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Coordinates: 7°13′N 79°50′E / 7.217°N 79.833°E / 7.217; 79.833
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| subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]
| subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
| subdivision_type1 = Province
| subdivision_type1 = Negombo Division
| subdivision_name1 = [[Western Province, Sri Lanka|Western Province]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Western Province, Sri Lanka|Western Province]]
| government_footnotes =
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| area_water_sq_mi =
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| area_water_percent =
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| area_urban_km2 = 30.8
| area_urban_km2 = 31.1
| area_urban_sq_mi =
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'''Negombo''' (Sinhala: මීගමුව {{IPA-si|ˈmiːɡamuʋə|}}; Tamil: நீர்கொழும்பு {{IPA-ta|nir koɭumbu|}}) is a [[City]], located on the west coast of the island and at the mouth of the [[Negombo Lagoon]], in [[Western Province]], [[Sri Lanka]]. [[Negombo]] is the [[Fifth Largest City]] in the country after [[Colombo]], [[Kandy]], [[Jaffna]] and [[Galle]] and the [[Second Largest City]] in Western province after capital [[Colombo]]. [[Negombo]] is also a major commercial hub in [[sri lanka]] of about 128,000 inhabitants in the city limits, approximately 37 km north of [[Colombo]] city centre. [[Negombo]] is very famous about it's huge and old [[fishing]] industry with busy fish markets, and the nice sandy beaches with modern hotels, guest houses, finest restaurants, pubs and the night life.
'''Negombo''' (Sinhala: මීගමුව {{IPA-si|ˈmiːɡamuʋə|}}; Tamil: நீர்கொழும்பு {{IPA-ta|nir koɭumbu|}}) is a [[City]], located on the west coast of the island and at the mouth of the [[Negombo Lagoon]], in [[Western Province]], [[Sri Lanka]]. [[Negombo]] is the [[Fifth Largest]] [[City]] in the country after [[Colombo]], [[Kandy]], [[Jaffna]] and [[Galle]] and the [[Second Largest City]] in Western province after capital [[Colombo]]. [[Negombo]] is also a major commercial hub in [[sri lanka]] of about 128,000 inhabitants in the city limits, approximately 37 km north of [[Colombo]] city centre. [[Negombo]] is very famous about it's huge and old [[fishing]] industry with busy fish markets, and the nice sandy beaches with modern hotels, guest houses, finest restaurants, pubs and the night life.
==Etymology==
==Etymology==

Revision as of 02:27, 24 July 2012

Negombo
මීගමුව
நீர்கொழும்பு
City
Official seal of Negombo
Seal
File:Negombo dutch fort
Land Sri Lanka
Negombo DivisionWestern Province
Regierung
 • Typemunicipal council
 • MayorMr.Anthony Jayaweera
Area
 • Urban
31.1 km2 (12.0 sq mi)
 • 31 km2 (12 sq mi)
Population
 (2001 cencus)
 • City128,000
 • Density4,958/km2 (12,840/sq mi)
 • Metro
165,000
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone)

Negombo (Sinhala: මීගමුව [ˈmiːɡamuʋə]; Tamil: நீர்கொழும்பு [nir koɭumbu]) is a City, located on the west coast of the island and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Negombo is the Fifth Largest City in the country after Colombo, Kandy, Jaffna and Galle and the Second Largest City in Western province after capital Colombo. Negombo is also a major commercial hub in sri lanka of about 128,000 inhabitants in the city limits, approximately 37 km north of Colombo city centre. Negombo is very famous about it's huge and old fishing industry with busy fish markets, and the nice sandy beaches with modern hotels, guest houses, finest restaurants, pubs and the night life.

Etymology

The name "Negombo" was first used by the Portuguese. But the corruption of the Sinhala name Mīgamuva (මීගමුව), means the "Group of Bees", has been named a few centuries ago in the ancient kings' era. The squad of king Kavantissa, found out the bee honey on a canoe near the seashore of this place, for Vihara Maha Devi, was pregnant for the prince Dutugamunu, then the place has been named as "Mee-Gomuwa".

