Batticaloa District

Batticaloa District (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்பு மாவட்டம் Maṭṭakkaḷappu Māvaṭṭam; Sinhala: මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්‍රික්කය maḍakalapūva distrikkaya) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary (previously known as a Government Agent) appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The capital of the district is the city of Batticaloa. Ampara District was carved out of the southern part of Batticaloa District in April 1961.[4][5]

Batticaloa District
மட்டக்களப்பு மாவட்டம்
මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්‍රික්කය
Administrative District
Sunset at Kumburumoolai
Sunset at Kumburumoolai
Location within Sri Lanka
Location within Sri Lanka
Administrative units of Batticaloa District in 2007
Administrative units of Batticaloa District in 2007
Coordinates: 07°50′N 81°20′E
CountrySri Lanka
ProvinceEastern
CapitalBatticaloa
DS Division
List
Government
 • District SecretaryKalamathi Pathmaraja
 • MPs
List
  • S. Viyalendran
  • Nazeer Ahamed
  • G. Karunaharan
  • S. Chanthirakantyan
  • Sanakkitan Rajaputhiran
 • MPCs
List
Area
[1]
 • Total2,854 km2 (1,102 sq mi)
 • Land2,610 km2 (1,010 sq mi)
 • Water244 km2 (94 sq mi)  8.55%
 • Rank9th (4.35% of total area)
Population
 (2012 census)[2]
 • Total525,142
 • Rank17th (2.59% of total pop.)
 • Density180/km2 (480/sq mi)
Ethnicity
(2012 census)[2]
 • Sri Lankan Tamil381,285 (72.61%)
 • Moor133,844 (25.49%)
 • Sinhalese6,127 (1.17%)
 • Burgher2,794 (0.53%)
 • Other1,092 (0.21%)
Religion
(2012 census)[3]
 • Hindu338,983 (64.55%)
 • Muslim133,939 (25.51%)
 • Christian46,300 (8.82%)
 • Buddhist5,787 (1.10%)
 • Other133 (0.03%)
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka)
Post Codes
30000-30999
Telephone Codes065
ISO 3166 codeLK-51
Vehicle registrationEP
Official LanguagesTamil, Sinhala
WebsiteBatticaloa District Secretariat

Geography

Batticaloa District is located in the east of Sri Lanka in the Eastern Province. It has an area of 2,854 square kilometres (1,102 sq mi).[1]

Administrative units

Batticaloa District is divided into 14 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent).[6] The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 346 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions).[6]

DS Division Main Town Divisional Secretary GN
Divisions
[6]		 Area
(km2)
[7]		 Population (2012 Census)[8] Population
Density
(/km2)
Sri Lankan
Tamil		Sri Lankan MoorsSinhaleseBurgherOtherTotal
EravurpattuChenkaladyU. Uthayashreethar3969560,27812,6172,0401198275,136108
Eravur TownEravurS. L. M. Haneefa1533,28721,075191691024,6328,211
KattankudyKattankudyS. H. Muzammil1861440,2011101140,2376,706
KoralaipattuValaichchenaiT. Dinesh123522,79977339822023,317666
Koralaipattu CentralPasikudahNihara Mowjood98058324,9615736625,643320
Koralaipattu NorthVakaraiS. R. Rahulanayahi1658920,5196982885221,51237
Koralaipattu SouthKiranK. Thanapalasundaram1858225,8201887013626,06145
Koralaipattu WestOddamavadiM. C. Ansar8176522,07070222,1441,303
Manmunai NorthBatticaloaSrineevasan Gridaran486876,8984,5691,3402,47374886,0281,265
ManmunaipattuAraiyampathyV. Arulrajah273722,9947,5203523230,583827
Manmunai South & EruvilpattuKaluvanchikudyS. Suthakar456360,4571219252860,694963
Manmunai South WestKokkadichcholaiV. Thavarajah2414523,65351,0051924,673170
Manmunai WestVavunathivuV. Thavarajah2435228,199131800028,39281
PorativupattuVellavelyNallaiya Vilvaretnam4318235,71983552636,090198
Total3462,854381,285133,8446,1272,7941,092525,142184

Demographics

Population

Batticaloa District's population was 525,142 in 2012.[2] The population of the district mostly Sri Lankan Tamil.

The population of the district, like the rest of the east and north, was affected by the civil war. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people.[9] Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to the West during the war.[10] Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capital Colombo. 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.

