Central Province (Sri Lanka)
Coordinates: 7 ° 18 ' N , 80 ° 36' E
| Central Province මධ්යම පළාත (Madhyama Paḷāta) மத்திய மாகாணம் (Mattiya Mākāṇam) |
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| Capital : | Kandy |
| Area : | 5674 km² |
| Residents : | 2,556,350 (2012) |
| Population density : | 459 inhabitants per km² |
The central province of the South Asian island state Sri Lanka consists mainly of mountainous land. The province covers an area of 5674 km² and has a population of 2,556,350 (2012). It consists of the administrative districts of Kandy , Matale and Nuwara Eliya .
The region consists largely of mountainous land with deep valleys. The two main massifs are the Massif Central and the Knuckles Range east of Kandy. The highest mountains in Sri Lanka rise in the central province. In it are the cities of Kandy , Nuwara Eliya and Sri Pada .
The population consists of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. Many plantation workers are Indian Tamils who were brought to the island by the British in the 19th century.
The climate is cool and many areas above 1500 meters have frosty nights. The western foothills of the mountainous country are very humid, in some areas up to 7000 mm of rain falls per year. The eastern foothills are medium dry as rain is only brought in from the northeast monsoon . Temperatures range from 24 ° C in the annual mean in Kandy to 16 ° C in Nuwara Eliya, which is at 1889 m.
The famous Ceylon tea is produced in the province . The plantations were established by the English around 1860 after a devastating disease destroyed the coffee plantations in the region. The central province attracts many tourists.
The historic city of Matale and the Sigiriya Rock are also located in the Central Province.
Although three European powers invaded Sri Lanka between the 16th and 19th centuries, the central province retained its independence until the early 19th century, when Kandy was conquered by the British.
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Northern Province | Northwest Province | North Central Province | Eastern Province | Sabaragamuwa | Southern Province | Uva | Western Province | Central Province
Former Province (1988–2006): Northeast Province