Negombo

7.209444444444479.834166666667Koordinaten: 7 ° 13 ' N, 79 ° 50'

Negombo ( Sinhala mi ː gamuə ) is a city on the west coast of Sri Lanka about 40km north of the capital Colombo. The city is located in Sri Lanka's Western Province on the road and rail links from Colombo along the coast towards the north. Negombo has about 122,000 inhabitants ( 2003) and is one of the most important fishing ports on the west coast. Although the fishery continues to play an important role, north of the old city area, however, a sprawling conurbation with hotels, restaurants and other facilities in the tourism industry has developed.

Negombo was after taking Colombo by Portugal in 1505 to the first taken over by the colonizers areas. The attempts of Christianization could be particularly successful so here. To date, a well on the majority of the population is Catholic Negombo. Less traces left by the conquest of the Netherlands in 1644 and the United Kingdom, 1796. Receive remained only a Dutch fort built by the Dutch, and a 120 km long canal from Colombo Negombo to Puttalam over. He was used primarily for the transportation of cinnamon, then the main export commodity of the colony.

For the early development of tourism was especially the proximity to the Bandaranaike Airport in Katunayake, this is about 20 km away, decisive. By the end of 2004, the cities lapped on the southwest and south coasts of Sri Lanka Negombo in its tourist importance, however, by far.

Unlike other places on the coast of Sri Lanka Negombo was hardly affected by the tsunami due to the earthquake off Sumatra on 26 December 2004. There were no fatalities, but built directly on the beach fishing huts and hotel facilities were damaged.

• Western Province (Sri Lanka)
• Location in Sri Lanka