North Western Province, Sri Lanka

North Western Province (Sinhala: වයඹ පළාත Wayamba Paḷāta, Tamil: வட மேல் மாகாணம் Vada Mael Mākāṇam) is a province of Sri Lanka. It is the fourth-largest province by land area, covering 7,888 km (3,046 sq mi), and the fourth-most populated province with a population of over 2,592,000 people. North Western Province is bordered by the North Central Province, Sri Lanka to the north, Central Province, Sri Lanka to the east, Sabaragamuwa Province to the southeast, Western Province, Sri Lanka to the south, and is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the west.
The province encompasses a variety of climates and geographical features, from its coastal regions to the central highlands and plains. The majority of the population is concentrated in the urban centers of Kurunegala, the provincial capital, and Puttalam. Kurunegala is the largest city in the province and serves as a major commercial and administrative hub. Puttalam, located on the western coast, is known for its lagoon and salt production.
The region has numerous archaeological sites, including the ancient rock fortress of Yapahuwa and the Panduwasnuwara ruins. European colonization began with the Portuguese Empire in the 16th century, followed by the Dutch Empire and the British Empire. The province was established in its current form in 1833 during British Ceylon era and became part of the independent Dominion of Ceylon in 1948, later becoming the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
During the Sri Lankan civil war the Puttalam District was considered a part of proposed Tamil Eelam by the Tamil Tigers, despite the smaller Tamil population.
North Western Province had nineteen seats in the Sri Lankan Parliament in last General elections. The provincial council consists of the Chief Minister, the Provincial Council, and the Governor. As of the most recent General elections, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna is the dominant political party in the province. The Governor of North Western Province, the representative of the President of Sri Lanka, is currently Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya.
The economy of North Western Province is primarily based on Agriculture, Manufacturing, Fishing, and small-scale industries. Major agricultural products include coconut, rice, and spices, while the coastal areas are known for their fishing industry, the urban areas such as Kurunegala, Kuliyapitiya, Nikaweratiya and Mawathagama is famous for their Industries. The province also has significant mineral resources, including limestone and ilmenite.
North Western Province is known for its cultural heritage, with numerous festivals, traditional dances, and local crafts. It is home to several important religious sites, including the Munneswaram temple and the St. Anne's Church in Thalawila, which attract pilgrims from across the country. The province's natural attractions, such as the Wilpattu National Park and the Puttalam Lagoon, are popular with tourists.
North Western Province's western border follows the coastline along the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Puttalam Lagoon in the north to the estuary of the Maha Oya River in the south. The northern border is shared with the Northern Province, Sri Lanka with a very small border. delineated primarily by natural features such as the Kala Oya. To the east, it is bordered by the North Central Province, Sri Lanka while to the south, it is bordered by the Sabaragamuwa and Western Province, Sri Lanka.
The North Western Province is characterised by a variety of topographical and climatic conditions, ranging from coastal regions with a tropical climate to inland areas that experience a more varied climate. The region features several prominent water bodies, including the Puttalam Lagoon, Mundal Lagoon, and the Deduru Oya. Other significant rivers in the province include the Mee Oya and the Kala Oya rivers. The province also contains a portion of the Wilpattu National Park, one of the largest and oldest national parks in Sri Lanka, known for its diverse wildlife and natural beauty.
The region's highest point is the Dolukanda range, which is part of the central hills that gently slope towards the coastal plains. The plains are predominantly used for agriculture, with key crops including paddy, coconut, and various spices. The province also has significant limestone deposits, which contribute to the local cement industry.
The North Western Province is ecologically diverse, with coastal ecosystems, dry monsoon forests, and wetlands. Significant ecological areas include the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary, recognised as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and the Mangrove forests along the coastline. These areas support a variety of flora and fauna, including several Endangered species.
