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| Ampara District | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ampara District |
| Native name | අම්පාර දිස්ත්රික්කය |
| Settlement type | District |
| Coordinates | 7.2920°N 81.6710°E |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | Sri Lanka |
| Subdivision type1 | Province |
| Subdivision name1 | Eastern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Established title | Created |
| Established date | 1961 |
| Seat type | Capital |
| Seat | Ampara (town) |
| Area total km2 | 4410 |
| Population total | 648057 |
| Population as of | 2012 |
| Population density km2 | auto |
| Timezone1 | Sri Lanka Standard Time |
Ampara District is an administrative district in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, located on the eastern and southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. The district encompasses coastal plains, inland wetlands, and upland edges near the Monaragala District and Badulla District, and includes significant towns such as Ampara (town), Pottuvil, and Kalmunai. It is noted for agriculture, fisheries, and multiethnic communities shaped by colonial and postcolonial developments involving entities like the British Ceylon administration and post-independence land settlement schemes.
The district name derives from the principal town Ampara (town), whose toponymy links to local Sinhala and Tamil usages found in regional gazetteers compiled during the British Raj in South Asia and later administrative records of Ceylon. Colonial cartography by surveyors associated with the Survey Department of Sri Lanka and place-name studies in works on Sri Lankan toponymy document adaptations from indigenous names and anglicized renderings used in the Donoughmore Commission era.
The coastal and inland areas were part of precolonial polities referenced in chronicles juxtaposed with trade accounts of Arab traders and Portuguese Ceylon. During the Dutch Ceylon and British Ceylon periods, plantation expansion and road building altered land use, with migration patterns later influenced by the Gal Oya scheme initiated by the Government of Ceylon in the 1940s. Post-independence administrative reorganizations led to the creation of the district in 1961; subsequent decades saw changes due to the Sri Lankan Civil War impacting settlements, refugee movements, and reconstruction programs involving agencies like the United Nations Development Programme and Asian Development Bank.
Located along the Indian Ocean coastline, the district includes features such as the Kalkudah shoreline, lagoons near Pottuvil Lagoon, and marshlands contiguous with the Kumana National Park buffer zones. Topography ranges from low-lying coastal strips to inland elevations abutting the Uva Province boundary. The climate is tropical, influenced by the Northeast Monsoon and Southwest Monsoon, producing distinct wet seasons affecting rice cultivation in irrigation schemes like Gal Oya Reservoir and coastal fisheries in zones frequented by vessels registered under the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
The population is multiethnic, comprising communities of Sri Lankan Tamils, Sri Lankan Moors, and Sinhalese people, with religious affiliations including Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Islam in Sri Lanka, and Hinduism in Sri Lanka. Census data show distribution across urban centers such as Ampara (town), Kalmunai, and rural villages associated with settlements from the Gal Oya settlement scheme. Demographic shifts occurred during events like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and displacement during the Sri Lankan Civil War, with returns and resettlement supported by organizations including International Organization for Migration.
Economic activity includes paddy cultivation in irrigated tracts tied to the Gal Oya project, coconut plantations connected to export chains via entities like the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation for logistics, and artisanal fisheries operating from coastal towns such as Arugam Bay and Pottuvil. Infrastructure comprises road links on routes connecting to Colombo, rail access via the Trincomalee Line and regional stations, and services provided by the Ceylon Electricity Board and Sri Lanka Telecom. Development initiatives have involved the Asian Development Bank and bilateral projects with agencies from Japan and India for ports, irrigation, and rural electrification.
The district falls under the jurisdiction of a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed through the Public Service Commission (Sri Lanka), functioning within the provincial framework of the Eastern Provincial Council. Electoral politics engage parties such as the United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and regional groupings like the Tamil National Alliance and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress in parliamentary and provincial elections administered by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. Local governance includes municipal councils in urban centers and divisional secretariats covering the rural administrative units.
Educational institutions range from provincial schools administered under the Ministry of Education (Sri Lanka) to technical training centers linked with vocational frameworks promoted by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. Health services are delivered through hospitals administered by the Ministry of Health (Sri Lanka) and regional hospitals in towns such as Kalmunai Hospital and facilities supported by NGOs including World Health Organization programs. Social services and post-conflict rehabilitation efforts have been coordinated with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and national agencies implementing poverty alleviation and community development schemes.
Cultural life reflects syncretic practices with festivals like Thai Pongal, Ramadan, and Vesak observed across communities, and sites of religious significance including local Buddhist temples, Hindu kovils, and mosques in coastal towns. Tourism attractions include surf destinations at Arugam Bay, wildlife and birdwatching near Kumana National Park, and archaeological sites linked to regional histories referenced in studies of South Asian archaeology. Hospitality and conservation projects engage private operators, provincial tourist bureaus, and international conservation groups addressing coastal ecology and heritage preservation.
Category:Districts of Sri Lanka Category:Eastern Province, Sri Lanka