Kegalle District
Administrative District in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka
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Kegalle is a district in Sabaragamuwa 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. It was a former Dissavani of Sri Lanka.
Kegalle District
කෑගල්ල දිස්ත්රික්කය கேகாலை மாவட்டம் | |
|---|---|
Bible Rock, Kegalle district | |
 Map of Sri Lanka with Kegalle District highlighted | |
| Coordinates: 7°18′N 80°24′E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Sabaragamuwa Province |
| Largest Town | Kegalle |
| Divisions | List
|
| Government | |
| • District Secretary | Mahinda S. Weerasooriya |
| • Local | List
|
| Area | |
• Total | 1,693 km2 (654 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,685 km2 (651 sq mi) |
| • Water | 8 km2 (3.1 sq mi) |
| Population (2012)[2] | |
• Total | 837,179 |
| • Density | 496.8/km2 (1,287/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka) |
| ISO 3166 code | LK-92 |
It covers an area of 1,693 km2 (654 sq mi). The district has a population of 837,179 according to 2012 Census, which is approximately 4.0% of the total population of Sri Lanka.
Physical information
The district transitions from the coastal plain in the west to the central highlands in the east. The height of the western region is 50 m (160 ft) above sea level while the eastern region exceeds 1,800 m (5,900 ft). Rubber cultivation has stretched over most of the area of the District and minor export crops from the district include coffee, cocoa, pepper, clove and nutmeg. Sri Lanka's best graphite mine is situated at Bogala in Kegalle District. The extent of the District is 1,692.8 km2 (653.6 sq mi).
Major cities
- Kegalle (Municipal Council)
Other towns
- Ambepussa
- Aranayaka
- Bulathkohupitiya
- Dehiovita
- Deraniyagala
- Galigamuwa
- Ganthuna
- Hemmathagama
- Karawanella
- Kitulgala
- Kotiyakumbura
- Mawanella
- Rambukkana
- Ruwanwella
- Thalgaspitiya
- Yatiyanthota
- Warakapola
Demographics
| Administration Type | Number |
|---|---|
| Female | 521,683 |
| Male | 504,541 |
| Total Population | 1026,224 |
| No. of Families | 296,348 |
Ethnic distribution
- Sinhala (84.6%)
- Sri Lankan Moors (8.25%)
- Sri Lankan Tamils (4.65%)
- Hill Tamils (2.44%)
- Others (0.06%)
Most of the population are Sinhalese. Indian Tamils brought by the British as indentured labourers to work in tea states makes a significant minority.
| Ethnic group | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhala | 674,665 | 85.89% |
| Sri Lankan Tamil | 14,908 | 1.90% |
| Indian Tamil | 44,202 | 5.63% |
| Sri Lankan Moors | 50,419 | 6.42% |
| Burger | 191 | 0.02% |
| other | 1,139 | 0.14% |
| Total | 785,524 | 100.00% |
Religious groups (2011 census)
| Religious group | Population | % |
|---|---|---|
| Buddhist | 707,830 | 84.7% |
| Islam | 60,575 | 7.24% |
| Hindu | 53,997 | 6.45% |
| Roman Catholic | 8,221 | 0.98% |
| protestant | 5,865 | 0.7% |
| other | 115 | 0.02% |
| Total | 836,603 | 100.00% |
Land usage
| Crops | Quantity( Hec.) |
|---|---|
| Rice | 23,516 |
| Tea | 18,673 |
| Coconut | 27,192 |
| Rubber | 89,311 |
Notable places
Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala attracts thousands of tourists daily.
