Hambantota District

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This article is about the district in Sri Lanka. For the town, see Hambantota.

Hambantota District

Hambantota District is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, in the Southern Province. It has an area of 2,593 km² and a very dry climate. The district capital is Hambantota town; the administrative headquarters are located there as well as the center of salt production. Other prominent towns include Tangalle, Tissa, Weeraketiya, Beliatta, Walasmulla, Middeniya, Katuwana, and Kirama.

Before modern development took place after the country gained independence in 1948, the agriculture in the district was characterised by swidden cultivation (chena or slash and burn), and to some extent paddy cultivation on non-irrigated land. On highland, kurakkan - a grain used to make an eatable paste - was cultivated along with other grains such as corn. Leonard Woolf's 'Village in the Jungle' provides a highly interesting and insightful account of the people, the land and issues of concern during the British Colonial period as he worked as an assistant government agent for Hambantota.

The district is divided into three electorates: Mulkirigala, Beliatta, and Tissamaharamaya. The present President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse, hails from the Hambantota District.

Coordinates: 6°15′N, 81°10′E

[edit] Population

Hambantota District has a population of 525,370 of whom 96% are considered rural residents. Some 13.4% of the labor force of 244,847 is unemployed - in comparison to the national average of 8.3%. Of those employed, 42.2% are in the Agricultural sector, 23.3% in Industry with the remaining 34.5% working in the Services sector. {Source: Department of Census & Statistics - Sri Lanka}