For other uses, see Galle (disambiguation). Galle ගාල්ල காலி City City of Galle Clockwise from top left: Galle Temple, Aerial view of Galle Fort, Interior of the Galle Fort, St. Aloysius College, Galle View of the Galle International Stadium from the Fort, Dutch Reformed Church of Galle, Galle Municipal Council Clockwise from top left: Galle Temple, Aerial view of Galle Fort, Interior of the Galle Fort, St. Aloysius College, Galle View of the Galle International Stadium from the Fort, Dutch Reformed Church of Galle, Galle Municipal Council Galle is located in Sri Lanka GalleGalle Coordinates: 6°3′13″N 80°12′42″ECoordinates: 6°3′13″N 80°12′42″E Country Sri Lanka Province Southern Province Government • Type Galle Municipal Council • Mayor Methsiri De Silva • Headquarters Galle Town Hall Area • Total 16.52 km2 (6.38 sq mi) Elevation 0 m (0 ft) Population (2011) • Total 99,478 • Density 5,712/km2 (14,790/sq mi) Demonym(s) Galleans Time zone Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30) Area code(s) 091 Website galle.mc.gov.lk Galle Srilanka galle fort.jpg UNESCO World Heritage Site Official name Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications Location Sri Lanka Coordinates 6°02′22″N 80°13′10″E Area 1,652 km2 (1.778×1010 sq ft) Criteria Cultural: iv Reference 451 Inscription 1988 (12th Session) Website galle.mc.gov.lk Galle is located in Sri Lanka Galle Location of Galle [edit on Wikidata] Galle (Sinhalese: ගාල්ල; Tamil: காலி) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the administrative capital of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the district capital of Galle District. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa[1](although Ibn Batuta in the 14th century refers to it as Qali[2]) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by the Portuguese in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between Portuguese architectural styles and native traditions. The city was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. Other prominent landmarks in Galle include the city's natural harbor, the National Maritime Museum, St. Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and Amangalla, the historic luxury hotel. On 26 December 2004, the city was devastated by the massive tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia a thousand miles away. Thousands were killed in the city alone. Galle is home to the Galle International Stadium, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world.[3] The ground, which was severely damaged by the tsunami, was rebuilt and test matches resumed there on 18 December 2007. Important natural geographical features in Galle include Rumassala in Unawatuna, a large mound-like hill that forms the eastern protective barrier to Galle Harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of Ramayana, one of the great Hindu epics. The major river in the area is the Gin River (Gin Ganga), which begins from Gongala Kanda, passes villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada and Wakwella, and reaches the sea at Ginthota. The river is bridged at Wakwella by the Wakwella Bridge. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Climate 4 Cityscape 4.1 Wards 5 Governance 6 Demographics 7 Education 7.1 Schools 7.2 Universities 7.3 Higher Education Institutes 8 Transport 9 Twin city 10 Gallery 11 See also 12 References 13 External links Etymology[edit] Galle was known as Gimhathitha in ancient times. The term is believed to be derived from the classical Sinhalese term meaning "port near the river Gin". It is believed that the town got its name as Gaalla in the native tongue as a result of the large number of bullock carts that took shelter in the area, following the long slow journeys from remote areas of the island. "Gaala" in Sinhala means the place where cattle are herded together; hence the Sinhalese name for Galle, ගාල්ල, is a development from 'Gaala'.[4][5] Another theory is that the word Galle is derived from the Dutch word ‘Gallus’, which means rooster.[citation needed] The Dutch have used the rooster as a symbol of Galle. History[edit] The port of Galle in 1754 According to James Emerson Tennent, Galle was the ancient seaport of Tarshish, from which King Solomon drew ivory, peacocks and other valuables. Cinnamon was exported from Sri Lanka as early as 1400 BC, and as the root of the word itself is Hebrew, Galle may have been a main entrepot for the spice.[6] Galle had been a prominent seaport long before western rule in the country. Persians, Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Malays, Indians, and Chinese were doing business through Galle port. In 1411, the Galle Trilingual Inscription, a stone tablet inscription in three languages, Chinese, Tamil and Persian, was erected in Galle to commemorate the second visit to Sri Lanka by the Chinese admiral Zheng He. The modern history of Galle starts in 1502, when a small fleet of Portuguese ships, under the command of Lourenço de Almeida, on their way to the Maldives, were blown off course by a storm. Realising that the king resided in Kotte close to Colombo, Lourenço proceeded there after a brief stop in Galle. In 1640, the Portuguese were forced to surrender to the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch built the present fort in 1663. They built a fortified solid granite wall and three bastions, known as "Sun", "Moon" and "Star". After the British took over the country from the Dutch in 1796, the British preserved the fort unchanged and used it as the administrative centre of the district. Climate[edit] Galle features a tropical rainforest climate. The city has no true dry season, though it is noticeably drier in the months of January and February. As is commonplace with many cities with this type of climate, temperatures show little variation throughout the course of the year, with average temperatures hovering at around 26 degrees Celsius throughout. [hide]Climate data for Galle Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high...
