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Province
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Sabaragamuwa
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Total Area
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3,275 km2
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Total Population
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1,015,807
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Density
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314km2
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Ethnic
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Ethnicity
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Population
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% Of Total
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Sinhalese
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882,017
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86.8%
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Sri Lankan Tamils
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28,740
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2.8%
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Sri Lankan Moors
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20,690
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2.2%
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Indian Tamils
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82,591
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8.1%
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Other (including Burgher, Malay)
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1769
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0.1%
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Total
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1,015,807
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100.0%
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Ratnapura is the name of the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri
Lanka and the Ratnapura District in which the town is situated. Some say the modern
name is derived from the Portuguese name Rapadura for jaggery, the palm candy produced
traditionally in this region, but the more common explanation in Sri Lanka is that
it comes from the Sinhala "ratna" meaning gems and "pura" meaning city. Ratnapura
is also spelled as Rathnapura. Located some 101 km south east of Colombo, it is
the centre of a long-established industry of precious stone mining including rubies,
sapphires, and other gems. Apart from gem mining, the town is known for rice and
fruit cultivations. Large plantations of tea and rubber surround the town. Tea grown
in this region is called low-country tea. There is a well-established tourism industry
in Ratnapura. Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Udawalawe National Park, Kitulgala, and
Adam's Peak are especially popular among tourists. In 1901, the town of Ratnapura
had a population of 4,084, and in 2001, it had increased to 46,309. The population
of the Ratnapura district was 1,008,164 in 2001, and this consisted of 86.42% Buddhists
and 9.88% Hindus, with the rest of the population being Christians and Muslims.
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