Kegalle is a town in Sabaragamuwa Province

Sabaragamuwa Province

Sabaragamuwa, is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. Sabaragamuwa University is in Belihuloya. It is named after its former indigenous inhabitants, namely the Sabara, an indic term for hunter gatherer tribes, a term seldom used in ancient Sri...

 of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. It is located on the Colombo - Kandy road. Its 48 miles/78 km away from Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

 and 24 Miles/40 km away from Kandy

Kandy

Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

. It is the Capital City of the Kegalle District

Kegalle District

Kegalle is a district in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1,663 km². It was a former Dissavani of Sri Lanka. Has a population of 785,524 according to census 2001.-Physical Information:...

 which is one of the two districts belonging to Sabaragamuwa province

Sabaragamuwa Province

Sabaragamuwa, is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. Sabaragamuwa University is in Belihuloya. It is named after its former indigenous inhabitants, namely the Sabara, an indic term for hunter gatherer tribes, a term seldom used in ancient Sri...

 the other being Ratnapura District

Ratnapura District

Ratnapura is a district of Sri Lanka in the province of Sabaragamuwa.The gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka is also a major crossroad between southern plains and the hill country to the east. A bustling market city servicing most of the surrounding towns. Many of the prominent gem dealers in Sri Lanka...

. According to the 2001 census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

 Kegalle has a population of 86,581.

The town has four leading schools namely: St. Mary's College, St. Joseph Girls School, Kegalu vidyalaya

Kegalu vidyalaya

Kegalu Vidyalaya is a government Buddhist Boys' school in Kegalle District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. It was established on 14 February 1942.- History :At the turn of the 20th century, the British rule in Sri Lanka had been firmly rooted...

 and Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya. The town has a junior technical college too. The surrounding area produces graphite, precious stones and agricultural products such as rice. Kegalle has an agricultural based economy and mainly produces rubber

Rubber

Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...

. Nearby is the Pinnawala

Pinnawala

Pinnawala is a village in Kegalle District of Sri Lanka and is around 90 km from the capital, Colombo. It is well known for its elephant orphanage.-Elephant Orphanage:...

elephant orphanage which is a major tourist attraction.

A zoological garden is proposed near the existing elephant orphanage in Pinnawala. There are nine administrative areas in Kegalle.

Physical Information

District of Kegalle, situated in between the central highlands and western southern planes and has an enchanting environment. Height of the western region is less than 500 feet from the sea level while eastern region exceeds 1000 feet. Rubber cultivation has stretched over most of the area of the District and minor export crops such as coffee, cocoa, pepper, clove and nutmeg takes an important place in the economy of the District. Sri Lanka’s best graphite mine is situated at Bogala in Kegalle District.
The extent of the District is 1692.8 km² (169,280 in hectares).

Administrative Information

Administration Type	Number
Divisional Secretariat Divisions	11
Grama Niladhari Divisions	573
Villages	1,667
Electorates	09
Local Authorities	12

Population

Population (2005)

Administration Type	Number
Female	421,683
Male	404,541
Total Population	826,224
No. of Families	206,348

Land Usage

Crops	Quantity( Hec.)
Paddy	23,516
Tea	18,673
Coconut	27,192
Rubber	89,311