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Negombo

Sri Lanka / Gampaha / Negombo /

Negombo (Sinhala: මීගමුව [ˈmiːɡamuʋə]; Tamil: is a town situated approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo lagoon, about 7 km from the Katunayake International Airport. Negombo has a small port, and its economy is mainly based on tourism and its centuries-old fishing industry, though it also produces cinnamon,[1] ceramics, and brass ware.

The name "Negombo" was first used by the Portuguese, a corruption of the Sinhala name Mīgamuva(මීගමුව)."

The town is situated by the shores of a lagoon of the same name, and was a trading port during the periods of Portuguese and Dutch colonization.

HISTORY
History of Negombo states that the plantation and development of Cinnamon business was initiated by Moors.(Muslims) These Moors were expelled by the Portuguese in 16 th century. Again these Portuguese were defeated by the Dutch people in 1640 and they started re establishing the Cinnamon business. Before the British people took over Negombo in the year 1796, the Cinnamon business had already declined. It was the Kanavas who finally started adopting the fishing occupation. Thus fishing profession was initiated in Negombo. Eventually Negombo became the Chief fishing port in the island.

However at the present times the place is better known for its fishing industry seafood and Tourism. The spice manufacturing industry has taken a back seat in Negombo

FISHING
The fishermen who are based at the Negombo lagoon live in abject poverty in shanty thatch palm villages along the water's edge. They relay mainly on their traditional knowledge of the seasons for their livelihood, using outrigger canoes carved out of tree trunks and nylon nets to bring in modest catches from September through till April.

Their boats are made in two distinct forms, oruvas (a type of sailing canoe) and paruvas (a large, man-powered catamaran fitted with kurlon dividers), and are said to have originated in the islands off the Mozambican coast; they were brought to Sri Lanka by Portuguese traders in the 17th century.
For generations the Negombo lagoon has provided the fishermen with a plentiful supply of crabs, shrimp and many of the native species of fish, but with the onset of global warming these sources of food have dwindled. The men are regularly forced to head out to the ocean to fish, often losing money in the chartering process. In recent years, the villagers have supplemented the income earned from fishing by collecting toddy, or palm sap, which is used to brew arrack.[1]

TOURISM
Negombo is an ideal place for those who want quick access to and from the country's international airport. The 100 km long Dutch canal network running through the town is still used, and outrigger canoes and modern water-craft ply this route daily, for trade and tourist purposes. Remains of colonization include the Dutch fort built in 1672, as well as centuries-old Portuguese and Dutch houses, administrative buildings, and churches. Negombo is also home to the country's second-largest fish market, the Llelama, at the north end of the town's lagoon. There are daily fish auctions, which give tourists a chance to meet the area's colourful fishermen and even organise fishing trips into the lagoon and the ocean beyond. Other nearby attractions open to visitors include Muthurajawela, which is part of a 6,000-hectare (14,826-acre) protected marshland, home to over 190 species of wildlife.

Negombo offers some of the better beaches on the west coast of Sri Lanka, and draws tourists who stop over for a day on their way to or from the airport. Some quiet stretches of the beach are maintained by the tourist hotels, while others are always busy with fishermen and their equipment. Water-sports and diving are also popular among visitors, with a few well-preserved coral reefs and a shipwreck (Kudapaduwa) that serves as an artificial reef for many varieties of fish.

There are also local handicraft sales on the beaches and the shops near the town.

RELIGION
Since the beginning of European Colonization, the township of Negombo has a majority of Roman Catholics along with Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Negombo has been given the name "Little Rome" due to the highly ornate Portuguese-era Roman Catholic churches found within the township.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   7°13'47"N   79°50'40"E

Comments

  • duh (guest)
    the fact that the mayor of negombo lived in negombo is redundant information....duh
  • xxltop (guest)
    it should be actual gaygombo:-)
  • pathum (guest)
    most beautiful place.little rome.
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This article was last modified 13 years ago