Kinniya

Kinniya (Tamil: கிண்ணியா, romanized: Kiṇṇiyā; Sinhala: කින්නියා, romanized: Kinniyā) is a town on the east coast of Sri Lanka, in the Trincomalee District of the Eastern Province. It is about 20 km (12 mi) from the city of Trincomalee and 240 km (150 mi) from Colombo. Located in Sri Lanka's dry zone, the Kinniya region often experiences hot and dry weather with very little precipitation. Kinniya Bridge is Sri Lanka's longest bridge, which attracts many tourists in the town. Being adjacent to the Trincomalee Harbour, Kinniya was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Kinniya கிண்ணியா කින්නියා
Town
Kinniya Bridge, Trincomalee District
Kinniya
Coordinates: 8°29′0″N 81°11′0″E
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Eastern
District	Trincomalee
DS Division	Kinniya Divisional Secretariat
Government
• Type	Kinniya Urban Council
• Special Commissioner	Secretary (UPFA)
Population  (2007)
• Town	61,558
• Urban	35,645

History

Kinniya has over 500 years of history. A 400-year-old Grand masjid in Kinniya was demolished and a new one built in its place in 2002 by the Saudi Arabian government. Its name "Kinniya" defines the kinni tree which was the identity of the people of Kinniya once upon a time.

Demographics

Kinniya is a Moorish majority town. There are small minorities of other ethnic groups such as Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese.

Ethnicity in Kinniya (2012)
Population			Percent
Sri Lankan Moors			96.1%
Sri Lankan Tamils			4.6%
Sinhalese			0.4%
Others			0.5%

Ethnicity identification in Kinniya Urban Council area

Ethnicity	Population	% Of Total
Sri Lankan Moors	61,869	96.01
Sri Lankan Tamils	2,390	4.06
Sinhalese	245	0.40
Other (including Burgher, Malay)	32	0.03
Total	75,674	100

Source:statistics.gov.lk.

Religion in Kinniya (2012)
Population			Percent
Islam			95.8%
Hindu			3.8%
Buddhist			0.39%
Christian			0.06%

Religious Identification in Kinniya Urban Council area

	2012	Percentage
Islam	61,880	95.77%
Hindu	2,439	3.77%
Buddhist	253	0.39%
Catholic	39	0.06%
Other	2	0.003%
Total	64,613	100.0%

Source:-Statistics.gov.lk.

Economy

The fisheries sector plays a key role in social and economic life of Kinniya.

Education

Kinniya has well educated structures from all streams such as, Medicine, Law, Engineering, Government Jobs and Academic staffs. Many government and private schools and colleges has been established in the town, Higher education centers also situated for the education purposes, few years back due to the Sri Lankan Civil War it had been suffer education as unable to go to any places for higher studies.

• Kinniya Al Aqsa National School (National School)
• Kinniya Central College. (National School)
• Kinniya Muslim Girls Maha Vid (National School).
• Aligar Maha Vidyalayam.
• TB Jaya Vidyalaya
• Abdul Majeed Vidyalaya

See also

• Kinniya Urban Council
• Nilaveli
• Thiriyai

External links

• kinniya.net