Economy

Negombo is about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport and Negombo has a moderate fish port (used during the periods of Portuguese and Dutch colonization) The economy of Negombo is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry, though it also produces cinnamon,[1] ceramics, and brass ware. The Colombo Stock Exchange-Negombo branch and many major financial corporations has their key branches in Negombo. There are also Departmental stores, Large super markets, and various of branded shops and Boutiques in the bustling Negombo city streets.

History

The wild cinnamon that grew in the region around Negombo was said to be "the very best in the universe as well as the most abundant" and for centuries attracted a succession of foreign traders and colonial powers. The shallow waters of the Negombo lagoon provided safe shelter for sea fairing vessels and became one of the key ports (along with Kalpitaya, Puttalam, Salavata, Kammala, Colombo, Kalutara, Beruvala and Galle) from which the Singhalese kingdoms conducted external trade.[2]

The first Muslim Arabs (the Moors) arrived in Ceylon in the seventh and eighth centuries and eventually came to dominate the east-western trade routes. Many chose to settle in the coastal areas and their legacy can be seen today; their descendants the Sri Lankan Moors remain the largest minority group in Negombo. The Moors' long held monopoly over the cinnamon trade, and the circuitous and largely overland route by which it was transported to Europe and the Mediterranean added greatly to its cost [3] and encouraged a Portuguese takeover in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century.

Landing in the early 1500s, the Portuguese ousted the Moors, constructed a fort in Negombo and took over the trade of cinnamon to the West. It was during the Portuguese occupation that the Karawa, or traditional fishing clan of Negombo embraced Catholicism almost without exception. So successfully were they converted that today Negombo is sometimes known as 'Little Rome' and nearly two thirds of its population profess a Catholic faith.

The Portuguese restructured the traditional production and management of cinnamon and maintained their control over the trade for more than a century. The decline of their power began in the 1630s when warfare between the Portuguese and the Kingdom of Kandy reached a stalemate and the King of Kandy turned to the Dutch for help.[4] The Dutch captured Negombo from the Portuguese in 1646 and negotiated an armistice with Portugal for ten years. During this period of time the King of Kandy sought to provoke conflict between both nations by passing through the territories of the one to attack the other. On one occasion he captured the fort of Negombo and send the head of the Dutch commander Adrian Vander Stell to his countrymen in Galle.[5] Although the Dutch managed to regain control of Negombo from the King by diplomatic means, hostilities continued. In particular the disruption of the cinnamon trade was a favourite method of the King to harass the Dutch.[6] The legacy of the Dutch colonial era can be seen in the Dutch Fort, constructed in 1672, a number of other buildings and the extensive canal system that runs 120 km from Colombo in the South, through Negombo to Puttalam in the north.

Throughout the eighteenth century the demand for cinnamon from Ceylon outstripped the supply and the quality of cinnamon appears to have suffered. Other factors, including the continued hostility from the Kandian Government and a rival cinnamon trade from China led to a 40% decline in the volume of cinnamon exported between 1785 and 1791. Despite attempts to clear land around Negombo and create cinnamon plantations, by the time the British commander Colonel Stuart took over the trade in 1796, it was clear that the industry was in decline. Poor policies put in place by Frederick North the first Governor of British Ceylon exacerbated the problem and by the 1830s commercial interests had moved elsewhere.

Following the British takeover of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815, Negombo lost its strategic value as an outpost of Colombo, however it continued to develop in commercial influence. The Negombo fishery was at the heart of the seafood trade in Ceylon and many migrant fisherman would arrive annually with the profits of their ventures going into the small but prosperous town. In 1907 Negombo was connected to the massive railway project that was linking the island together under British control and encouraging the growth of plantations in coconuts, tea and coffee.