The climate of Wayamba is tropical, with a marked dry season, and temperatures averaging between 20 °C (68 °F) in January to 25 °C (77 °F) in March. The south of the province is wetter, with almost 2,000 mm (79 in) of rainfall per year, but the north of the province is one of the driest regions in Sri Lanka, averaging under 1,100 mm (43 in) of rain in parts.
The population of North Western Province in the year 2021 was 2,592,000. The majority of the population belongs to the Sinhalese majority. Sri Lankan Moors community represent a large portion in population. There is a smaller Sri Lankan Tamils community and they are scattered all over the Province but a larger population reside in the North of Puttalam District. The following Table summarises the population of the province according to their ethnicity:
Buddhism is the main and the most widely practiced religion in North Western Province. It is also home to a wide range of other religious faiths and sects including Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Even among them almost all Muslim population follows Sunni Islam and the preponderance of Christians follow Catholicsm, predomantly in Puttalam District.
Wayamba is divided into 2 districts:
North Western Province contains six villages with the same name, Galagedara.
The 2020 parliament election was the most recent general election.
NWP is known for its notorious mafia activities which are largely different from mafia activities in the South. NWP has very rare gun related crimes on the entire island.
Theft and Burglary
Petty Theft: There were approximately 1,200 reported cases of petty theft in the NWP in 2023, a slight increase from 1,100 cases in 2022.
Residential Burglary: Around 600 cases were reported in 2023, compared to 550 in 2022.
Commercial Burglary: Reported incidents increased to 400 in 2023 from 350 in 2022.
Drug-related Crimes
Drug Trafficking Arrests: Law enforcement reported 300 drug trafficking arrests in 2023, up from 250 in 2022.
Violent Crimes
White-collar Crimes
Environmental Crimes
Provincial Education zones-Provincial Department of Education - North Western
Kurunegala is one of the most popular destination for Sri Lankan high school students for private tutoring.
The region is served by an extensive rail and road transport system providing linkages to the major cities and ports in Sri Lanka. Some major roads include,
The North Western Province, comprises the districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam, is a vital region for the country's economic landscape. This region's economy is multifaceted, driven by agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and service industries.
The province is the location for Mawathagama and Polghawela Export Processing Zones and boasts several other industrial estates such as Dambadeniya, Makandura West, Makadura East, Pannala, Lunuwila, Heraliyawela, Dangaspitiya, Dankotuwa and Noorani.
Agriculture is the cornerstone of the North Western Province's economy, employing a significant portion of the population.
The province contributes approximately 18% of Sri Lanka's total rice production. With over 150,000 hectares dedicated to paddy fields, the region produces around 700,000 metric tonnes of rice annually.
The province is one of the largest coconut-producing regions, accounting for about 25% of the national coconut output. Annually, it produces around 1 billion coconuts.
The province also grows a variety of spices (such as Pepper and Cardamom), vegetables, and fruits. Approximately 10,000 ha (25,000 acres) are used for spice cultivation, producing around 12,000 metric tonnes annually.
Manufacturing in the North Western Province is diverse, playing a crucial role in the region's economic growth.
The textile and garment industry employs over 50,000 workers. The region hosts several factories, contributing to around 20% of Sri Lanka's total garment exports.
The province is home to multiple food processing plants. The food and beverage sector contributes approximately LKR 20 billion to the provincial GDP annually.
Puttalam hosts one of the largest cement factories in Sri Lanka, producing about 2.5 million tonnes of cement annually, which accounts for 40% of the country's cement production.
The North Western Province has significant mineral resources, contributing to Sri Lanka's mining industry.
The region's limestone deposits are crucial for the cement industry. Annually, around 3 million tonnes of limestone are mined in Puttalam.
NWP is a significant source of Silica sand, essential for the Glass industry, with annual production reaching approximately 200,000 tonnes.
The service industry in the province is rapidly growing, encompassing a wide range of activities from financial services to education and healthcare.
The healthcare sector employs over 15,000 workers and includes major hospitals and numerous healthcare facilities across the province. This includes variety of private hospitals mainly located in Kurunegala.
