Matale (district)

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Coordinates: 7 ° 28 '  N , 80 ° 37'  E

Matale District
මාතලේ දිස්ත්‍රික්කය
மாத்தளை மாவட்டம்
District map
Province : Central Province
Administrative headquarters : Matale
Area : 1,993 km²
of which land area: 1,952 km²
of which inland waters: 41 km²
Residents : 484531
Population density : 248 inhabitants / km²
Website : District website

Matale ( Sinhala මාතලේ දිස්ත්රික්කය matale distrikkaya ; Tamil மாத்தளை மாவட்டம் Māttaḷai māvaṭṭam ) is a district of Central Province in Sri Lanka . The main town is Matale .

geography

The district of Matale is located in the center of the island and belongs to the central province . Neighboring districts are Anuradhapura in the northwest, Polonnaruwa in the north and northeast, Ampara in the east, Badulla in the southeast, Kandy in the south and Kurunegala in the west.

The Matale District covers an area of ​​1,993 square kilometers (of which 1,952 square kilometers are land and 41 square kilometers are inland water). This puts it in 14th place among the districts of Sri Lanka in terms of area.

population

According to the 2012 census, the Matale district has 484,531 inhabitants. With 248 inhabitants per square kilometer, the population density is well below the Sri Lankan average (325 inhabitants per square kilometer). Of the residents, 233,657 (48.22%) were male and 250,874 (51.78%) were female. The population is very young. This is illustrated by a look at the age distribution.

Age 0–9 years 10–19 years 20-29 years 30–39 years 40-49 years 50–59 years 60–79 years 80 years and more
number 86,776 76,538 67,848 71,413 64,907 57,911 53,210 5,928
proportion of 17.91% 15.80% 14.00% 14.74% 13.40% 11.95% 10.98% 1.22%

District population by ethnic group

The Sinhalese make up the majority of the population of the Matale district. But there are large minorities of other ethnic groups.

Sinhalese

More than 80% of the residents belong to the Sinhalese ethnic group . In all divisions they make up the majority of the population. In five of the eleven divisions, however, there are considerable minorities of members of other ethnic groups. The Sinhalese population ranges between 62.90% in Matale and 99.92% in Wilgamuwa.

Moors

The second largest ethnic group and thus the largest minority are the Moors or Tamil-speaking Muslims. They are a significant population group in the Ukuwela (20.52% Moors), Matale (18.63%), Galewela (13.26%) and Yatawatta (6.48%) divisions. Only a few members of their ethnic group live in three of the eleven divisions (Naula, Ambaganga Korale and Wilgamuwa). Their share ranges between 0.02% in Wilgamuwa and 20.52% in Ukuwela.

Sri Lankan Tamils

The Sri Lankan Tamils are only the third largest ethnic group. They are above average in the Matale (16.03% Sri Lankan Tamils), Ambaganga Korale (7.54%), Rattota (6.94%) and Ukuwela (5.11%) divisions. There are only a few members of their ethnic group in the remaining seven divisions. Their share ranges between 0.05% in Wilgamuwa and 16.03% in Matale.

Indian Tamils

The Tamils ​​of Indian descent are descendants of immigrants from India during British colonial rule. At the 1946 census, their proportion of the population in Matale district was 21.9%. The members of the ethnic group increased in number until 1971 - but their share sank to only 14.9% (or 46,806 people). In the 1970s, many members of this ethnic group had to turn their backs on Sri Lanka and move to India. Therefore, the 1981 census only counted 24,912 members of their community (1971–1981: - 21,894 people or - 46.8%). For this reason, they no longer form the second, but only the fourth largest ethnic group. Today they are still well above average in the Rattota (16.97% Indian Tamils), Ambaganga Korale (16.74%) and Ukuwela (9.29%) divisions. Their share ranges between 0.01% in Wilgamuwa and 16.97% in Rattota.

