Hambantota is the electoral district of the current
President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Hambantota
District comprises of Beliatta, Mulkirigala, Tangalle and
Tissamaharama electoral wards.
Hambantota is also scheduled to host the Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting in 2013
Port
Hambantota is the selected site for a new international
port, the Port of Hambantota. It is scheduled to be built
in three phases, with the first phase due to be completed
by the end of 2010 at a cost of $360 million.[7] As part of
the port, a $550 million tax-free port zone is being setup,
with companies in India, China, Russia and Dubai expressing
interest in setting up shipbuilding, ship-repair and
warehousing facilities in the zone. It is expected to be
completed by November 2010. When all three phases are fully
complete it will be able to berth 33 vessels at any given
time, which would make it the biggest port in South Asia.
Bunkering facility - 14 tanks (8 for oil, 3 for aviation
fuel and 3 for LP Gas)
The Chinese government is providing financial assistance
for the project as part of their String of Pearls strategy
to outflank India.
Transport
Airport
The Hambantota International Airport is an international
airport currently under construction in the town of
Matala.[10] After completion, it would be one of two
international airports in Sri Lanka, after the Bandaranaike
International Airport situated at Colombo. The airport is
estimated to cost US $210 million and by the end of
construction will cover 2,000 hectares in total.
Roads
A2 highway connects Colombo with Galle, through Hambantota.
Railway
In support of the new harbour, construction work started in
2006 on the Matara-Kataragama Railway Line project, a broad
gauge railway being implemented at an estimated cost of $91
million.
Landmarks
Education
See also: Education in Sri Lanka
Culture
Sports
Main articles: Sports in Hambantota, 2011 Cricket World
Cup, and 2018 Commonwealth Games
The Hambantota Cricket Stadium, with a capacity of 25,000
seats, is currently being built in this area. The cost of
this project is an estimated Rs. 900 million (US$7.86m).
Hambantota has also been chosen as one of the venues
hosting cricket matches during the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Hambantota is one of two cities (the other being Gold
Coast, Australia) to make a formal bid for the 2018
Commonwealth Games.
Entertainment
Tele-cinema Village
A new tele-cinema village is being constructed at
Ranmihitenna. It consists of three stages and will be
constructed at a cost of two billion rupees. The first
stage, opened on 30 March 2010 at a cost of 600 million
rupees consists of an administration building,
accommodation hall (with facilities for 96 individuals), a
large studio, 31 sets, three showrooms for costumes, two
seminar halls, two libraries, kitchens, back lots,
workshops and common facilities.
History
When the Kingdom of Ruhuna was established it received many
travellers and traders from the Far East, Siam, China and
Indonesia and sought anchorage in the natural harbor at
Hambantota. The ships or large boats these traders traveled
in were called “Sampans” and their anchorage came to be
known as “Sampantota” (which is now known as Godawaya).
After some time the area became to be called “Hambantota”.
History
Main articles: History of Hambantota and History of Sri
Lanka
Hambantota is famous for its salt flats and intensely hot
arid zone climate. With sweeping sandy beaches on the side,
it is a convenient base for exploring the nearby Bundala
National Park, Yala National Park and the temples at
Kataragama. Most inhabitants of Hambantota are Sinhalese
and Malays.
Ancient history
Main article: Ancient history of Sri Lanka
Modern history
Main articles: Colonial history of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka
in the twentieth century
Around the years of 1801 and 1803, the British built a
Martello Tower on the tip of the rocky headland alongside
the lighthouse overlooking the sea at Hambantota. The
builder was a Captain Goper, who built the tower on the
site of an earlier Dutch earthen fort. The tower was
restored in 1999, and in the past, formed part of an office
of the Hambantota Kachcheri where the Land Registry branch
was housed. Today it houses a fisheries museum.
Ancient Hambantota
Hambantota District is part of the traditional south known
as Ruhuna. In ancient times this region, especially
Hambantota and the neighboring areas was the centre of a
flourishing civilization. Historical evidence reveals that
the region in that era was blessed with fertile fields and
a stupendous irrigation network. Hambantota was known by
many names ‘Mahagama’ ‘Ruhuna’ and ‘Dolos dahas rata’
About 200BC, the first Kingdom of Sri Lanka was flourishing
After a personal dispute with his brother, King
Devanampiyathissa of Anuradhapura, King Mahanaga
established the kingdom of Ruhuna in the south of the
island. This region played a vital role in building the
nation as well as nurturing the Sri Lankan Buddhist
culture.
Hambantota was badly devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean
Tsunami, which was reported to have killed a large
proportion of the town's population.
Economy
Objectives
* To play a vital and supportive role in the development activity in the Hambantota region and capture market share of the regional traffic growth.
* To promote the Air-Sea-Transshipment Hub operation in conjunction with the Hambantota Harbour .
* To be a key component in the development efforts of the Eastern and Southern coasts .
* To be an alternate airport to BIA, offering tremendous fuel and weight savings to airlines, resulting an increased passenger and cargo volume throughout the country .
* To facilitate the establishment of a gateway for economic and investment infusion into Sri Lanka.
Hambantota is currently undergoing a major infrastructural development phase with an international airport,
international port, railway line and tele-cinema village was built, amongst other development.36,000 ships pass Hambantota every year because it is only 6-10 nautical miles north of the major east-west global shipping route across the Indian Ocean.
If Hambantota is developed into a world-class port, ships could anchor there to re-stock on food, water, fuel, etc. and save up to 3 days off their journey to Singapore.It is estimated that 20% of the ships would call at Hambantota Port. 50,000 jobs will be created.TimelinePhase 1 began Oct 2009 - completed by Nov 2010.
$360m
1700 ha of land for industrial use
600m long jetty - 17m deep basin
Phase 2 - completed by 2014
$600m expansion of the Port
new dockyard
Manufacturing
A cement grinding and bagging factory is being setup, as well as fertiliser bagging plants.
Wind Farm
The Hambantota Wind Farm, is also located in this area, and is the only existing wind farm in the country. Such wind energy developments are unseen in the country due to the immense obstacles faced by such developments, such as poor roads and unstable power grid.
