Matara ( ''Mātara distrikkaya''; ''Māttaṛai māvaṭṭam'') is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
in
Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
, the second level
administrative division
Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...
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.
Geography
Matara District is located in the south west of Sri Lanka and has an area of .
It is represented in the
Sri Lankan Parliament following the
2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election by former Sri Lankan national cricketer
Sanath Jayasuriya
Deshabandu Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (, ; born 30 June 1969), is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, captain, cricket administrator and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest all rounders ever to play in ODI cricket. A left arm orthodox sp ...
who stood for the
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA; ''Eksath Janathā Nidahas Sandānaya''; ) was a political alliance in Sri Lanka founded by former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2004 and dissolved by former Sri Lankan President Ma ...
.
Administrative units
Matara District is divided into 16
Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent).
The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 650
Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions),
[ with 1,658 villages.
]
Major cities
* Matara (Municipal Council)
Other towns
* Aparekka
* Weligama ( Weligama Urban Council)
* Akuressa
* Tihagoda
* Mirissa
* Deniyaya
* Pitabeddara
* Kamburupitiya
* Thelijjawila
* Malimbada
* Miella
* Welipitiya
* Denipitiya
* Welihinda
* Morawaka
Morawaka () is a small town in the Matara District, Southern Province of Sri Lanka, a centre of Ceylon tea plantations and rice paddies. Additionally, Morawaka is said to have gem resources.
Located at an elevation of , at the intersection of ...
* Nupe
* Devinuwara
* Gandara
* Hakmana
* Karaputugala
Demographics
Population
Matara District's population was 803,999 in 2012.
Ethnicity
Religion
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Provinces and Districts of Sri Lanka
Districts of Sri Lanka