Chavakacheri
| Chavakacheri சாவகச்சேரி ජාවකච්චේරිය |
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| State : |
 Sri Lanka
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| Province : | Northern Province | ||
| District : | Jaffna | ||
| Residents: | 15,478 | ||
Chavakacheri ( Tamil : சாவகச்சேரி Cāvakaccēri [ ˈtʃaːʋəɡətːʃeːri ], Sinhala : ජාවකච්චේරිය Jāvakaccēriya [ ˈdʒaːʋəkətːʃeːrijə ]; also Chavakachcheri ) is a city in northern Sri Lanka . It is located in the Jaffna District of the Northern Province about 20 kilometers east of the district capital Jaffna . According to the special census of the Sri Lankan census in 2007, the population is 15,478. This makes Chavakacheri the second largest city in the district after Jaffna.
During the civil war in Sri Lanka (1983-2009), the city was badly affected. The city was rebuilt by the inhabitants, but the population has dropped dramatically.
The name Chavakacheri means "settlement of the Javanese " (from cāvakar "Javanese" and cēri "settlement") and refers to the historical trade contacts between Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.