Gampaha District Explained

Gampaha District
Native Name:	Sinhala; Sinhalese: ගම්පහ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය Tamil: கம்பஹா மாவட்டம்
Settlement Type:	Administrative District
Coordinates:	7.1333°N 80°W
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	Sri Lanka
Subdivision Type1:	Province
Established Title:	Created
Established Date:	September 1978
Seat Type:	Capital
Seat:	Gampaha
Parts Type:	DS Division
Parts Style:	coll
P1:	Attanagalla
P2:	Biyagama
P3:	Divulapitiya
P4:	Dompe
P5:	Gampaha
P6:	Ja-Ela
P7:	Katana
P8:	Kelaniya
P9:	Mahara
P10:	Minuwangoda
P11:	Mirigama
P12:	Negombo
P13:	Wattala
Leader Title:	District Secretary
Leader Name:	Sunil Jayalath
Unit Pref:	Metric
Area Total Km2:	1387
Area Land Km2:	1341
Area Water Km2:	46
Area Water Percent:	3.32
Area Rank:	21st (2.11% of total area)
Population Total:	2,443,000
Population Rank:	2nd (11.32% of total pop.)
Population As Of:	2021 census
Population Density Km2:	auto
Demographics Type1:	Ethnicity
Demographics1 Footnotes:	(2012 census)
Demographics1 Title1:	Sinhalese
Demographics1 Info1:	2,079,115 (90.61%)
Demographics1 Title2:	Sri Lankan Moors
Demographics1 Info2:	95,501 (4.16%)
Demographics1 Title3:	Sri Lankan Tamil
Demographics1 Info3:	80,071 (3.49%)
Demographics1 Title4:	Malays
Demographics1 Info4:	11,658 (0.51%)
Demographics1 Title5:	Other
Demographics1 Info5:	28,296 (1.23%)
Demographics Type2:	Religion
Demographics2 Footnotes:	(2012 census)
Demographics2 Title1:	Buddhist
Demographics2 Info1:	1,640,166 (71.48%)
Demographics2 Title2:	Christian
Demographics2 Info2:	486,173 (21.19%)
Demographics2 Title3:	Muslim
Demographics2 Info3:	114,851 (5.01%)
Demographics2 Title4:	Hindu
Demographics2 Info4:	52,221 (2.28%)
Demographics2 Title5:	Other
Demographics2 Info5:	1,230 (0.05%)
Timezone1:	Sri Lanka
Utc Offset1:	+05:30
Postal Code Type:	Post Codes
Postal Code:	11000-11999
Area Code Type:	Telephone Codes
Area Code:	011, 031, 033
Iso Code:	LK-12
Registration Plate:	WP
Blank Name Sec1:	Official Languages
Blank Info Sec1:	Sinhala, Tamil

Gampaha District (Sinhala; Sinhalese: ගම්පහ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය gampaha distrikkaya, Tamil: கம்பஹா மாவட்டம் Kampakai Māvaṭṭam) is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. It is the second most populous district of Sri Lanka after Colombo District. 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 Gampaha. The district was carved out of the northern part of Colombo District in September 1978.^[1]

Geographical Nature

Gampaha District is located in the west of Sri Lanka and has an area of 1387km2.^[2] It is bounded by Kurunegala and Puttalam districts from north, Kegalle District from east, Colombo District from south and by the Indian Ocean from west.^[1] The borders of the district are the Ma Oya on the north, Kelani River on the south and 1,000 ft contour line on the east.

Administrative units

Gampaha District is divided into 13 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent).^[3] The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 1,177 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions).^[3]

