Puttalam
Encyclopedia
Puttalam is the capital city of the Puttalam District
in North Western Province
, Sri Lanka
.
word Uppuththalam. Of which Uppu means salt
, and Thalam means salt production zone, thus evolved into the name Puttalam.
Ibn Batuta, a traveling Moroccan
historian of note describes Puttalam as one of two capitals of the Jaffna kingdom
in 1344: the other in Nallur in the north. This was the case during the pearl
ing season.
producer of the country, while also being the center of salt production. The Kaffir community in this area were brought to the island by the Portuguese
from African villages. The Kaffir slaves settled here and their descendants speak Portuguese Creole
.
and NREL
, Puttalam experiences suffiecient wind resource
for the construction of commercial wind farms, similar resources to that of Ambewela
. Although, just like Ambewela, significant obstacles are in the path of such developments. The area is also home to the Norocholai Coal Power Station, the largest operational power station in Sri Lanka. Among other developments of Power, two Wind Power has been set in Puttalam and Mampuri.
Puttalam District
Puttalam is a district situated near to the west coast of Sri Lanka. It has an area of . Along with the Kurunegala District, it formulates the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. The district capital is Puttalam, which borders the Kala Oya and Modaragam Aru in the north, Anuradhapura District and...
in North Western Province
North Western Province, Sri Lanka
North Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...
, 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...
.
History
The history of this dry zone dates back to the arrival of Prince Vijaya, nearly 2500 years ago, when his vessel washed ashore. The name "Puttalam" may be a modification of the TamilTamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
word Uppuththalam. Of which Uppu means salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, and Thalam means salt production zone, thus evolved into the name Puttalam.
Ibn Batuta, a traveling Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
historian of note describes Puttalam as one of two capitals of the Jaffna kingdom
Jaffna Kingdom
The Jaffna kingdom , also known as Kingdom of Aryacakravarti, of modern northern Sri Lanka was a historic monarchy that came into existence around the town of Jaffna on the Jaffna peninsula after the invasion of Magha, who is said to have been from Kalinga, in India...
in 1344: the other in Nallur in the north. This was the case during the pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
ing season.
Coconut production
Situated at the center of the Coconut Triangle, Puttalam is the second largest CoconutCoconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
producer of the country, while also being the center of salt production. The Kaffir community in this area were brought to the island by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
from African villages. The Kaffir slaves settled here and their descendants speak Portuguese Creole
Portuguese Creole
Portuguese creoles are creole languages which have been significantly influenced by Portuguese.- Origins :Portuguese overseas exploration in the 15th and 16th century's led to the establishment of a Portuguese Empire with trading posts, forts and colonies in the Americas, Asia and Africa...
.
Energy production
According studies performed by Ceylon Electricity BoardCeylon Electricity Board
The Ceylon Electricity Board , is the largest electricity company in Sri Lanka. With a market share of nearly 100%, it controls all major functions of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and retailing in Sri Lanka. It is one of the only two on-grid electricity companies in the...
and NREL
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory , located in Golden, Colorado, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a government-owned, contractor-operated facility; it is funded through...
, Puttalam experiences suffiecient wind resource
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
for the construction of commercial wind farms, similar resources to that of Ambewela
Ambewela
Ambewela is a small town, or a hill station, located in the Nuwara Eliya District of Sri Lanka. The area is also sometimes called "Little New Zealand". The town is situated approximately south-east of the district capital Nuwara Eliya...
. Although, just like Ambewela, significant obstacles are in the path of such developments. The area is also home to the Norocholai Coal Power Station, the largest operational power station in Sri Lanka. Among other developments of Power, two Wind Power has been set in Puttalam and Mampuri.
Schools
- Zahira National College - Puttalam
- St. Andrews - Puttalam
- Fathima Balika MV - Puttalam
- Thillayadi Muslim Maha Vidyalayam - Puttalam
- St.Mary's Tamil Maha Vidyalayam - Puttalam
- Hindu Central Collage - Puttalam
- Ananda MMV - Puttalam
- P/President's Science College