Southern Province, Sri Lanka

{{short description|Province of Sri Lanka}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Southern Province

| native_name = {{lang|si|දකුණු පළාත}}
{{lang|ta|தென் மாகாணம்}}

| other_name =

| settlement_type = Province

| image_skyline =

| image_alt =

| image_caption =

| image_flag = Flag of the Southern Province (Sri Lanka).PNG

| flag_alt =

| image_map = Sri Lanka Southern Province locator map.svg

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Location within Sri Lanka

| coor_pinpoint =

| coordinates = {{coord|6|10|N|80|45|E|region:LK_type:adm1st|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_footnotes =

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Sri Lanka

| established_title = Created

| established_date = 1833

| established_title1 = Admitted

| established_date1 = 14 November 1987

| founder =

| seat_type = Capital

| seat = Galle

| seat1_type = Largest City

| seat1 = Galle

| government_footnotes =

| leader_title = Governor

| leader_name = Bandula Harischandra

| leader_title1 = Chief Minister

| leader_name1 = Vacant

| unit_pref = Metric

| area_footnotes =

| area_total_km2 = 5544

| area_rank = 7th (8.46% of total area)

| area_water_percent =

| area_note =

| elevation_footnotes =

| elevation_m =

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = 2,464,732{{cite web|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/PopulationAtla_2012/02_ProvincialMaps/Map%20P1.1.1%20Pop%20u%20lat%20ion%20by%20P%20r%20ov%20i%20n%20c%20e%20,%202%2001%202.pdf|title=Population by Province, 2012|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics|date=2012|access-date=1 December 2014}}

| population_rank = 3rd (12.18% of total pop.)

| population_as_of = 2011 census

| population_density_km2 = auto

| population_demonym =

| population_note =

| demographics_type1 = Gross Regional Product

| demographics1_footnotes =  (2010)[http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201007/20100719north_east_record_highest_gdp_growth_rate.htm :.News Line : North, East record highest GDP growth rate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620212257/http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201007/20100719north_east_record_highest_gdp_growth_rate.htm |date=20 June 2012 }}

| demographics1_title1 = Total

| demographics1_info1 = Rs 492 billion

| demographics1_title2 = Rank

| demographics1_info2 = 3rd (10.2% of total)

| timezone1 = Sri Lanka

| utc_offset1 = +05:30

| blank_name_sec1 = Official Languages

| blank_info_sec1 = Sinhala, Tamil

| iso_code = LK-3

| registration_plate = SP

| website = {{URL|www.sp.gov.lk}}

| footnotes =

}}

The Southern Province ({{langx|si|දකුණු පළාත}} Dakuṇu Paḷāta, {{langx|ta|தென் மாகாணம்}} Theṉ Mākāṇam) of Sri Lanka is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils.{{cite web|title=Provinces of Sri Lanka|url=http://www.statoids.com/ulk.html|publisher=Statoids}}{{cite web|title=Provincial Councils|url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/ProvCouncils/ProvicialCouncils.html|publisher=Government of Sri Lanka|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707214924/http://www.priu.gov.lk/ProvCouncils/ProvicialCouncils.html|archive-date=7 July 2009}} It is the 7th largest province by area and is home to 2.5 million people, the 3rd most populated province. The province is bordered by Sabaragamuwa Province and Uva Province to the North, Eastern Province to the Northeast, Western Province to the Northwest and the Indian Ocean to the South, West and East. The Province's capital is Galle.

The Southern Province is a geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. Subsistence farming and fishing is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of this region. Government School education is primarily handled by the [http://www.spedu.sch.lk Southern Provincial Education Department].