# Matara District

Matara (Sinhala: මාතර දිස්ත්‍රික්කය Mātara distrikkaya; Tamil: மாத்தறை மாவட்டம் Māttaṛai māvaṭṭam) is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. 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.

## Geography

Matara District is located in the south west of Sri Lanka and has an area of 1,282.5 square kilometres (495.2 sq mi).
It is represented in the Sri Lankan Parliament following the 2010 Sri Lankan parliamentary election by former Sri Lankan national cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya who stood for the United People's Freedom Alliance.

## Administrative units

Matara District is divided into 16 Divisional Secretary's Division (DS Divisions), each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 650 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN Divisions), with 1,658 villages.
| DS Division | Main town | Divisional Secretary | GN Divisions | Area (km$^2$) | Population (2012 Census) | Population (2012 Census) | Population (2012 Census) | Population (2012 Census) | Population (2012 Census) | Population (2012 Census) | Population density (/km$^2$) |
| DS Division | Main town | Divisional Secretary | GN Divisions | Area (km$^2$) | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Moors | Sri Lankan Tamil | Indian Tamil | Other | Total | Population density (/km$^2$) |
| Akuressa | Akuressa | Mr. O. V. Chandana Tilakerathne | 46 | 148.8 | 51,280 | 7 | 519 | 865 | 5 | 52,595 | 357 |
| Athuraliya | Athuraliya | Mr. T. G. S. Sarath Kumara | 28 | 62.9 | 29,674 | 1,675 | 602 | 155 | 67 | 31,869 | 512 |
| Devinuwara | Devinuwara | Mr. D. D. K. Wickramarachchi | 41 | 39.9 | 47,217 | 663 | 66 | 14 | 19 | 47,979 | 1,183 |
| Dickwella | Dickwella | Mr. B. S. Ranjitha | 48 | 51.9 | 51,530 | 2,680 | 70 | 81 | 9 | 54,187 | 1,055 |
| Hakmana | Hakmana | Mr. Kusalaka Nanayakkara | 34 | 47.7 | 30,465 | 977 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 31,892 | - |
| Kamburupitiya | Kamburupitiya | Mrs. N. M. M. W. W. N. Herath Kumari | 39 | 60.9 | 40,738 | 10 | 28 | 17 | 10 | 39,438 | 676 |
| Kirinda Puhuwella | Kirinda Puhuwella | Mr. Chinthaka Abeywickrama | 25 | 37.5 | 19,480 | 648 | 5 | - | 2 | 20,574 | 655 |
| Kotapola | Kotapola | Mr. Ganesha Amarasinghe | 37 | 175.6 | 51,057 | 110 | 4,041 | 7,855 | 9 | 67,596 | 389 |
| Malimbada | Malimbada | Mrs. Deepika Kumari Gunarathne | 66 | 44.7 | 34,180 | 476 | 51 | 21 | 7 | 33,289 | 753 |
| Matara | Matara | Mr. Ranjith Yapa | 29 | 53.9 | 110,221 | 4,314 | 304 | 22 | 109 | 114,298 | 2,144 |
| Mulatiyana | Mulatiyana | Mr. Susantha Attanayake | 48 | 115.2 | 49,689 | 1 | 192 | 61 | - | 48,645 | 427 |
| Pasgoda | Pasgoda | Mrs. Nadeeka Kaushalya Kumari | 43 | 148.2 | 57,224 | 2 | 347 | 1,289 | 7 | 59,285 | 404 |
| Pitabeddara | Pitabeddara | Mr. Ravindra Jayanath | 40 | 141.5 | 47,149 | 24 | 2,086 | 1,555 | 13 | 52,081 | 372 |
| Thihagoda | Thihagoda | Mrs. K. P. C. N. Mahindagnana | 40 | 45.2 | 33,168 | 8 | 16 | - | 10 | 32,640 | 730 |
| Weligama | Weligama | Mr. K. P. G. Sumith Shantha | 48 | 44.0 | 64,927 | 7,366 | 159 | 26 | 33 | 70,180 | 1,120 |
| Welipitiya | Welipitiya | Mrs. Tushari Sooriyarachchi | 38 | 64.4 | 45,122 | 6,339 | 60 | 22 | 72 | 48,756 | 1,102 |
| Total | Total | Total | 650 | 1,282.5 | 757,046 | 23,635 | 5,060 | 17,937 | 321 | 803,999 | 638 |

## Major cities

* Matara (Municipal Council)

## Other towns

* Aparekka
* Weligama (Weligama Urban Council)
* Akuressa
* Tihagoda
* Mirissa
* Deniyaya
* Pitabeddara
* Kamburupitiya
* Thelijjawila
* Malimbada
* Miella
* Welipitiya
* Denipitiya
* Welihinda
* Morawaka
* Nupe
* Devinuwara
* Gandara
* Hakmana
* Karaputugala

## Demographics
### Population

Matara District's population was 803,999 in 2012. The majority of the population are Sinhalese, with a minority Sri Lankan Moor and Indian Tamil population.

### Ethnicity

Population of Matara District by ethnic group :
| Year | Sinhalese | Sinhalese | Sri Lankan Moors | Sri Lankan Moors | Sri Lankan Tamil | Sri Lankan Tamil | Indian Tamil | Indian Tamil | Other | Other | Total No. |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | Total No. |
| 2012 Census | 757,046 | 94.16% | 23,635 | 2.94% | 5,060 | 0.63% | 17,937 | 2.23% | 321 | 0.04% | 803,999 |

### Religion

Religions in Matara District (2011)
Population of Matara District by religion :
| Year | Buddhist | Buddhist | Muslim | Muslim | Christian | Christian | Hindu | Hindu | Other | Other | Total No. |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | Total No. |
| 2012 Census | 756,098 | 94.0% | 18,908 | 2.35% | 25,982 | 3.23% | 2,901 | 0.36% | 110 | 0.01% | 803,999 |