| Ampara District | |
| Native Name: | Tamil: அம்பாறை மாவட்டம் Sinhala; Sinhalese: අම්පාර දිස්ත්රික්කය |
| Settlement Type: | Administrative District |
| Coordinates: | 7.0833°N 126°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Sri Lanka |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Eastern |
| Established Title: | Created |
| Established Date: | April 1961 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Ampara |
| Seat1 Type: | Largest City |
| Seat1: | Kalmunai |
| Parts Type: | DS Division |
| Parts Style: | coll |
| P1: | Addalaichchenai |
| P2: | Akkaraipattu |
| P3: | Alayadivembu |
| P4: | Ampara |
| P5: | Damana |
| P6: | Dehiattakandiya |
| P7: | Irakkamam |
| P8: | Kalmunai (Muslim) |
| P9: | Kalmunai (Tamil) |
| P10: | Karaitivu |
| P11: | Lahugala |
| P12: | Maha Oya |
| P13: | Navithanveli |
| P14: | Nintavur |
| P15: | Padiyathalawa |
| P16: | Pottuvil |
| P17: | Sainthamarathu |
| P18: | Samanthurai |
| P19: | Thirukkovil |
| P20: | Uhana |
| Leader Title: | District Secretary |
| Leader Name: | D. M. L. Bandaranayake |
| Leader Title1: | MPs |
| Leader Title2: | MPCs |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 4415 |
| Area Land Km2: | 4222 |
| Area Water Km2: | 193 |
| Area Water Percent: | 4.37 |
| Area Rank: | 4th (6.73% of total area) |
| Population Total: | 648057 |
| Population Rank: | 14th (3.20% of total pop.) |
| Population As Of: | 2012 census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Ethnicity |
| Demographics1 Footnotes: | (2012 census) |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Moor |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 282,484 (43.59%) |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Sinhalese |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 251,018 (38.73%) |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Sri Lankan Tamil |
| Demographics1 Info3: | 112,750 (17.40%) |
| Demographics1 Title4: | Burgher |
| Demographics1 Info4: | 849 (0.13%) |
| Demographics1 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics1 Info5: | 956 (0.15%) |
| Demographics Type2: | Religion |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | (2012 census) |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Muslim |
| Demographics2 Info1: | 282,746 (43.63%) |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Buddhist |
| Demographics2 Info2: | 250,213 (38.61%) |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Hindu |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 102,454 (15.81%) |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Christian |
| Demographics2 Info4: | 12,609 (1.95%) |
| Demographics2 Title5: | Other |
| Demographics2 Info5: | 35 (0.01%) |
| Timezone1: | Sri Lanka |
| Utc Offset1: | +05:30 |
| Postal Code Type: | Post Codes |
| Postal Code: | 32000-32999 |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone Codes |
| Area Code: | 063, 067 |
| Iso Code: | LK-52 |
| Registration Plate: | EP |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Official Languages |
| Blank Info Sec1: | Tamil, Sinhala |
Ampara District (Tamil: அம்பாறை மாவட்டம்|translit=Ampāṟai Māvaṭṭam; Sinhala; Sinhalese: අම්පාර දිස්ත්රික්කය|translit=Ampāra Distrikkaya) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second-level administrative divisions 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. The capital of the district is the town of Ampara. The district was carved out of the southern part of Batticaloa District in April 1961.[1] [2]
Ampara District is located in the south east of Sri Lanka in the Eastern Province. It has an area of 4415km2.[3] It is bounded by Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa districts from north, Indian Ocean from east, Hambantota District from south, Badulla and Matale districts from northwest and by the Monaragala District from west and southeast.[1]
The north-western panhandle of Ampara District (Dehiyattakandiya D.S. Division) is separated from the rest of the district and Eastern Province by the Maduru Oya Reservoir.
Ampara District's population was 648,057 in 2012. The district is one of the most diverse in Sri Lanka, both ethnically and religiously.
The population of the district, like the rest of the east and north, was affected by the civil war. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people.[4] Several hundred thousand Sinhalese move to west side of the country. Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capital Colombo. The war also caused many people from all ethnic and religious groups who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka, though most of them have returned to the district since the end of the civil war.
| Year | Sri Lankan Moor | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Tamil | Indian Tamil | Other | Total No. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |||
| 1963 Census | 97,621 | 46.11% | 61,996 | 29.28% | 49,185 | 23.23% | 1,312 | 0.62% | 1,618 | 0.76% | 211,732 | |
| 1971 Census | 126,365 | 46.35% | 82,280 | 30.18% | 60,519 | 22.20% | 1,771 | 0.65% | 1,670 | 0.61% | 272,605 | |
| 1981 Census | 161,568 | 41.54% | 146,943 | 37.78% | 77,826 | 20.01% | 1,411 | 0.36% | 1,222 | 0.31% | 388,970 | |
| 2001 Census | 244,620 | 41.25% | 236,583 | 39.90% | 109,188 | 18.41% | 715 | 0.12% | 1,891 | 0.32% | 592,997 | |
| 2007 Enumeration | 268,630 | 43.99% | 228,938 | 37.49% | 111,948 | 18.33% | 58 | 0.01% | 1,145 | 0.19% | 610,719 | |
| 2012 Census | 282,484 | 43.59% | 251,018 | 38.73% | 112,750 | 17.40% | 165 | 0.03% | 1,640 | 0.25% | 648,057 | |
| Year | Islam | Buddhist | Hindu | Christian | Others | Total No. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |||
| 1981 Census | 162,140 | 41.68% | 145,687 | 37.45% | 72,809 | 18.72% | 8,030 | 2.06% | 304 | 0.08% | 388,970 | |
| 2001 Census | 245,179 | 41.35% | 235,652 | 39.74% | 100,213 | 16.90% | 11,785 | 1.99% | 168 | 0.03% | 592,997 | |
| 2012 Census | 282,746 | 43.63% | 250,213 | 38.61% | 102,454 | 15.81% | 12,609 | 1.95% | 35 | 0.01% | 648,057 |
Ampara District has 20 local authorities of which two are Municipal Councils, one is an Urban Council and the remaining 17 are Divisional Councils (Pradesha Sabhai or Pradeshiya Sabha).