°C (°F) 34.9 (94.8) 34.6 (94.3) 36.4 (97.5) 35.5 (95.9) 35.3 (95.5) 32.6 (90.7) 31.2 (88.2) 31.3 (88.3) 31.2 (88.2) 33.1 (91.6) 33.4 (92.1) 33.5 (92.3) 36.4 (97.5) Average high °C (°F) 29.0 (84.2) 29.0 (84.2) 29.9 (85.8) 30.6 (87.1) 30.6 (87.1) 29.8 (85.6) 29.0 (84.2) 28.6 (83.5) 28.4 (83.1) 28.5 (83.3) 28.7 (83.7) 29.1 (84.4) 29.3 (84.7) Average low °C (°F) 22.8 (73) 23.0 (73.4) 23.9 (75) 24.8 (76.6) 25.5 (77.9) 25.2 (77.4) 24.8 (76.6) 24.7 (76.5) 24.7 (76.5) 24.1 (75.4) 23.5 (74.3) 23.1 (73.6) 24.2 (75.6) Record low °C (°F) 18.7 (65.7) 19.4 (66.9) 17.1 (62.8) 18.2 (64.8) 17.1 (62.8) 20.7 (69.3) 20.9 (69.6) 20.9 (69.6) 20.4 (68.7) 20.7 (69.3) 18.1 (64.6) 18.9 (66) 17.1 (62.8) Average rainfall mm (inches) 85.1 (3.35) 70.5 (2.776) 111.3 (4.382) 206.8 (8.142) 290.4 (11.433) 188.2 (7.409) 163.2 (6.425) 185.9 (7.319) 255.8 (10.071) 322.7 (12.705) 321.0 (12.638) 176.9 (6.965) 2,377.8 (93.614) Average rainy days 8 6 9 12 16 17 16 16 18 18 16 12 164 Source #1: World Meteorological Organisation[7] Source #2: Department of Meteorology (records up to 2007)[8] Cityscape[edit] Wards[edit] Galle has fifteen wards:[9] Fort Bazaar Thalapitiya Magalle Katugoda Ethiligoda Dangedara Minuwangoda Galwadugoda Kaluwella Dadalla Kumbalwella Madawalamulla Hirmbura Governance[edit] The Galle Municipal Council governs the City of Galle, established under the Municipalities Ordinance of 1865. It was at the time, only the third municipal council in the country. The first mayor of the city, Wijeyananda Dahanayake, was appointed in 1939; he later became the fifth Prime Minister of Ceylon. The last appointed mayor was Methsiri De Silva, who served from 2009 to 2016. The mayoral system has been dissolved the Galle administration, with the city presently administered by a commissioner. The main vision of the city is "Building of moderate city through the supply of relatively increased utility services to the citizens who pay taxes to the Galle Municipal Council ". The other vision is to brand Galle as "Green City-Green Galle" to create and promote Galle as one of Sri Lanka's cool and healthy coastal cities with a clean green canopy.[10] Demographics[edit] Galle is a sizeable city, by Sri Lankan standards, and has a population of 91 000, the majority of whom are of Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also a large Sri Lankan Moor minority, particularly in the fort area, who descend from Arab merchants that settled in the ancient port of Galle. Galle is also notable for its foreign population, both residents and owners of holiday homes. Ethnicity in Galle (2001) Population Percent Sinhalese 72.70% Muslims 25.55% Tamils 1.37% Others 0.38% Ethnicity Population[11] % Of Total Sinhalese 66,114 72.70 Sri Lankan Moors 23,234 25.55 Sri Lankan Tamils 989 1.09 Indian Tamils 255 0.28 Other (including Burgher, Malay) 342 0.38 Total 90,934 100 Education[edit] Schools[edit] Main article: List of schools in Sri Lanka Galle is home to some of the oldest leading schools in Sri Lanka, with twenty-nine government schools and five international schools constituting the city's educational system. Some of the schools located in Galle city are listed below. School Date of Establishment All Saints College 1867 Anula Devi Balika Vidyalaya 1941 British College Sri Lanka Buona Vista College 1848 Ceylinco Sussex College Galle International College Kingston International School Leeds International School Mahinda College 1892 Malharus Sulhiya National College Muslim Ladies College Olcott Maha Vidyalaya Galle 1937 Richmond College 1876 Rippon Girls' College 1817 Sacred Heart Convent 1896 St. Aloysius' College 1895 Sanghamitta Girls College 1919 Siridhamma College 1995 Southlands College 1885 Thomas Gall International School 2006 Vidyaloka College 1941 Universities[edit] Faculty of Engineering, Galle Two main faculties of the University of Ruhuna are located in Galle. The Faculty of Engineering is located at Hapugala, about 6 km from the city center. The Faculty of Medicine is located at Karapitiya near the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. The Medical Faculty is also located at about 5 km from the city center. The Division of Allied Health Sciences of the University of Ruhuna is located in Mahamodara, in the city limits. A study centre of the Open University of Sri Lanka is also located in Galle, at Labuduwa junction. Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna Faculty of Medicine, University of Ruhuna Division of Allied Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna Study Centre, Open University of Sri Lanka Advanced Technological Institute labuduwa Higher Education Institutes[edit] Advanced Technological Institute, Labuduwa NIBM, Galle The Advanced Technological Institute in Labuduwa, Galle was started in 2000, and it planned to offer Higher National Diploma in Information Technology and Higher National Diploma in Agriculture Technology - HNDT (Agri). Since then, Labuduwa ATI has been a pioneer in technological education in Sri Lanka. The National Institute of Business Management in Galle was established in 2010 to provide higher education opportunities in the fields of information technology and business management. The Ruhunu National College of Education, operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, trains teachers training for government schools in Kurunduwatta, Galle. Additionally, the Amarasooriya Teachers Training College for government school teachers is in Unawatuna, Galle. Advanced Technological Institute (ATI) National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) Ruhunu National College of Education Amarasooriya Teachers Training College Merchantile Seaman Training Institute(MSTI) Transport[edit] Southern Expressway Galle Railway Station Galle is served by Sri Lanka Railways' Coastal Line and is connected by rail to Colombo and Matara. Galle Railway Station is a major station on the line and serves as the meeting point of the west- and south-coast segments of the line.[12] The A2 highway, which is commonly known as the Galle Road, runs through the city and connects Galle to Colombo by the west-coast portion, and to Hambanthota by the south-coast portion. The Southern Expressway, Sri Lanka's first E Class highway, links the Sri Lankan capital Colombo with Galle and currently reduces the time spent for travel to one hour from the three hours taken by the regular A2 highway. Twin city[edit] The City of Galle is twinned with: Country City State / Region Since Netherlands Velsen wapen.png Velsen Flag North-Holland, Netherlands.svg North Holland 1988 Gallery[edit] Main roundabout area A street in Galle Meera Mosque in Galle fort Marine walk and Galle harbor across the bay All Saints Church in Galle fort Lighthouse in Galle fort Galle fort and lighthouse Grass-clad walls of Galle fort Dutch Reformed Church (Groote Kerk) in Galle fort National Museum in Galle fort View near Point-De-Galle, Ceylon (1847)[13] See also[edit] Galle Fort Galle International Stadium Hikkaduwa Unawatuna References[edit] Jump up ^ Terraroli, Valerio (Ed) (2002). Archaeological Sites and Urban Centres: Treasury of world culture (Volume 1 of World Heritage Series) (1st ed.). Skira Editore/UNESCO. ISBN 978-88-8491-393-7. Jump up ^ "Medieval Traveller Ibn Battuta was a Guest of the Jaffna King in 1344". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. 2006. Jump up ^ "Pitching it Up: The Galle International Stadium". World Cricket Watch. 2011. Jump up ^ "VOC Galle Dutch Fort, South Coast, Sri Lanka (A World Heritage Site)". My Sri Lanka Holidays. Retrieved 30 September 2013. Jump up ^ Lanka Nest (9 March 2008). "Galle and Galle Fort.". Discover Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 3 October 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013. Jump up ^ District Disaster Management Coordinating Unit- Galle. "Psychosocial Forum District Data Mapping: Galle" (PDF). Psychosocial Forum District Data Mapping: Galle. Department of Social Services: Galle. Retrieved 14 February 2013. Jump up ^ "World Weather Information Service — Galle". World Meteorological Organisation. Retrieved 9 May 2016. Jump up ^ "Ever Recorded Daily Extreme Values" (PDF). Department of Meteorology. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2016. Jump up ^ "Administrations". Galle Municipal Council. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014. Jump up ^ Galle Green Jump up ^ "Population by Ethnicity according to D.S. Division and Sector: Galle District (Provisional)". Census of Population Housing 2001. Department of Census and Statistics. 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2013-01-22. Jump up ^ "Colombo - Galle< lakshano> - Matara by rail". Colombofort.com. 2011. Jump up ^ "View near Point-De-Galle, Ceylon". Wesleyan Juvenile Offering. IV: 84. August 1847. Retrieved 17 November 2015.[permanent dead link] External links[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galle. Galle travel guide from Wikivoyage Galle Municipal Council Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications, UNESCO World Heritage Official website of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board [show] v t e Sri Lankan cities with a 50,000+ population [show] v t e Metropolitan cities of Sri Lanka [show] v t e Provincial capitals of Sri Lanka [show] v t e World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka Authority control WorldCat Identities VIAF: 234665746 LCCN: n84195936 GND: 4224011-6 BNF: cb15539208t (data) Categories: World Heritage Sites in Sri LankaGalleProvincial capitals in Sri Lanka Navigation menu Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog inArticleTalkReadEditView historySearch Search Wikipedia Go Main page Contents Featured content Current events Random article Donate to Wikipedia Wikipedia store Interaction Help About Wikipedia Community portal Recent changes Contact page Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Wikidata item Cite this page Print/export Create a book Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikimedia Commons Wikivoyage Languages Afrikaans العربية বাংলা Беларуская Български Brezhoneg Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français ગુજરાતી 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Italiano עברית ქართული Lietuvių Magyar मैथिली മലയാളം मराठी Nederlands नेपाली 日本語 Norsk Polski Português Русский සිංහල Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Vepsän kel’ Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 12 October 2017, at 10:57. 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