Local government

Negombo is a Municipal Council with a Mayor from the government. Negombo's Mayor and the council members are elected through Local Government Election held in five years. There are twenty-nine wards within the Negombo municipal boundary and each is represented by an elected member, but at the moment there are only twenty-six members. Negombo city Local Board began in 1878. After fourty-four years, It became Urban District Council on the 1st Jan. 1922. Negombo celebrated it's silver jubilee of it's Urban council status, in grand style in Feb 1948, Their Royal highness the Duke and Dutchess of Glocester were the main patrons on the opening day of the celebrations. then the Negombo promoted to the status of Municipal council on the 1st of January 1950.

Negombo lagoon

Main article: Negombo Lagoon
Fishing boats in Negombo

The fishermen who are based at the Negombo lagoon live in abject poverty in shanty thatch palm villages along the water's edge. They rely mainly on their traditional knowledge of the seasons for their livelihood, using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets to bring in modest catches from September through till April.

Their boats are made in two distinct forms, oruvas (a type of sailing canoe) and paruvas (a large, man-powered catamaran fitted with kurlon dividers), and are said to have originated in the islands off the Mozambican coast; they were brought to Sri Lanka by Portuguese traders in the 17th century.

For generations the lagoon has provided the fishermen with a plentiful supply of crabs, shrimps, lobsters, cuttle fish and many of the native species of fish. The men are regularly forced to head out to the ocean to fish, often losing money in the chartering process. In recent years, the villagers have supplemented the income earned from fishing by collecting toddy, or palm sap, which is used to brew arrack.[1]

Tourism

Negombo Beach

Negombo city is an ideal place with modern life style, for those who want quick access to and from the country's international airport. The 100 km long canal network running through the city is still used, and outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourist purposes. Remains of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, administrative buildings, and churches. Negombo is also home to the country's second-largest fish market, the "Lellama", at the north end of the town's lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area's fishermen and even organise fishing trips into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors include Muthurajawela, which is part of a 6,000-hectare (14,826-acre) protected marshland, home to over 190 species of wildlife.

Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport. Some quiet stretches of the beach are maintained by the tourist hotels, while others are always busy with fishermen and their equipment. Water-sports and diving are also popular among visitors, with a few well-preserved coral reefs and a 50-year-old shipwreck (Kudapaduwa) that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish. There are also local handicrafts, batiks and jewellery boutiques on the beaches and the shops in the city.

Demographics

According by the statistics of 2001, 12% of the population of Gampaha district, live in Negombo city. It is a multi-ethnic city.

Religion

St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo

Negombo is a multi-religious city. Since the beginning of European Colonization, the township of Negombo has a majority of Roman Catholics along with Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Negombo has been given the name "Little Rome" due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches such as St Marys church found within the township. The Katuwapitiya Church, the Sea street church and the Grand Street Church are three biggest parishes in Negombo. There are over twenty churches in the city. "Agurukaramulla Raja maha viharaya" is a famous Buddhist temple bringing Buddhists from all over Sri Lanka to Negombo every year. Abhayasekararamaya temple (Podipansala), Dutugamunu viharaya and Asapuwa are famous Buddhist temples in the city. there are also four hindu temples(Kovil) and six jumma mosques in Negombo. There is a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Negombo. The church building is located just west of the intersection of Ave Maria Road and Old Chilaw Road. The Negombo Branch is part of the Colombo, Sri Lanka District, which includes the Colombo, Negombo, and Kandy Branches as well as the Chilaw Group.