| Local Authority | Area | Population | Registered Electors (2011) | Elected Members (2011) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | Total | |||||||||
| Addalaichchenai Divisional Council | 94.50 | 43,499 | 25,510 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Akkaraipattu Divisional Council | 64.22 | 39,148 | 4,074 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| 20,971 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
| Alayadivembu Divisional Council | 129.20 | 26,175 | 15,358 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 9 | |
| 13,523 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||||
| Damana Divisional Council | 23,899 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |||
| Dehiattakandiya Divisional Council | 40,099 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 21 | |||
| Irakkamam Divisional Council | 8,185 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |||
| 22.80 | 100,427 | 68,198 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 19 | ||
| Karaitivu Divisional Council | 8.60 | 18,435 | 12,044 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | |
| Lahugala Divisional Council | 5,861 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |||
| Maha Oya Divisional Council | 697.80 | 17,801 | 12,607 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Namal Oya Divisional Council | 105.10 | 16,715 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| Navithanveli Divisional Council | 12,799 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |||
| Nintavur Divisional Council | 42.90 | 28,247 | 19,124 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Padiyatalawa Divisional Council | 11,686 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | |||
| Pottuvil Divisional Council | 269.00 | 31,995 | 21,398 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | |
| Sammanthurai Divisional Council | 198.40 | 75,257 | 37,469 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Thirukkovil Divisional Council | 212.12 | 29,860 | 18,076 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9 | |
| Uhana Divisional Council | 415.00 | 60,071 | 40,694 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | |
| Total | 428,290 | 91 | 42 | 36 | 25 | 7 | 201 | |||
Ampara District is divided into 20 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 507 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions).
| DS Division | Main Town | Divisional Secretary | GN Divisions | Area (km2) [9] | Population (2012 Census)[10] | Population Density (/km2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | Total | ||||||||||
| I. M. Haniffa | 32 | 62 | 38,948 | 2,218 | 942 | 30 | 27 | 42,165 | |||
| M. Y. Saleem | 28 | 60 | 39,016 | 165 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 39,223 | |||
| Alayadivembu | V. Jahadeesan | 22 | 90 | 22 | 228 | 22,014 | 129 | 18 | 22,411 | ||
| Ampara (Namal Oya) | M. M. S. K. Bandara Mapa | 22 | 174 | 133 | 43,177 | 172 | 45 | 193 | 43,720 | ||
| Damana | S. K. Kulathunga Mudali | 33 | 542 | 137 | 38,302 | 28 | 5 | 17 | 38,489 | ||
| Dehiattakandiya | W. G. M.Hemantha Kumara | 14 | 394 | 108 | 58,948 | 67 | 0 | 505 | 59,628 | ||
| Irakkamam (Eragama) | M. M. Nazeer | 12 | 13,084 | 938 | 350 | 0 | 1 | 14,373 | |||
| J. Likayath Ali | 28 | 22 | 44,306 | 124 | 66 | 1 | 12 | 44,509 | |||
| K. Lavanathan | 29 | 2,376 | 231 | 26,564 | 490 | 52 | 29,713 | ||||
| S. Jegarajan | 17 | 7 | 6,753 | 13 | 9,891 | 123 | 1 | 16,781 | |||
| L. A. Somarathna | 12 | 815 | 1 | 8,253 | 645 | 0 | 1 | 8,900 | |||
| A. M. Wickramarachchi | 17 | 667 | 42 | 20,655 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 20,715 | |||
| Navithanveli | S. Garan | 20 | 6,399 | 153 | 12,101 | 9 | 10 | 18,672 | |||
| Nintavur | R U. Abdul Jaleel | 25 | 35 | 25,347 | 8 | 969 | 2 | 3 | 26,329 | ||
| K. G. S. Nishantha | 20 | 379 | 87 | 18,091 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 18,209 | |||
| M. I. M. Thawfieek | 27 | 265 | 27,213 | 881 | 6,581 | 3 | 71 | 34,749 | |||
| A. L. Mohamed Saleem | 17 | 6 | 25,389 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 25,412 | |||
| A. Mansoor | 51 | 229 | 53,114 | 297 | 7,178 | 1 | 6 | 60,596 | |||
| M. Gopakaretnam | 22 | 184 | 2 | 100 | 25,055 | 1 | 29 | 25,187 | |||
| U. P. Indika Anurudda Piyadasa | 59 | 485 | 7 | 58,231 | 32 | 1 | 5 | 58,276 | |||
| align=left colspan=3 | Total | 507 | 4,415 | 282,484 | 251,018 | 112,750 | 849 | 956 | 648,057 | 147 | |