Jaffna Peninsula
The Jaffna Peninsula (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணக் குடாநாடு Yāḻppāṇak kuṭānāṭu, Sinhala: යාපනය අර්ධද්වීපය Yāpanaya ardhadvīpaya, English Jaffna Peninsula ) is a region in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It takes its name from Jaffna, the main city in the north of Sri Lanka.
The Jaffna Peninsula is upstream of the main island to the north. She has included inland waters an area of 1,014 square kilometers, its greatest extent from north-west to south-east is about 80 kilometers. From the main island of the Jaffna peninsula is separated by the lagoon of Jaffna and the Chundikkulam Lagoon. The only passable land route is an artificial dam at its narrowest point, the Elephant Pass; also spits connect the peninsula to the east coast of the main island. In the north of the Jaffna Peninsula bordering the Gulf of Bengal, in the West, a group of islands in front. A system of lagoons and salt pans in their interior shares the Jaffna peninsula into three parts: The western part, which is delimited by the Uppu Aru Lagoon - is called Valikamam. The eastern part of the Jaffna peninsula by the Vadamarachchi lagoon in a north, the Bay of Bengal facing part called Vadamarachchi, and a southern, the Jaffna lagoon facing part, Thenmarachchi divided.
The terrain of the Jaffna peninsula is very flat and reaches on average about twelve meters above sea level. The bedrock consists of Miocene limestones, which are well suited to manage groundwater. The groundwater formation occurs by infiltration of the seasonal rains more than two- thirds of the annual rainfall of about 1,300 millimeters falling during the northeast monsoon between October and December. Because of the lack of rivers in the Jaffna peninsula, the water requirement has to be met entirely through wells. Due to the increasing water abstraction groundwater threatens but too salty.
Administratively, most of the Jaffna peninsula is part of the Jaffna district, a smaller portion north of Elephant Pass to Kilinochchi district. In the Jaffna peninsula, around 550,000 people ( as of 2012). In order for the Jaffna peninsula is by far the most densely populated area in the Northern Province. The largest city and economic center of the Jaffna Jaffna Peninsula is located in the west of the peninsula. Other significant settlements are Chavakachcheri east of Jaffna and Kankesanturai and Point Pedro on the northern coast.