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* Negombo South International School
* Adventist International School
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* St. Nicholas International School
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* St. Micheal's International College
* St. Micheal's International College
* OKI International School
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* Negombo South International School


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Revision as of 06:10, 1 October 2013

Negombo
මීගමුව
நீர்கொழும்பு
City
The Dutch clock tower and the beach of Negombo
The Dutch clock tower and the beach of Negombo
Nickname(s): 
Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), Meepura
Country Sri Lanka
ProvinceWestern Province
DivisionNegombo
Government
 • TypeMunicipal Council
 • MayorMr. Anthony Jayaweera
Area
 • Urban
30 km2 (11.58 sq mi)
 • Metro
34 km2 (13.12 sq mi)
Elevation
2 m (7 ft)
Population
 (2001 census)
 • City128,000
 • Density4,958/km2 (12,840/sq mi)
 • Metro
165,000
DemonymNegombians
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone)
Postal code
11500
Area code031
File:Negombo dutch fort.jpg
Dutch fort Negombo, built in 1672

Negombo (Sinhala: මීගමුව [ˈmiːɡamuʋə]; Tamil: நீர்கொழும்பு [nir koɭumbu]) is a major city in Sri Lanka, located on the west coast of the island and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Negombo is the fourth largest city in the country after the capital Colombo, Kandy, and Jaffna, and it is the second largest city in Western province after Colombo. Negombo is also the administrative capital of Negombo Division. It is one of the major commercial hubs in Sri Lanka of about 128,000 inhabitants in the city limits, approximately 37 km north of Colombo city. Negombo is known for its huge and old fishing industry with busy fish markets, and nice sandy beaches. It is one of the most liberal cities in Sri Lanka with modern life style and it's nightlife in luxury hotels, guest houses, finest restaurants and pubs. It is a multi-ethnic,multi-religious and multicultural city.

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 Viharamahadevi, 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 have their key branches in Negombo. There are also Departmental stores, Large super markets, and various of branded shops and Boutiques in the bustling streets of Negombo downtown.

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.

Geography and Climate

Negombo city is about 2 meters above sea level and Negombo's geography is a mix of land and water. The Dutch canal flow in the heart of the city of Negombo. The Negombo lagoon is one of the most scenic landmark of Negombo. There are over 190 species of wildlife and plenty of birds in mangroves of Negombo. The northern border of the city is formed by the Ma Oya river which meets the Indian Ocean.

Negombo features a tropical rainforest climate under the Köppen climate classification. The city receives rainfall mainly from southwestern monsoons from May to August and October to January. During the remaining months of the year there is also a little precipitation due to Convective rains. The average annual precipitation is about 2400 millimetres. The average temperature varies 24 to 30 degrees Celsius and there are high humidity levels from February to April.

Climate data for Negombo, Sri Lanka
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30
(86) 		31
(88) 		31
(88) 		31
(88) 		31
(88) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		29
(84) 		30
(86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22
(72) 		22
(72) 		23
(73) 		24
(75) 		26
(79) 		25
(77) 		25
(77) 		25
(77) 		25
(77) 		24
(75) 		23
(73) 		22
(72) 		24
(75)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 89
(3.5) 		69
(2.7) 		147
(5.8) 		231
(9.1) 		371
(14.6) 		224
(8.8) 		135
(5.3) 		109
(4.3) 		160
(6.3) 		348
(13.7) 		315
(12.4) 		147
(5.8) 		2,345
(92.3)
[citation needed]

Local government

Negombo Municipal Council governs the city of Negombo with a Mayor from the government, since 1950. Negombo's Mayor and the council members are elected through the local government election held once 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 forty-four years, It became Urban District Council on the 1st Jan. 1922. Negombo celebrated its silver jubilee of its 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. The Negombo urban council was offered the Municipal status on the 1st of January in 1950 under the municipal ordinance of 1865.

Negombo lagoon

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 and liberal place with luxury 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. Still remains of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, Administrative buildings, Churches and the ceiling frescoes of St. Mary's cathedral church. 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 marshland, which is part of a 6,000-hectare (14,826-acre). The Protected mangroves of the Negombo lagoon, is 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. "Mora Wala" and "Beach Park" of Negombo are also very interesting places among visitors. 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 and multi-cultural city. Most of Negombo's residents belong to the Sinhalese majority. A large amount of Tamil and Muslim communities also live in the city. The following table summarizes the population of Negombo according to different ethnicities.

Ethnicity Population % of Total
Sinhalese 87,207 68%
Sri Lankan Tamils 17,112 13%
Indian Tamils 2,238 1.7%
Sri Lankan Muslims 19,022 15%
Burghers 1,020 0.9%
Sri Lankan Malays 292 0.3%
Sri Lankan Chetty 257 0.3%
Bharatha 400 0.4%
Chinese 118 0.1%
Other 334 0.3%
Total 128,000 100%

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. Mary's church found within the township. The Katuwapitiya Church, The Sea street church and the Grand Street Church are the three biggest parishes in Negombo. There are over twenty Roman Catholic 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 so many Hindu temples (Kovil) in Negombo . Kali temple, Ganapathi (Pillaiar) Temple, Muththumari amman Temple, Murugan (Kandaswami) Temple, Karumari Amman Temple are some of them.

Seven Jumma Mosques in Negombo city and the Negombo Grand Jumma Masjid is one of the biggest in Sri Lanka.

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 street and Old Chilaw street. There are also Methodist, Baptist, and the other Anglican churches in Negombo.

Transport

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

A3 main road from Colombo, go through via Negombo, and A3 main road extend to Jaffna, and Trincomalee via Anuradhapura. Negombo connecting with some of B grade roads and there is also a good road net work in and around Negombo City.

The Bus Terminal Complex of Negombo is one of the best bus stands in Sri Lanka and it comprises unprecedented ultra modern architectural features, state-of-the art amenities and multiple facilities for passengers and public. It is served by many bus routes, connecting with some of major destinations like Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Avissawella, Mannar, Kalpitiya, Tangalle, Kekirawa, Hatton, Balangoda, Kataragama, Kuliyapitiya, Chilaw, Ja-Ela and etc.

Three railway stations are served for Negombo city, located at Kurana, Negombo downtown, and Kattuwa. Negombo downtown station is the main railway station of Colombo - Puttalam railway line and it's served to Kalutara, via Colombo from south and to Puttalam, via Chilaw from north. Sri Lanka Railway Department has introduced an intercity train between Chilaw to Colombo with a stop at Negombo downtown station.

Negombo is the closest city to the Bandaranaike International Airport in Sri Lanka.

Education

Negombo is home to some of the oldest secondary educational institutes in Sri Lanka. The leading schools, situated in Negombo city are listed below.

  • There are also many higher educational institutes and private tution institutes in Negombo city. Gateway Graduated Campus, ACBS Campus, IDM Campus, AIMS College, American College of Higher Education, Australian Higher Educational Centre, E-Soft Institute, and Don Bosco Technical College are some of them.

Notable artists from Negombo

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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