Nedunthivu
| Nedunthivu | ||
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| Waters | Palk Strait , Indian Ocean | |
| Geographical location | 9 ° 31 ′ 0 ″ N , 79 ° 41 ′ 0 ″ E | |
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| length | 8 kilometers | |
| width | 6 km | |
| surface | 45 km² | |
| Residents | 3819 85 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Maveliturai | |
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Nedunthivu ( Tamil நெடுந்தீவு = "long island"), at times Delft , is an island in the Palk Strait in northern Sri Lanka .
location
Nedunthivu is as westerly of the larger islands of the Jaffna peninsula are upstream, in between Sri Lanka and India situated Palk Strait . Nedunthivu is only approx. 50 km (as the crow flies) from the south Indian city of Rameswaram . The flat, approximately 45 km² oval island is approximately 8 km long and up to 6 km wide. Upstream are sandbars and coral reefs. The climate is tropical hot; Rain falls only in the monsoon months October to December.
population
According to the 2012 census, the island has 3,819 inhabitants, almost all of them Sri Lankan Tamils . About half of the population are Catholics , the rest are mostly Hindus .
economy
Besides fishing, the livelihood of the few inhabitants who live mainly on the north coast is the cultivation of papayas and bananas . In the semi-arid environment, palm trees were used for various purposes - e.g. B. for weaving mats, baskets, ropes etc.
history
The Jaffna Peninsula was conquered for Portugal in 1658 by the Dutchman Rijklof van Goens . The eight largest islands off the coast were given Dutch names, such as Nedunthivu the name "Delft" (after the Dutch city of the same name ), which is the only one still in use internationally. Later the island came under the control of the British .
During the civil war in Sri Lanka (1983–2009), Nedunthivu was fought over several times between government troops and LTTE rebels. Indian fishermen who use the fishing grounds around Nedunthivu have also been repeatedly involved in the conflict.
Attractions
- The island's beaches are barely developed.
- The ruins of a Dutch fortress are barely recognizable.
