5-561: Balangoda is a town in Ratnapura District , Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka , governed by an urban council located 143 kilometres (89 mi) away from Colombo and 43 kilometres (27 mi) from Ratnapura on Colombo - Batticaloa Highway(A4). It is one of the largest towns of the Sabaragamuwa Province . According to the 2001 census , Balangoda has a population of 16,875 and area of 16.2 km (4,000 acres). Balangoda
10-527: Is a district of Sri Lanka in the Sabaragamuwa Province . This gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka is also a major crossroad between southern plains and the hill country to the east. A bustling market city servicing most of the surrounding towns, many of the prominent gem dealers in Sri Lanka operate from this town. There is a route to Sri Pada from Ratnapura direction. Excursions include Sinharaja Forest Reserve and Udawalawe National Park . The surrounding area
15-835: Is a popular trekking destination and a good place for bird watching. The district is home to Kukulugala , the 18th tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. Religions in Ratnapura District (2011) The majority of the population are Buddhists . Other religions include Hinduism , Islam and Christianity . For the administrative purpose district is divided into 18 Divisional Secretariat divisions The Ratnapura district includes areas managed by Five Plantation Companies. Namely, Agalawatte Plantations PLC managed by Mackwoods, Balangoda Plantations PLC managed by Stassens, Pussellawa Plantations PLC, managed by Freelanka, Hapugastenne Plantations PLC Managed by Finlays, and Kahawatte Plantations PLC managed by Forbes. The ownership of these companies lie with
20-515: Is notable due to the discovery of skeletal Hominini remains from the late Quaternary period (the earliest reliably dated record of anatomically modern humans in South Asia ). The town is also the birthplace of Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero and Sirimavo Bandaranaike (the world's first female head of government ) the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960–65, 1970–77 and 1994–2000). Balangoda
25-535: Is situated in the hilly central region of central Sri Lanka on Sabaragamuwa Mountain Range. The main livelihoods of this region are farming (vegetables, fruits, and spices), rice cultivation for mainly local consumption, tea cultivation for international markets as a commercial crop and gem mining. Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka The main schools in the area are: Ratnapura District Ratnapura ( Sinhala : රත්නපුර දිස්ත්රික්කය, Tamil : இரத்தினபுரம் மாவட்டம்)
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