Southern Province, Sri Lanka

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Southern Province

The Southern Province (Sinhala: Dakunu Palata) of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Colombo is situated. Subsistence farming and fishing is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of this region.

Districts of Southern province

Southern province is divided into 3 districts:

Galle District 1,673 km²
Hambantota District 2,593 km²
Matara District 1,246 km²

The more educated people of the province have been slowly migrating to Colombo, which has hindered industrial development of the region.

[edit] Landmarks

Sea waves through rocks, Ambalangoda, a costal village in southern Sri Lanka

Important landmarks of the Southern Province include the wildlife sanctuaries of the Yala and Uda Walawe National Parks, the holy city of Kataragama, and the ancient cities of Tissamaharama, Kirinda and Galle. (Although Galle is an ancient city, almost nothing survives from before the Portuguese invasion.) During the Portuguese period there were two famous Sinhalese poets called Andare who was from Dickwella and Gajaman Nona who was from Denipitiya in Matara District, composing poems on common man.

The Southern Province was seriouly affected by the Tsunami in 2004. The province is going through a rebuilding process.