Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Southern Province දකුණු පළාත தென் மாகாணம்
Province
Flag
Location within Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 6°10′N 80°45′E / 6.167°N 80.750°E / 6.167; 80.750
Country	Sri Lanka
Created	1833
Admitted	14 November 1987
Capital	Galle
Largest City	Galle
Government
• Governor	Willy Gamage
• Chief Minister	none
Area
• Total	5,544 km2 (2,141 sq mi)
• Rank	7th (8.46% of total area)
Population  (2011 census)
• Total	2,464,732[1]
• Rank	3rd (12.18% of total pop.)
Gross Regional Product  (2010)[2]
• Total	Rs 492 billion
• Rank	3rd (10.2% of total)
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka)
ISO 3166 code	LK-3
Vehicle registration	SP
Official Languages	Sinhala, Tamil
Website	www.sp.gov.lk

The Southern Province (Sinhala: දකුණු පළාත Dakuṇu Paḷāta, Tamil: தென் மாகாணம் Theṉ Mākāṇam) of Sri Lanka is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils.^[3][4] It is the 7th largest province by area and is home to 2.5 million people, the 3rd most populated province. The province is bordered by Sabaragamuwa Province and Uva Province to the North, Eastern Province to the Northeast, Western Province to the Northwest and the Indian Ocean to the South, West and East. The Province's capital is Galle.

The Southern Province is a geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. Subsistence farming and fishing is the main source of income for the vast majority of the people of this region. Government School education is primarily handled by the Southern Provincial Education Department.