Gampaha District

Gampaha District is located in the west of Sri Lanka and has an area of 1,387 square kilometres (536 sq mi).^[1] It is bounded by Kurunegala and Puttalam districts from north, Kegalle District from east, Colombo District from south and by the Indian Ocean from west.^[4] The borders of the district are the Ma Oya on the north, Kelani River on the south and 1,000 ft contour line on the east.

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Gampaha District is divided into 13 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent).^[5] The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 1,177 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions).^[5]

Economy

The economy of Gampaha District is multi-faceted:

1. Industry and Manufacturing Free Trade Zones are located in areas such as Katunayake and Biyagama, and industries such as clothing, electronics, and food processing are widely operated. These contribute greatly to foreign income.

2. Trade and Services Trade is very active in cities such as Gampaha and Negombo. Supermarkets, banks, hotels, and small businesses are abundant.

3. Agriculture Agriculture is also important in Gampaha District.

Coconuts Rice Vegetables and fruits Especially the coconut industry (areas belonging to the Coconut Triangle) contribute to the economy here.

4. Aviation and Tourism The aviation and logistics industry is very important due to the location of Bandaranaike International Airport.

The Negombo beach area is popular with tourists.

Transport

Gampaha District has a well-developed transport network: The highest number of expressway entrances in Sri Lanka are located in Gampaha District.

1. Road Network

Colombo–Katunayake Expressway (E03) – connects Colombo to the airport

Central Expressway (E04 – under construction/partially operational)

Major roads such as A1, A3

These act as the primary backbone for the country's transport.

2. Rail Service

The Main Line from Colombo Fort via Ragama, Gampaha

Coastal/airport connections near Negombo and Katunayake

The rail line is very important for daily commuters.

3. Air Transport

Bandaranaike International Airport is the main international airport in Sri Lanka,

and plays a major role in the transport of import/export tourists and business travelers.

4. Bus and Public Transport SLTB and private bus services are spread throughout the Gampaha district.

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Population

Gampaha District's population was 2,294,641 in 2012.^[2] The majority of the population are Sinhalese, with a minority Sri Lankan Moor and Sri Lankan Tamil population.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity in Gampaha District (2024)^[8]

1. Sinhala (89.8%)
2. Sri Lankan Moors (5.05%)
3. Sri Lankan Tamils (4.02%)
4. Others (1.09%)

More information Year, Sinhalese ...

Population of Gampaha District by ethnic group 1981 to 2012^[2][9]

Year	Sinhalese		Sri Lankan Moors		Sri Lankan Tamil		Malays		Other		Total No.
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1981 Census	1,279,512	91.99%	37,826	2.72%	48,182	3.46%	8,675	0.62%	16,667	1.20%	1,390,862
2001 Census	1,877,545	90.98%	78,705	3.81%	65,302	3.16%	13,683	0.66%	28,449	1.38%	2,063,684
2012 Census	2,079,115	90.61%	95,501	4.16%	80,071	3.49%	11,658	0.51%	28,296	1.23%	2,294,641

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Religion

More information Religion, Percent ...

Religion in Gampaha district (2024)^[10]

Religion			Percent
Buddhism			71.61%
Catholicism			18.16%
Islam			5.52%
Hinduism			2.85%
Other Christianity			1.83%
Other or not stated			0.04%

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More information Year, Buddhist ...

Population of Gampaha District by religion 1981 to 2012^[3][11]

Year	Buddhist		Christian[a]		Muslim		Hindu		Other		Total No.
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1981 Census	989,212	71.12%	325,915	23.43%	48,117	3.46%	26,750	1.92%	868	0.06%	1,390,862
2001 Census	1,479,955	71.71%	446,647	21.64%	93,496	4.53%	42,356	2.05%	1,230	0.06%	2,063,684
2012 Census	1,640,166	71.48%	486,173	21.19%	114,851	5.01%	52,221	2.28%	1,230	0.05%	2,294,641

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