	Main Town	Divisional Secretary	GN Divisions	Area (km^2) ^[4]	Population (2012 Census)^[5]						Population Density (/km^2)
				Other	Total
		D. M. Rathnayake	151	149	154,969	21,389	927	657	874	178,816	1,200
		T. D. S. P. Perera	49	59	171,454	12,133	1,622	677	976	186,862	3,167
	Divulapitiya	H. M. L. S. Herath	123	202	142,420	80	1,003	34	334	143,871	712
	Kiridiwela	H. G. J. P. Wijesiriwardhna	133	176	150,016	2,282	443	52	344	153,137	870
		C. P. W. Gunathilaka	101	96	194,292	359	942	119	733	196,445	2,046
		Nimali De Silva	57	60	186,201	962	7,778	1,232	4,981	201,154	3,353
	Katana	K. G. H. H. R. Kiriella	79	116	214,207	3,361	9,878	1,020	5,388	233,854	2,016
		W. H. V. Pushpamala	37	20	113,133	8,588	7,834	2,674	2,464	134,693	6,735
		Thamara D. Perera	92	94	194,637	5,488	2,326	3,548	1,231	207,230	2,205
		C. P. W. Gunathilake	121	128	171,254	5,633	827	243	444	178,401	1,394
		Y. I. M. Silva	149	183	155,469	5,592	885	99	2,121	164,166	897
		A. K. R. Alawaththa	39	50	107,155	19,364	12,590	278	2,289	141,676	2,834
		Chandima Dissanayake	46	54	123,908	10,270	33,016	1,025	6,117	174,336	3,228
align=left colspan=3	Total	1,177	1,387	2,079,115	95,501	80,071	11,658	28,296	2,294,641	1,654

Demographics

Population

Gampaha District's population was 2,294,641 in 2012. The majority of the population are Sinhalese, with a minority Sri Lankan Moor and Sri Lankan Tamil population.

Ethnicity

Population of Gampaha District by ethnic group 1981 to 2012^{[6] [7]}

Year			Sri Lankan Moors				Malays		Other		Total No.
No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1981 Census	1,279,512	91.99%	37,826	2.72%	48,182	3.46%	8,675	0.62%	16,667	1.20%	1,390,862
2001 Census	1,877,545	90.98%	78,705	3.81%	65,302	3.16%	13,683	0.66%	28,449	1.38%	2,063,684
2012 Census	2,079,115	90.61%	95,501	4.16%	80,071	3.49%	11,658	0.51%	28,296	1.23%	2,294,641

Religion

Population of Gampaha District by religion 1981 to 2012^{[8] [9]}

Year	Buddhist			Hindu	Other	Total No.
No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1981 Census	989,212	71.12%	325,915	23.43%	48,117	3.46%	26,750	1.92%	868	0.06%	1,390,862
2001 Census	1,479,955	71.71%	446,647	21.64%	93,496	4.53%	42,356	2.05%	1,230	0.06%	2,063,684
2012 Census	1,640,166	71.48%	486,173	21.19%	114,851	5.01%	52,221	2.28%	1,230	0.05%	2,294,641

External links

• Gampaha District Secretariat

Notes and References

1. Web site: Overview. Gampaha District Secretariat. 2013-12-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20150101202127/http://www.gampaha.dist.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=17&lang=en. 2015-01-01. dead.
2. Web site: Area of Sri Lanka by province and district . Statistical Abstract 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121113190301/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract2011/CHAP1/AB1-1.pdf . 2012-11-13 .
3. Web site: Grama Niladhari Divisions. Gampaha District Secretariat. 2013-12-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20131212071123/http://www.gampaha.dist.gov.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=71&lang=en. 2013-12-12. dead.
4. Web site: Land area by province, district and divisional secretariat division . Statistical Abstract 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121113190307/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract2011/CHAP1/AB1-2-A.pdf . 2012-11-13 .
5. Web site: A6 : Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012. Census of Population & Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. 2013-12-22. 2016-11-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20161101151718/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop32&gp=Activities&tpl=3. dead.
6. Web site: A2 : Population by ethnic group according to districts, 2012. Census of Population & Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. 2013-12-22. 2017-04-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20170428063924/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop42&gp=Activities&tpl=3. dead.
7. Web site: Population by ethnic group and district, Census 1981, 2001. Statistical Abstract 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131215045138/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract2011/CHAP2/AB2-11.pdf. 2013-12-15.
8. Web site: A3 : Population by religion according to districts, 2012. Census of Population & Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka. 2013-12-22. 2019-01-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20190107065148/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop43&gp=Activities&tpl=3. dead.
9. Web site: Population by religion and district, Census 1981, 2001 . Statistical Abstract 2011 . Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121113190535/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/Abstract2011/CHAP2/AB2-15.pdf . 2012-11-13 .