Artists

Singers

  • Rukmani Devi
  • Winon De Paul peiris
  • Ivo Dennis
  • Claud de Soyza
  • Wilbert Anthony
  • Joe B Perera
  • Shelton Muthunamage
  • Shanika Wanigasekara
  • Ruwan Srilal Dalpadadu
  • Christy Demel
  • Meril fernando
  • Dee R cee Members

Composers and Musicians

  • Alien de soyza
  • Dinesh Subasinghe
  • Jayantha Fernando(Jayantha Buwa)
  • Roy Kariyakarawana
  • Camilus Perera

Bands

  • Sunshine
  • Galaxies
  • Dee R cee Members


cinema

Actors and Actresses

  • Edie Jayamanna
  • B.A.w Jayamanna
  • Rukmani Devi
  • Edie Yapa
  • Benjamin Fernando
  • Hugo Master
  • Saiman Vass
  • Ranjan Mendis
  • Swarna Mallika
  • Wijitha Mallika
  • Leana Fernando
  • Edna Sugathapala
  • Latishia peries
  • Helan Sakunthala
  • Oswald Jayasinghe
  • Cleatus Mendis
  • Ranjan Ramanayaka
  • Richard Manamudalli
  • Kanchana Mendis
  • Nayani Maheshika
  • Shanika Siriwardhana
  • Anuradha Udayangani
  • Shalini Tharuka

Directors

  • Bonifus Fernando
  • Anton Gregory
  • Andrew Jayamana
  • Sunil Costha

Stage Drama Artists

  • Benedict Master
  • Aloe Alahakon
  • Clement Fernando
  • Christy Mihindukulasuriya
  • Peter Wellambage
  • peter Vedhamuni
  • Jayantha Modarage
  • Frank Fernando
  • Nevil De Silva
  • Jude Sisira
  • Krishantha Warnakula
  • Richard Manamudalli

Transport

Built by the Dutch to transport spices, now used by the local fisherman to get to the sea, Dutch canal in Negombo

Colombo-Puttalam A3 main road go through via Negombo, and A3 main road extend to Jaffna, and Trincomalee via Anuradhapura. There is also a good road net work in and around Negombo City. Negombo is the main railway station of the Colombo-Puttalam Railway line.

The new Bus Terminal Complex of Negombo has been declared open on 4 October 2011. Certainly it is the best bus stand in Sri Lanka and it comprises unprecedented ultra modern architectural features, state-of-the art amenities and multiple facilities for passengers and public. This has become the newest focus of attraction in Negombo.

In year 2011 August Sri Lanka Railway Department have introduced new intercity train between Chilaw to Colombo with a stop at Negombo, considering as the main railway station on puttalam line.

Negombo is closest city to the international Airport in Sri Lanka.

Bildung

There are many secondary educational institutes in Negombo City.

  • Ave Maria Convent.
  • Maris Stella College.
  • Newstead Girl's College.
  • Harischandra National College.
  • Loyola College.
  • Al-Hilal Muslim National College.
  • St. Mary's College.
  • Wijerathnam Hindu National College.
  • St. Peter's Central College.
  • Gateway International College.
  • St. Joseph's College.(Negombo Branch School of St. Joseph's College, Colombo 10).
  • St. Jude's College.(Negombo Branch School of St. Peter's College, Colombo 04).
  • Adventist International School.
  • St. Nicholas International School.
  • Negombo International College.
  • Celinco Sussex College.
  • JMC International School.
  • OKI International School.
  • Negombo South International School.

There are also many Higher educational institutes and Private tution institutes.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The Old Man and the Sea". Global Village. Episode 1927. 2009-04-29. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ De Silva, K (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press. pp. 89–91. ISBN 0520043200.
  3. ^ The Annual Register, or a View of the History, Politics and Literature, For the Year 1817. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy. 1817. p. 511. ISBN 3 3433 00640024 0. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  4. ^ Newitt, Marlyn (2005). A history of Portuguese overseas expansion, 1400-1668. New York: Routledge. p. 234.
  5. ^ Tennent, James (1860). Ceylon: an account of the island physical, historical and topographical, with notices of its natural history, antiquities, and productions, Volume 2. London: Longman, Green, Longman and Roberts. p. 44.
  6. ^ Obeyesekere, Donald (1999). Outlines of Ceylon history. Neh Delhi: Asian Educational Services. p. 257.
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