North Western Province (
Wayamba Palata,
Vada Mael Maakaanam) is a
province of
Sri Lanka. The districts of
Kurunegala and
Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is
Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous
coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw (24,712) and Puttalam (45,661), which are both small fishing towns. The majority of the population of Wayamba province is of
Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also a substantial
Sri Lankan Moor minority around
Puttalam and
Sri Lankan Tamils in
Udappu and
Munneswaram.
Fishing,
prawn farming and
rubber tree plantations are other prominent industries of the region. The province has an area of 7,888 km², and a population of 2,370,075 (2011 census).