The education sector is robust, with numerous schools, vocational training centers, and higher education institutions. Over 200,000 students are enrolled in educational institutions within the province.
The province has seen a steady increase in tourism, Major attractions include the Wilpattu National Park, cultural heritage sites in Kurunegala, and the coastal areas of Puttalam. Tourism however is considered very poor compared to other Provinces.
Energy production is a significant industry in the North Western Province, particularly in Puttalam.
Wind Power: Puttalam is home to one of the largest wind farms in Sri Lanka, contributing over 100 MW of renewable energy to the national grid.
Thermal Power: Norochcholai Power Plant, is also located in Puttalam, and is the largest coal-fired power plant in Sri Lanka, generating around 900 MW of electricity.
Wayamba Province is also rich with several types of mineral deposits. These include,
Wayamba has a highly developed agricultural economy, growing a variety of fruits and vegetables, flowering plants, spices, oil-seeds in addition to the traditional plantation crops such as Coconut, Rubber and Rice. Rich soils and varied climate give Wayamba a potential for growing of virtually any crop.
Paddy is the main agricultural crop in the province. Wayamba is the third largest paddy-producing area in Sri Lanka. There are two main cultivation seasons. The Maha Season (October–January) or the period with excessive rainfall and the Yala Season (April–August) the drier season. In Yala season, the farmers have to depend on irrigation. More recent times, the paddy farmers during the dry season have opted to cultivate export crops and subsidiary food crops that bring bigger profits.
The Wayamba province is well served by all major commercial banking and financial institutions of Sri Lanka. These include, Bank of Ceylon, Commercial Bank of Sri Lanka, Sampath Bank, National Savings Bank, Hatton National Bank, People's Bank, Seylan Bank and the Union Bank. All of these banks have an extensive coverage of their branches in the province. Three other development banks of Sri Lanka, namely The DFCC Bank, National Development Bank, Wayamba Development Bank, Ideal motors & Ideal finance also provide services to the province.
The Wayamba province is a treasure house of archaeology having been seat of four medieval kingdoms of Sri Lanka between the mid 12th and mid 14th centuries. Having forced to move capitals due to foreign invasions, Sri Lankan kings nevertheless built magnificent citadels are Yapahuwa, Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya and Kurunegala. Impressive remains of those citadels, palaces, Buddhist temples and monasteries provide exciting sight seeing to the visitors.
Wayamba and Kurunegala are also the home for other ancient Buddhist rock temples, mostly with 1st century B.C roots, with wall and ceiling frescos, colossal Buddha images, stone inscriptions and sculptures dating from early medieval to 18th century period.
The sparkling blue surf of the Indian Ocean and scenic tropical lagoons which edge the western shores of the Wayamba province are glided with 240 kilometres of wide, sun drenched beaches. These beaches stretch from Waikkal at its southern end to Dutch Bay in the Puttalam district.
Some of Wayamba's best resort beaches are at Marawila, Talwila, Kalpitiya and Waikkal. These beaches are often with the bonus of a lagoon or a river front and make excellent bases for stay-put beach holidays. Some of the beach resorts also offer viewing of underwater Coral wonderlands off Kandakuliya and Karaitivu. Many fishing villages dot the coastal areas.
The well preserved Dutch Fort in Kalpitiya (Puttalam district) dating back to 1670 is an evidence of the Wayamba's European colonial period. The fort is complete with barracks, store houses and living quarters, Dutch colonial pillars and ancient tombstones. Kurunegala has many 19th century relics of the British colonial period including the government Agent's residence and the Rajapihilla rest house.
The people of Wayamba celebrate many traditional festivals centred on sacred shrines of diverse faith.
All three shrines are easily accessible from Kurunegala, - Munneswaram approximately 70 km, Udappuwa 95 km and St. Anne's about 110 km respectively.
and villages of wayamba palatha]