Karaitivu (Jaffna)

Karaitivu
Native name:

காரைதீவு
කාර දිවයින
Karaitivu is located in Northern Province
Karaitivu
Karaitivu
Karaitivu is located in Sri Lanka
Karaitivu
Karaitivu
Geography
Coordinates9°44′03″N 79°52′33″E / 9.73417°N 79.87583°E / 9.73417; 79.87583
Area22.95 km2 (8.86 sq mi)[1]
Administration
ProvinceNorthern
DistrictJaffna
DS DivisionKarainagar
Demographics
Population9,576 (2012)[2]
Pop. density417/km2 (1080/sq mi)
LanguagesTamil
Ethnic groupsSri Lankan Tamils
Additional information
Time zone

Karaitivu (Tamil: காரைதீவு, romanized: Kāraitīvu; Sinhala: කාර දිවයින Kãra Divaina) is an island off the coast of Jaffna peninsula in northern Sri Lanka, located approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) north-west of the city of Jaffna.

Etymology

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Present Karaitivu has been identified with ancient Kãra Divaina (the Island of Kãra). This island is referred to in the 12th-century Rameswaram Sinhala inscription of King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.) as "Kãra Divaina".[3] The Nampota, an ancient Sinhala text written after the 14th century also mentions this island as Kãra Divaina.[4]

Karaitivu means "the island of karai shrubs" in Tamil and is derived from the Tamil words karai (Webera tetrandra, a thorny shrub from the family Rubiaceae) and tivu (island).[5][6] The island was known as Amsterdam during Dutch colonial rule.[1][7]

The island

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Extended in an area of 22.95 square kilometres (8.86 sq mi), the island is divided into nine village officer divisions whose combined population was 9,576 at the 2012 census.[2]

Karaitivu is connected to Jaffna peninsula by a causeway and there is a ferry service from Kayts on the neighbouring island of Velanaitivu.[8][9] Karainagar is the main settlement on the island.[10] The popular Casuarina Beach is located on the island.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Table 05 (Geo., Topography) Islands in Sri Lanka". Sri Lanka Statistics. Kusaka Research Institute. 2004.
  2. ^ a b "Census of Population and Housing 2012: Population by GN division and sex 2012" (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. p. 146.
  3. ^ Paranavithana, Senarath (1970). Rameswaram inscription of Nissankamalla#Epigraphia Indica Vol. XXXIV. Archaeological Survey of India. p. 27. The statement that Nissankamalla, during there expeditions, visited the islands of Puvagu (modern Pungudutivu), Mininak (Maninaga), Kappa, and Kãra (Karai-tivu) occurs only in this epigraph.
  4. ^ Weerakone, T.B. (1991). The study of place names in Sri Lanka. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, New Series, Vol. 36. pp. 28–95.
  5. ^ "Know the Etymology: 68 - Kaaraitheevu (Kaarainakar)". TamilNet. 5 January 2008.
  6. ^ Cassim, Aysha Maryam (29 April 2017). "Sights, sounds and scents of Jaffna". Daily FT. Colombo, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  7. ^ Attygalle, Randima (21 December 2014). "Restoring the Jaffna Fort". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  8. ^ Fernando, Srimal (3 October 2005). "Sights and sounds of Jaffna". Daily News (Sri Lanka).
  9. ^ Sivendran, S. (2 January 2000). "Kayts, a different world". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka).
  10. ^ Ferdinando, Shamindra (8 May 2013). "Daring response to threat on Elara base". The Island (Sri Lanka).
  11. ^ "Casuarina Beach On Karaitivu Island". The Sunday Leader. 12 August 2012.
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