Western Province, Sri Lanka

Western Province
බස්නාහිර පළාත
மேல் மாகாணம்
Colombo
Location within Sri Lanka
Location within Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 06°50′N 80°05′E / 6.833°N 80.083°E / 6.833; 80.083
CountrySri Lanka
Created1 October 1833
Provincial council14 November 1987
CapitalColombo
Largest CityColombo
Major Cities
Districts
Government
 • TypeProvincial council
 • BodyWestern Provincial Council
 • GovernorHanif Yusuf
Area
 • Total3,684 km2 (1,422 sq mi)
 • Land3,593 km2 (1,387 sq mi)
 • Rank9th (5.61% of total area)
Population
 (2012 census)[2]
 • Total5,821,710
 • Rank1st (28.73% of total pop.)
 • Density1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
Ethnicity
(2012 census)[2]
 • Sinhalese4,905,425 (84.26%)
 • Sri Lankan Moors450,505 (7.74%)
 • Sri Lankan Tamil335,751 (5.77%)
 • Indian Tamil61,826 (1.06%)
 • Other68,203 (1.17%)
Religion
(2012 census)[3]
 • Buddhism4,288,797 (73.67%)
 • Catholicism752,993 (12.93%)
 • Islam500,992 (8.61%)
 • Hinduism274,336 (4.71%)
 • Other4,592 (0.08%)
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka)
Post Codes
00000-19999
Telephone Codes011, 031, 033, 034, 036, 038
ISO 3166 codeLK-1
Vehicle registrationWP
Official LanguagesSinhalese, English,Tamil
FlowerWhite Lotus (Nymphaea lotus)
ButterflyCeylon Blue Glassy Tiger (Ideopsis similis)
Websitewww.wp.gov.lk

The Western Province (Sinhala: බස්නාහිර පළාත Basnāhira Paḷāta; Tamil: மேல் மாகாணம் Mael 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.[4][5] Western Province is the most densely populated province in the country and is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte as well as to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference area was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 2012eth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2012rel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Provinces of Sri Lanka". Statoids.
  5. ^ "Provincial Councils". Government of Sri Lanka.