Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Eastern Province
නැගෙනහිර පළාත கிழக்கு மாகாணம் | |
|---|---|
Sunset over Batticaloa Lagoon | |
Location within Sri Lanka | |
| Coordinates: 07°55′N 81°30′E / 7.917°N 81.500°E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Created | 1 October 1833 |
| Provincial council | 14 November 1987 |
| Capital | Trincomalee |
| Largest City | Kalmunai |
| Cities & Towns | List
|
| Districts | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Provincial council |
| • Body | Eastern Provincial Council |
| • Governor | Jayantha Lal Ratnasekera |
| • MPs | List |
| Area | |
• Total | 9,996 km2 (3,859 sq mi) |
| • Land | 9,361 km2 (3,614 sq mi) |
| • Water | 635 km2 (245 sq mi) 6.35% |
| • Rank | 2nd (15.24% of total area) |
| Population (2024 census) | |
• Total | 1,783,214 |
| • Rank | 6th (7.66% of total pop.) |
| • Density | 190.5/km2 (493.4/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity (2024 census) | |
| • Sri Lankan Tamil | 678,549 (38.05%) |
| • Sri Lankan Moors | 703,561 (39.45%) |
| • Sinhalese | 392,114 (21.99%) |
| • Indian Tamil | 2,421 (0.14%) |
| • Other | 5,768 (0.41%) |
| Religion (2024 census) | |
| • Muslim | 707,054 (39.65%) |
| • Hindu | 597,472 (33.50%) |
| • Buddhist | 389,119 (21.82%) |
| • Christian | 89,435 (5.02%) |
| • Other | 134 (0.01%) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka) |
| Post Codes | 30000-32999 |
| Telephone Codes | 026, 063, 065, 067 |
| ISO 3166 code | LK-5 |
| Vehicle registration | EP |
| Official Languages | Tamil, Sinhalese |
| Website | www |
The Eastern Province (Sinhala: නැගෙනහිර පළාත Næ̆gĕnahira Paḷāta, Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Kiḻakku Mākāṇam) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was temporarily merged with the Northern Province to form the North Eastern Province. The capital of the province is Trincomalee. Kalmunai is the largest and most populous city of Eastern Province.