Other ethnic groups

The Malays, Burghers, Sri Lankan Chetties and Bharathas are small minorities. They live scattered across all divisions in Matale district. However, numerous members of the Burgher (175 people or 45.3% of their ethnic group) and Malays (209 people or 53.3% of their ethnic group) are at home in the Matale division. The ethnic group of the Indian Moors has almost completely disappeared (in 1946 still 0.66% of the inhabitants or 1,000 people).

year Sinhalese 1 Sri Lankan Tamils 2 Tamils 2 Moors 3 Burgher Malays Others 4 Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
1981 285.354 79.85% 20,579 5.76% 24,912 6.97% 24,995 6.99% 272 0.08% 574 0.16% 668 0.19% 357.354 100.00%
2001 353,579 80.11% 24,320 5.51% 23,493 5.32% 38,462 8.72% 402 0.09% 523 0.12% 549 0.12% 441,328 100.00%
2012 391,305 80.76% 24,279 5.01% 23,238 4.80% 44,786 9.24% 386 0.08% 392 0.08% 145 0.03% 484,531 100.00%
Source: Sri Lanka censuses in 1981, 2001 and 2012

1 lowland and Kandy Sinhalese together 2 Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils separately 3 only Sri Lankan moors 4 thereof 2001 101 Sri Lankan Chetties and 4 Bharathas; 2012 22 Sri Lanka Chetties and 11 Bharathas

Population of the district by confession

The distribution of creeds is largely a reflection of ethnic relationships. The Buddhism is the largest religious group because of the Sinhalese majority. In second place is Islam , to which the Moors and Malays belong. The Hinduism , which belongs to the majority of Sri Lankan and Indian Tamils, is in the district of Matale today only the third largest religious community. This is because of the decline in the number of Indian Tamils. Despite numerous re-migrations - from Christianity to Buddhism - by Sinhalese in the past two hundred years, Christianity outnumbered Burgher and Sri Lankan Chetties. Several thousand Sinhalese Christians live in the Galewela division. There are also around 4,000 Tamil Christians across the district. Nevertheless, Christianity is only the fourth largest religious community in the district.

year Buddhists Hindus Muslims Catholics other Christs Other Total
No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. %
1981 281.004 78.63% 41,352 11.57% 26,265 7.35% 7,443 2.08% 1,202 0.34% 88 0.02% 357.354 100.00%
2001 348,762 79.03% 42,433 9.61% 39,980 9.06% 8,400 1.90% 1,703 0.39% 50 0.01% 441,328 100.00%
2012 385.151 79.49% 43,432 8.96% 45,682 9.42% 7,899 1.63% 2,342 0.48% 25th 0.01% 484,531 100.00%
Source: Sri Lanka censuses in 1981, 2001 and 2012

Population development

The population of the district of Matale has been growing faster than the whole country for decades. In the period from 2001 to 2012 (the last two census years), the increase was 43,203 people. This is a growth of 9.79%. Since independence, the population has more than tripled (+ 211%).

Significant places

The district is rural. Dambulla (2012: 23,814 inhabitants) and the district capital Matale (2012: 36,462) are the only medium-sized cities. There are no small towns.

administration

The head of the district holds the title of District Secretary. The district is further divided into eleven divisions (under a Division Secretary). The cities and larger towns have their own administration (municipal parliament or council). There are 545 village administrations (Grama Niladharis) for the 1,373 villages in the entire district.

The DS Divisions in Matale District
Surname main place Residents
2012		 Area
in km²		 density GN Villages
Ambaganga Korale Pallethenna 15,643 55 284 20th 63
Dambulla Dambulla 72,306 444 163 59 138
Galewela Galewela 70,042 187 375 59 151
Laggala-Pallegama Laggala-Pallegama 12.110 385 31 37 80
Matale Matale 74,864 70 1,069 52 116
Naula Naula 30,884 276 112 52 100
Pallepola Pallepola 29,565 81 365 44 102
Rattota Rattota 51,354 99 519 54 178
Ukuwela Ukuwela 68,027 77 883 73 198
Wilgamuwa Wilgamuwa 29,494 256 115 39 100
Yatawatta Yatawatta 30,242 63 480 56 147
Matale District Matale 484,531 1.952 248 545 1,373

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Final result of the 2012 census
  2. ^ Map of the ethnic distribution after the 2012 census
  3. ↑ Matale district data based on the 2012 census
  4. ^ Map of religious distribution after the 2012 census
  5. ↑ Matale district data based on the 2012 census
  6. ^ Matale District Handbook 2011, Table 1.1
  7. ^ Statoids, Administrative Areas of Sri Lanka

Web links

Commons : Matale District  - Collection of images, videos and audio files