Vavuniya District
Encyclopedia
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts
of Sri Lanka
. 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
. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town
. Mullaitivu district
was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya district in September 1978.
Vavuniya district is located in the north of Sri Lanka
in the Northern Province
. It has an area of 1967 square kilometres (759.5 sq mi).
, each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 102 Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions (villages).
The population of the district, like the rest of the North
and East
, has been heavily affected by the civil war
. The war has killed an estimated 70,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as 1,000,000, have emigrated
to the West
since the start of the war. There are a further 800,000 internally displaced person
s in Sri Lanka, many of them living in refugee camps in the North
and East
and depending on aid provided by NGOs
. There are approximately 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees is India. Many Sri Lankan Tamils have also moved to the relative safety of Colombo
. The war has also caused some of the Sri Lankan Moors
and Sinhalese
who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka
, though some of them have returned to the district in recent years.
1 Mullaitivu district
was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya district in September 1978.
2 2001 Census was not carried out in Vavuniya 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...
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...
. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary
Government Agent (Sri Lanka)
A Government Agent or a District Secretary is a Sri Lankan civil servant of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service appointed by the central government to govern a certain district of the country. The GA is the administrative head of public services in the District. As Sri Lanka has 25 districts,...
(previously known as a Government Agent
Government Agent (Sri Lanka)
A Government Agent or a District Secretary is a Sri Lankan civil servant of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service appointed by the central government to govern a certain district of the country. The GA is the administrative head of public services in the District. As Sri Lanka has 25 districts,...
) appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka
Politics of Sri Lanka
Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Sri Lanka is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both...
. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town
Vavuniya
Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka. This town is situated in the Northern Province. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni....
. Mullaitivu district
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...
was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya district in September 1978.
Geography
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...
in the Northern Province
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
. It has an area of 1967 square kilometres (759.5 sq mi).
Administrative units
Vavuniya district is divided into 4 Divisional Secretary's (DS) DivisionsDivisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka
The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became...
, each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 102 Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions (villages).
| DS Division Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became... |
Main Town | GN Divisions |
Area (km2) |
Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vavuniya Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Vavuniya District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Vavuniya Vavuniya Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka. This town is situated in the Northern Province. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni.... |
42 | 609.7 | 130,445 |
| Vavuniya North Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Vavuniya District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Nedunkeni Nedunkeni Nedunkeni or Nedunkerni is a town in Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka. The roads going through Nedunkeni link Puliyankulam with Oddusuddan, and Puliyankulam with Mullaitivu.-See also:*Thandikulam–Omanthai offensive*Operation Jayasikurui... |
20 | 769.6 | 15,931 |
| Vavuniya South Vavuniya South Divisional Secretariat Vavuniya South Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Vavuniya District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Vavuniya | 20 | 188.5 | 12,965 |
| Vengalacheddikulam Vengalacheddikulam Divisional Secretariat Vengalacheddikulam Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Vavuniya District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Cheddikulam | 20 | 399.1 | 23,705 |
| Total | 102 | 1,966.9 | 183,046 | |
Population
Vavuniya district's population was 183,046 in 2007. The population of the district mostly Sri Lankan Tamil.The population of the district, like the rest of the North
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and East
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
, has been heavily affected by the civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. The war has killed an estimated 70,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as 1,000,000, have emigrated
Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora refers to the global diaspora of the people of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. It can be said to be a subset of the larger Sri Lankan as well as Tamil diaspora....
to the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
since the start of the war. There are a further 800,000 internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s in Sri Lanka, many of them living in refugee camps in the North
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and East
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and depending on aid provided by NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. There are approximately 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees is India. Many Sri Lankan Tamils have also moved to the relative safety of 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...
. The war has also caused some of the Sri Lankan Moors
Sri Lankan Moors
The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries...
and 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...
who lived in the district to flee to other parts 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...
, though some of them have returned to the district in recent years.
Ethnicity
| Year | Sri Lankan Tamil | Sri Lankan Moors Sri Lankan Moors The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries... |
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... |
Others | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1881 Census | 13,164 | 84.55% | 1,133 | 7.28% | 1,157 | 7.43% | 115 | 0.74% | 15,569 | 100.00% |
| 1891 Census | 13,030 | 84.06% | 1,139 | 7.35% | 1,199 | 7.73% | 133 | 0.86% | 15,501 | 100.00% |
| 1901 Census | 12,726 | 83.95% | 1,069 | 7.05% | 1,128 | 7.44% | 236 | 1.56% | 15,159 | 100.00% |
| 1911 Census | 14,059 | 81.10% | 1,241 | 7.16% | 1,848 | 10.66% | 188 | 1.08% | 17,336 | 100.00% |
| 1921 Census | 14,978 | 80.07% | 1,345 | 7.19% | 2,215 | 11.84% | 168 | 0.90% | 18,706 | 100.00% |
| 1946 Census | 17,071 | 73.44% | 2,153 | 9.26% | 3,870 | 16.65% | 152 | 0.65% | 23,246 | 100.00% |
| 1963 Census | 51,410 | 75.05% | 4,900 | 7.15% | 12,020 | 17.55% | 170 | 0.25% | 68,500 | 100.00% |
| 1971 Census | 73,010 | 76.42% | 6,665 | 6.98% | 15,541 | 16.27% | 320 | 0.33% | 95,536 | 100.00% |
| 1981 Census1 | 73,133 | 76.26% | 6,640 | 6.92% | 15,876 | 16.55% | 255 | 0.27% | 95,904 | 100.00% |
| 2001 Estimate2 | 123,268 | 88.64% | 8,471 | 5.89% | 12,159 | 8.45% | 42 | 0.03% | 143,940 | 100.00% |
| 2007 Estimate | 157,917 | 86.27% | 11,594 | 6.33% | 13,535 | 7.39% | 0 | 0.00% | 183,046 | 100.00% |
| Source: | ||||||||||
1 Mullaitivu district
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...
was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya district in September 1978.
2 2001 Census was not carried out in Vavuniya district.
Local government
Vavuniya district has 5 local authorities of which one is an Urban Council and the remaining 4 are Pradeshya Sabhas.| Local Authority | Elected Members |
Area (km2) |
Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vavuniya Urban Council | 11 | 22.5 | 75,175 |
| Vavuniya North Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 769.6 | |
| Vavuniya South Sinhala Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 188.5 | 15,000 |
| Vavuniya South Tamil Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 609.7 | 93,147 |
| Vengalacheddikulam Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 399.1 | 23,448 |
| Source: | |||