Kegalle District
Encyclopedia
Kegalle is a district
Districts of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, districts are the second-level administrative divisions, and are included in a province. There are 25 districts organized into 9 provinces. Each district is administered under a District Secretary, who is appointed by the central government...

 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...

, 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...

. 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

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 (653.6 sq mi).

Administrative Information

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

List of Divisional Secretariat Divisions

  • Kegalle
  • Rambukkana
  • Deraniyagala
  • Mawanella
  • Aranayaka
  • Galigamuwa
  • Warakapola
  • Ruwanwella
  • Bulathkohupitiya
  • Yatiyanthota
  • Dehiovita

Demographics

Population (2005)
Administration TypeNumber
Female 421,683
Male 404,541
Total Population 826,224
No. of Families 206,348

Ethnic distribution (2001 census)

Most of the population are Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...

.Indian Tamils
Indian Tamils
Indian Tamils may refer to:* Tamil people from or living in India* Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka...

 brought by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 to work in tea states makes a significant minority.
Ethnic group Population %
Sinhala
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...

674,665 85.89%
Sri Lankan Tamil 14,908 1.90%
Indian Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...

44,202 5.63%
Sri lankan Moor 50,419 6.42%
Burger 191 0.02%
other 1,139 0.14%
Total 785,524 100.00%

Religious groups (2001 census)

Religious group Population %
Buddhist 667,618 85.00%
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

51,662 6.58%
Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

51,675 6.58%
Roman Catholic 9,365 1.19%
protestant 4,977 0.63%
other 227 0.02%
Total 785,524 100.00%

Land Usage

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

Notable places

Situated between coastal lowlands and central highlands district has a contrasting landscape.

Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala attracts thousands of tourists daily.

Maps

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