Ethnicity
Population of Batticaloa District by ethnic group 1881 to 2012[2][11][12]
Year Tamil[lower-alpha 1] Moor[lower-alpha 2] Sinhalese Other Total
No.
No.%No.%No.%No.%
1881 Census61,01457.80%37,25535.29%5,0124.75%2,2772.16%105,558
1891 Census69,58456.71%44,78036.50%6,4035.22%1,9321.57%122,699
1901 Census79,85755.01%54,19037.33%7,5755.22%3,5392.44%145,161
1911 Census83,94854.53%60,69539.43%5,7713.75%3,5292.29%153,943
1921 Census84,66553.35%63,14639.79%7,2434.56%3,6552.30%158,709
1946 Census102,26450.33%85,80542.23%11,8505.83%3,2671.61%203,186
1953 Census130,38148.20%106,70639.45%31,17411.52%2,2320.83%270,493
1963 Census[lower-alpha 3]141,11071.93%46,03823.47%6,7153.42%2,3261.19%196,189
1971 Census181,52770.71%60,88923.72%11,5484.50%2,7571.07%256,721
1981 Census237,78771.98%78,82923.86%11,2553.41%2,4620.75%330,333
2001 Census[13]n/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/an/a
2007 Enumeration381,98474.05%128,96425.00%2,3970.46%2,5120.49%515,857
2012 Census382,30072.80%133,84425.49%6,1271.17%2,8710.55%525,142

Religion
Population of Batticaloa District by religion 1981 to 2012[3][14]
Year Hindu Islam Christian[lower-alpha 4] Buddhist Others Total
No.
No.%No.%No.%No.%No.%
1981 Census218,81266.24%78,81023.86%23,4997.11%9,1272.76%850.03%330,333
2012 Census338,98364.55%133,93925.51%46,3008.82%5,7871.10%1330.03%525,142

Politics and government

Local government

Batticaloa District has 12 local authorities of which one is a Municipal Council, two are Urban Councils and the remaining nine are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha).[6]

Local Authority Area Population Registered
Electors
(2008)[lower-alpha 5]		 Elected Members (2008)[lower-alpha 6]
TMVPUPFASLMCUNPOtherTotal
Batticaloa Municipal Council54,94801110719
Eravurpattu Divisional Council585.7077,20345,33610120114
Eravur Urban Council4.9040,81916,522062019
Kattankudy Urban Council6.5046,59726,454061029
Koralaipattu Divisional Council242.00125,00041,8586220111
Koralaipattu North Divisional Council645.0021,20212,41910100011
Koralaipattu West Divisional Council25.0029,61417,885071109
Manmunaipattu Divisional Council21.5030,21818,759702009
Manmunai South & Eruvilpattu Divisional Council44.1770,25638,3867000310
Manmunai South West Divisional Council161.6025,27914,880800019
Manmunai West Divisional Council292.6530,02615,771600039
Porativupattu Divisional Council176.0049,06628,116700029
Total613411121128

Notes
  1. Sri Lankan Tamil and Indian Tamil.
  2. Sri Lankan Moors and Indian Moors
  3. Ampara District was carved out of Batticaloa District in 1961.
  4. Roman Catholic and Other Christian.
  5. 2011 for Eravur Urban Council, Kattankudy Urban Council and Koralaipattu West Divisional Council.
  6. 2011 for Eravur Urban Council, Kattankudy Urban Council and Koralaipattu West Divisional Council.

References
  1. "Area of Sri Lanka by province and district" (PDF). Statistical Abstract 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13.
  2. "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 2013-01-06.
  3. "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 2013-01-06.
  4. "Overview". Ampara District Secretariat. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
  5. Mohideen, M. I. M. (27 December 2007). "Sinhalisation of East: A reply to Minister Champika Ranawaka". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  6. "Divisions". Batticaloa District Secretariat. Archived from the original on 2014-12-24. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  7. "Land area by province, district and divisional secretariat division" (PDF). Statistical Abstract 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-13.
  8. "A6 : Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012". Census of Population & Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  9. "Up to 100,000 killed in Sri Lanka's civil war: UN". ABC News (Australia). 20 May 2009.
  10. Harrison, Frances (23 July 2003). "Twenty years on - riots that led to war". BBC News.
  11. "Special Enumeration 2007, Batticaloa" (PDF). Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
  12. "Demographic Changes by the LTTE Peace Secretariat, April 2008" (PDF). Sangam.
  13. 2001 Census was only carried out partially in Batticaloa District.
  14. "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.
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