Kinniya
Town in Sri Lanka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kinniya (Tamil: கிண்ணியா, romanised: Kiṇṇiyā; Sinhala: කින්නියා, romanised: Kinniyā) is a town on the east coast of Sri Lanka, in the Trincomalee District of the Eastern Province. It is about 20 km (12 mi) from the city of Trincomalee and 240 km (150 mi) from Colombo. Located in Sri Lanka's dry zone, the Kinniya region often experiences hot and dry weather with very little precipitation. Kinniya Bridge is Sri Lanka's longest bridge,[2] which attracts many tourists to the town. Being adjacent to the Trincomalee Harbour, Kinniya was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[3]
Kinniya
| |
|---|---|
Kinniya Bridge, Trincomalee District | |
  Kinniya | |
| Coordinates: 8°29′0″N 81°11′0″E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Eastern |
| District | Trincomalee |
| DS Division | Kinniya Divisional Secretariat |
| Government | |
| • Type | Kinniya Urban Council |
| • Special Commissioner | Secretary (UPFA) |
| Population (2007)[1] | |
| 61,558 | |
| • Urban | 35,645 |
History
Kinniya has over 500 years of history. A 400-year-old Grand Masjid in Kinniya was demolished and a new one built in its place in 2002 by the Saudi Arabian government.[4][5] The name "Kinniya" denotes the kinni tree, which was part of the identity of the people of Kinniya.
Demographics
Kinniya has a Moorish majority. There are small minorities of other ethnic groups, such as Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese.
| Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lankan Moors | 61,869 | 96.01 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 2,390 | 4.06 |
| Sinhalese | 245 | 0.40 |
| Other (including Burgher, Malay) | 32 | 0.03 |
| Total | 75,674 | 100 |
Source: statistics.gov.lk.
Source: Statistics.gov.lk.
Economy
The fishing industry plays a key role in both the economy and society of Kinniya.
Education
Kinniya has well-educated groups from many sectors, including medicine, law, engineering, academic staff, and the public sector. Many schools, both private and public, have been established in the town. Higher education centres have also been established, as during the Sri Lankan Civil War, it was difficult to travel to established higher education institutions elsewhere.
- Kinniya Al Aqsa National School (National School)
- Kinniya Central College. (National School)
- Kinniya Muslim Girls Maha Vid (National School).
- Aligar Maha Vidyalayam.
- TB Jaya Vidyalaya
- Abdul Majeed Vidyalaya
