Mullaitivu District
Encyclopedia
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts
of Sri Lanka
. 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
. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town
. The district was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya district
together with parts of the then Jaffna district
(now Kilinochchi district
), Mannar district
and Trincomalee district
in September 1978.
s primarily from Alaveddy
, Udduppidy and Navaly
..
Mullaitivu district is located in the north east of Sri Lanka
in the Northern Province
. It has an area of 2617 square kilometres (1,010.4 sq mi).
, each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 127 Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions (villages).
The population of the district, like the rest of the North
and East
, has been heavily affected by the civil war
. The war has killed an estimated 70,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as 400,000, have emigrated
to the West
since the start of the war. There are a further 800,000 internally displaced person
s in Sri Lanka, many of them living in refugee camps in the North
and East
and depending on aid provided by NGOs
. There are approximately 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees is India. Many Sri Lankan Tamils have also moved to the relative safety of Colombo
. The war has also caused almost all of the Sri Lankan Moors
and Sinhalese
who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka
.
1 2001 Census was not carried out in Mullaitivu district.
Districts of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, districts are the second-level administrative divisions, and are included in a province. There are 25 districts organized into 9 provinces. Each district is administered under a District Secretary, who is appointed by the central government...
of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary
Government Agent (Sri Lanka)
A Government Agent or a District Secretary is a Sri Lankan civil servant of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service appointed by the central government to govern a certain district of the country. The GA is the administrative head of public services in the District. As Sri Lanka has 25 districts,...
(previously known as a Government Agent
Government Agent (Sri Lanka)
A Government Agent or a District Secretary is a Sri Lankan civil servant of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service appointed by the central government to govern a certain district of the country. The GA is the administrative head of public services in the District. As Sri Lanka has 25 districts,...
) appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka
Politics of Sri Lanka
Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Sri Lanka is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both...
. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town
Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between...
. The district was carved out of the northern part of Vavuniya district
Vavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...
together with parts of the then Jaffna district
Jaffna District
Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to...
(now Kilinochchi district
Kilinochchi District
Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...
), Mannar district
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...
and Trincomalee district
Trincomalee District
Trincomalee district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka...
in September 1978.
History
The Mullativu area was colonized in the second half of the 18th century by Jaffna TamilJaffna Tamil
Jaffna Tamil could mean*Jaffna Tamil person of Jaffna, in Sri Lanka origin.*Jaffna Tamil dialect used by a person of Jaffna Tamil origin...
s primarily from Alaveddy
Alaveddy
Alaveddy is an area of South-West Valigamam Division, Jaffna District, Sri Lanka. It consists of five village tracts: Alaveddy North, Alaveddy Centre, Alaveddy East, Alaveddy South and Alaveddy West. Nearby villages are Chunnakam, Makiyappiddy, Sankuveli and Siruvilan...
, Udduppidy and Navaly
Navaly
Navaly or Navaaly is a town in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka and it is located about 8 km from Jaffna....
..
Geography
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
in the Northern Province
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
. It has an area of 2617 square kilometres (1,010.4 sq mi).
Administrative units
Mullaitivu district is divided into 5 Divisional Secretary's (DS) DivisionsDivisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka
The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became...
, each headed by a Divisional Secretary (previously known as an Assistant Government Agent). The DS Divisions are further sub-divided into 127 Grama Niladhari (GN) Divisions (villages).
| DS Division Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became... |
Main Town | GN Divisions |
Area (km2) |
Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manthai East Manthai East Divisional Secretariat Manthai East Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Mullaitivu District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Pandiyankulam | 15 | 515.0 | 24,122 |
| Maritimepattu Maritimepattu Divisional Secretariat Maritimepattu Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Mullaitivu District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Mullaitivu Mullaitivu Mullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between... |
46 | 744.6 | 55,809 |
| Oddusuddan Oddusuddan Divisional Secretariat Oddusuddan Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Mullaitivu District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Oddusuddan Oddusuddan Oddusuddan or Ottisuddan is a town in the Mullaitivu District, Sri Lanka. Some say in Tamil Oddu-suddan translates to 'roof-tile-making-place'. It is located nearly halfway between Mankulam and Mullaitivu on highway A34.- See also :... |
27 | 639.0 | 25,765 |
| Puthukkudiyiruppu Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Mullaitivu District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Puthukkudiyiruppu Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu) Puthukkudiyiruppu is a small town in the Mullaitivu District of Sri Lanka.There are four main roads which lead to Mullaithivu in the east, Paranthan towards west, Iranaipalai towards north and Oddusuddan towards south... |
19 | 371.0 | 89,784 |
| Thunukkai Thunukkai Divisional Secretariat Thunukkai Divisional Secretariat is a Divisional Secretariat of Mullaitivu District, of Northern Province, Sri Lanka.-References:*... |
Thunukkai Thunukkai Thunukkai is a town in the Mullaitivu District, Sri Lanka. It is located about 17 km from Mankulam & 4 km from Mallavi.... |
20 | 347.3 | 24,831 |
| Total | 127 | 2,616.9 | 220,311 | |
Population
Mullaitivu district's population was 220,311 in 2007. The population of the district is almost exclusively Sri Lankan Tamil.The population of the district, like the rest of the North
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and East
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
, has been heavily affected by the civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. The war has killed an estimated 70,000 people. Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as 400,000, have emigrated
Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora
The Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora refers to the global diaspora of the people of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. It can be said to be a subset of the larger Sri Lankan as well as Tamil diaspora....
to the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
since the start of the war. There are a further 800,000 internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s in Sri Lanka, many of them living in refugee camps in the North
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and East
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and depending on aid provided by NGOs
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
. There are approximately 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees is India. Many Sri Lankan Tamils have also moved to the relative safety of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. The war has also caused almost all of the Sri Lankan Moors
Sri Lankan Moors
The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries...
and Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
who lived in the district to flee to other parts of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Ethnicity
| Year | Sri Lankan Tamil | Sri Lankan Moors Sri Lankan Moors The Sri Lankan Moors are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 8% of the country's total population . They are predominantly followers of Islam. The Moors trace their ancestry to Arab traders who settled in Sri Lanka some time between the 8th and 15th centuries... |
Sinhalese Sinhalese people The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the... |
Others | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1981 Census | 69,670 | 89.88% | 3,777 | 4.87% | 3,948 | 5.09% | 117 | 0.15% | 77,512 | 100.00% |
| 2001 Estimate1 | 79,544 | 99.99% | 0 | 0.00% | 8 | 0.01% | 0 | 0.00% | 79,552 | 100.00% |
| 2007 Estimate | 220,117 | 99.91% | 193 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 220,311 | 100.00% |
| Source: | ||||||||||
1 2001 Census was not carried out in Mullaitivu district.
Local government
Mullaitivu district has four local authorities all of which are Pradeshya Sabhas.| Local Authority | Elected Members |
Area (km2) |
Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manthai East Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 494.0 | 24,298 |
| Maritimepattu Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 728.6 | 55,809 |
| Puthukkudiyiruppu Pradeshya Sabha | 9 | 968.0 | 115,605 |
| Thunukkai Pradeshya Sabha | 0 | 326.3 | 24,965 |
| Source: | |||