Hambantota District

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

District
District
Map of Sri Lanka with Hambantota District highlighted
Coordinates:
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Southern Province
Largest Town	Hambantota
Divisions	List Divisional Secretariats: 12 Grama Niladhari: 576
Government
• District Secretary	R.C. de Soyza
• Local	List Municipal Councils: 1 Urban Councils: 1 Pradeishiya Sabhas: 10
Area
• Total	2,609 km2 (1,007 sq mi)
• Land	2,496 km2 (964 sq mi)
• Water	113 km2 (44 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	596,617
• Density	230/km2 (590/sq mi)
Time zone	Sri Lanka (UTC+05:30)
ISO 3166 code	LK-33
Website	hambantota.dist.gov.lk/

Hambantota District (Sinhalese: හම්බන්තොට දිස්ත්‍රික්කය hambantoṭa distrikkaya; Tamil: அம்பாந்தோட்டை மாவட்டம் Ampāntōṭṭai māvaṭṭam) is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 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.

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

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. In the highlands, kurakkan — a grain used to make an eatable paste — was cultivated 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.

Demographics

Ethnic groups Sinhalese 579,032 (97.05%) Sri Lankan Tamil 2,111 (0.35%) Sri Lankan Moor 6,556 (1.1%) Indian Tamil 136 (0.02%) Burgher 138 (0.02%) Sri Lankan Malay 8,210 (1.38%) Other 434 (0.07%)

Religions Buddhism 577,284 (96.76%) Hinduism 1,243 (0.21%) Islam 15,163 (2.54%) Roman Catholic 1,098 (0.18%) Other Christian 1,511 (0.25%) Other 318 (0.05%)

Hambantota District has a population of 596,617 (2011) 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.

Big Towns

• Hambantota (Municipal Council)
• Tangalle (Urban Council)

Other Towns

• Ambalantota
• Beliatta
• Tissamaharama
• Middeniya
• Angunukolapelessa
• Walasmulla
• Weeraketiya

External links

• HambantotaZone Travel Information
• Hambantota Photo and News Information
• Hambantota Tourist Information
• Hambantota an independent travelers' haven
• Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce