Kegalle is a district in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division 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. It was a former Dissavani of Sri Lanka.
It covers an area of . The district has a population of 837,179 according to 2012 Census, which is approximately 4.0% of the total population of Sri Lanka.
Physical information The district transitions from the coastal plain in the west to the central highlands in the east. The height of the western region is above sea level while the eastern region exceeds . Rubber cultivation has stretched over most of the area of the District and minor export crops from the district include coffee, cocoa, pepper, clove and nutmeg. Sri Lanka's best graphite mine is situated at Bogala in Kegalle District. The extent of the District is .
Major cities
Kegalle (Municipal Council)
Other towns Ambepussa Aranayaka Bulathkohupitiya Dehiovita Deraniyagala Galigamuwa Ganthuna Hemmathagama Karawanella Kitulgala Kotiyakumbura Mawanella Rambukkana Ruwanwella Thalgaspitiya Yatiyanthota Warakapola
Demographics +Population (2005)Administration TypeNumberFemale 521,683Male 504,541Total Population 1026,224 No. of Families 296,348
Ethnic distribution
Most of the population are Sinhalese. Indian Tamils brought by the British as indentured labourers to work in tea states makes a significant minority.
Ethnic group Population % Sinhala 674,665 85.89% Sri Lankan Tamil14,908 1.90% Indian Tamil 44,202 5.63% Sri Lankan Moors 50,419 6.42% Burger 191 0.02% other 1,139 0.14% Total 785,524 100.00%
Religious groups (2011 census)
Religious group Population % Buddhist 707,830 84.7% Islam60,575 7.24% Hindu 53,997 6.45% Roman Catholic 8,221 0.98% protestant 5,865 0.7% other 115 0.02% Total 836,603 100.00%
Land usage +CropsQuantity( Hec.)Rice 23,516Tea 18,673Coconut 27,192Rubber 89,311
Notable places Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage of Pinnawala attracts thousands of tourists daily.
References