | 9,996 | 9,361 | 609,584 | 569,182 | 359,136 | 7,711 | 5,768 | 1,551,381 | 155 |
Major cities and towns
City/town | District | Population (2012 est)[25] |
---|---|---|
Kalmunai | Ampara | 106,783 |
Trincomalee | Trincomalee | 99,135 |
Batticaloa | Batticaloa | 92,332 |
Kattankudy | Batticaloa | 40,883 |
Eravur | Batticaloa | 25,582 |
Ampara | Ampara | 20,309 |
Demographics
Population
The Eastern province's population was 1,551,381 in 2012.[2] The province is the most diverse in Sri Lanka, both ethnically and religiously.
The population of the province, like that of the Northern Province, was heavily affected by the civil war. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people.[26] Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war.[27] Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capital Colombo. The conflict has also caused some of the Tamils, Moors and Sinhalese who lived in the province to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the province since the end of the civil war.
Ethnicity
Year | Tamil[a]
|
Muslim[b] | Sinhalese | Other | Total No. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
1881 Census | 75,318 | 58.96% | 43,001 | 33.66% | 5,947 | 4.66% | 3,489 | 2.73% | 127,755 |
1891 Census | 86,701 | 58.41% | 51,206 | 34.50% | 7,508 | 5.06% | 3,029 | 2.04% | 148,444 |
1901 Census | 96,917 | 55.83% | 62,448 | 35.97% | 8,778 | 5.06% | 5,459 | 3.14% | 173,602 |
1911 Census | 101,181 | 55.08% | 70,395 | 38.32% | 6,909 | 3.76% | 5,213 | 2.84% | 183,698 |
1921 Census | 103,245 | 53.54% | 75,992 | 39.41% | 8,744 | 4.53% | 4,840 | 2.51% | 192,821 |
1946 Census | 136,059 | 48.75% | 109,024 | 39.06% | 23,456 | 8.40% | 10,573 | 3.79% | 279,112 |
1953 Census | 167,898 | 47.37% | 135,322 | 38.18% | 46,470 | 13.11% | 4,720 | 1.33% | 354,410 |
1963 Census | 246,059 | 45.03% | 184,434 | 33.75% | 108,636 | 19.88% | 7,345 | 1.34% | 546,474 |
1971 Census | 315,566 | 43.98% | 247,178 | 34.45% | 148,572 | 20.70% | 6,255 | 0.87% | 717,571 |
1981 Census | 410,156 | 42.06% | 315,436 | 32.34% | 243,701 | 24.99% | 5,988 | 0.61% | 975,251 |
2001 Census[c] | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
2007 Enumeration | 590,132 | 40.39% | 549,857 | 37.64% | 316,101 | 21.64% | 4,849 | 0.33% | 1,460,939 |
2012 Census | 617,295 | 39.79% | 569,738 | 36.72% | 359,136 | 23.15% | 5,212 | 0.34% | 1,551,381 |
Religion
Islam is the plurality religion in Eastern Province.
Year | Muslim | Hindu | Buddhist | Christian[d] | Other | Total No. | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||
1981 Census | 317,354 | 32.54% | 372,464 | 38.19% | 237,416 | 24.34% | 47,112 | 4.83% | 905 | 0.09% | 975,251 |
2012 Census | 575,936 | 37.12% | 539,570 | 34.78% | 354,772 | 22.87% | 80,801 | 5.21% | 302 | 0.02% | 1,551,381 |
Economy
The Eastern Province has a primarily agriculture-based economy and is commonly known as the "Granary of Sri Lanka". It contributes 25% of national paddy production, 17% of national milk production, and 21% of national fish production.
The province benefits from a large
Government and politics
Provincial council
The 13th
On 1 March 1990, just as the IPKF were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Permual moved a motion in the North-East Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam.[43] President Premadasa reacted to Permual's UDI by dissolving the provincial council and imposing direct rule on the province.
The north-east was ruled directly from
See also
Notes
- Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian Tamil.
- ^ Sri Lankan Moors and Sri Lankan Malays.
- ^ 2001 Census was only carried out partially in the Eastern province.
- Roman Catholicand Other Christian.
References
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- ^ a b c d e "A2 : Population by ethnic group according to districts, 2012". Census of Population & Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
- ^ a b "A3 : Population by religion according to districts, 2012". Census of Population & Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
- ^ "Provinces of Sri Lanka". Statoids.
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- ^ Mills, Lennox A. (1933). Ceylon Under British Rule (1795 - 1932). London: Oxford University Press. pp. 67–68.
- ^ Medis, G. C. (1946). Ceylon Under the British (2nd (revised) ed.). Colombo: The Colombo Apothecaries Co. pp. 39–40.
- ^ Medis, G. C. (1946). Ceylon Under the British (2nd (revised) ed.). Colombo: The Colombo Apothecaries Co. p. 84.
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- ^ "The Constitution". Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ a b c "North-East merger illegal: SC". LankaNewspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-24.
- ^ Sambandan, V. S. (14 November 2003). "Sri Lanka's North-East to remain united for another year". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 February 2004.
- ^ East offers glimpse of post-war Sri Lanka Archived May 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, by Maura R. O'Connor, Global Post, 1 May 2009
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- ^ ""TMVP to disarm completely" Global Tamil News". 12 February 2009.
- ^ Development Assistance and Conflict in Sri Lanka: Lessons from the Eastern Province Archived 2009-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, Asia Report No. 165, International Crisis Group, 16 April 2009
- ^ "Northern Spring (Uthuru Wasanthaya) and Eastern Revival (Negenahira Navodaya) | ICES". Archived from the original on 2014-12-14. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
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- ^ Gray, David (20 May 2009). "Up to 100,000 killed in Sri Lanka's civil war: UN". ABC News. ABC News (Australia).
- ^ Harrison, Frances (23 July 2003). "Twenty years on - riots that led to war". BBC News.
- ^ "Special Enumeration 2007, Ampara" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "Special Enumeration 2007, Batticaloa" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "Special Enumeration 2007, Trincomalee" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
- ^ "Demographic Changes by the LTTE Peace Secretariat, April 2008" (PDF). Sangam.
- ^ "Population by religion and district, Census 1981, 2001" (PDF). Statistical Abstract 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13.
- ^ "investineast.lk Eastern Province economy". Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "Sundaytimes.lk "Developing the varied resources of the Eastern Province".
- ^ "ceylontoday Sampur Project Commences". 19 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
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- ^ Fernando, Shashini. "A treasure of dreams just waiting to open - Nilaveli Beach". Retrieved 2017-01-29.
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- ^ a b Sri Lanka" The Untold Story by K T Rajasingham (via Asia Times)
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