Balangoda
title: "Balangoda" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-sabaragamuwa-province"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-sabaragamuwa-province" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balangoda" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Balangoda |
| native_name | බළන්ගොඩ |
| பலாங்கொடை | |
| settlement_type | Town |
| pushpin_map | Sri Lanka |
| pushpin_label_position | above |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Sri Lanka |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Sri Lanka |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Sabaragamuwa Province |
| subdivision_type2 | District |
| subdivision_name2 | Ratnapura District |
| leader_title1 | |
| established_title | |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_total_km2 | |
| area_land_km2 | |
| population_as_of | 2001 |
| population_blank1_title | Ethnicities |
| timezone | +5.30 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| postal_code_type | |
| :: |
|name = Balangoda
|other_name =
|native_name = බළන්ගොඩ
பலாங்கொடை
|nickname =
|settlement_type = Town
|image_skyline =
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|pushpin_map =Sri Lanka
|pushpin_label_position =above
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|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Sri Lanka
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = Sri Lanka
|subdivision_type1 = Province
|subdivision_name1 = Sabaragamuwa Province
|subdivision_type2 = District
|subdivision_name2 = Ratnapura District
|subdivision_type3 =
|subdivision_name3 =
|
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|unit_pref =Metric
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|population_as_of =2001
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|population_blank1_title =Ethnicities
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|timezone =+5.30
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::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Balangoda_Nature_.jpg" caption="Mountains Balangoda" alt="Balangoda Nature"]
::
Balangoda is a town in Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an urban council located 143 km away from Colombo and 43 km from Ratnapura on Colombo - Batticaloa Highway(A4). It is one of the largest towns of the Sabaragamuwa Province. According to the 2001 census, Balangoda has a population of 16,875 and area of 16.2 km2. According to 2012 census data Balangoda DS Division's religious composition is as follows Buddhists 63,203-77.49%, Hindus 9,528-11.68%, Islam 6,211-7.61%, Roman Catholics 1,834-2.25%, Other Christians 782-0.96%, Others 5-0.01%.
Balangoda is notable due to the discovery of skeletal Hominini remains from the late Quaternary period (the earliest reliably dated record of anatomically modern humans in South Asia). The town is also the birthplace of Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero and Sirimavo Bandaranaike (the world's first female head of government) the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960–65, 1970–77 and 1994–2000).
Balangoda is situated in the hilly central region of central Sri Lanka on Sabaragamuwa Mountain Range. The main livelihoods of this region are farming (vegetables, fruits, and spices), rice cultivation for mainly local consumption, tea cultivation for international markets as a commercial crop and gem mining.
Education
Universities
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Schools
The main schools in the area are:
- R/Balangoda Ananda Maithreya Central College(National School) - The Best School in Balangoda Area.Founded by Balangoda Ananda Maithreya Thero.
- Jeilani Central College(National School)
- Balangoda Kanaganayagam Tamil Central College
- Vidyaloka Maha Vidyalaya
- R/B/C.C.Tamil Maha Vidyalyam
- Meddakanda Maha Vidyalaya
- Meddekanda Tamil Vidyalaya
- R/Bulathgama Vidyalaya
- R/Rassagala Maha Vidyalaya
- R/Rathamalavinna M.V.
- Sri Buddha Jayanthi Central College
- Sri Shariputhra Maha Vidyalaya
- St Agnes Balika Maha Vidyalaya (St. Agnes Convent)
- Udagama Maha Vidyalaya
- Walagamba Maha Vidyalaya-Weligepola
References
References
- Deraniyagala, Siran U.. (1996). "Pre- and Protohistoric settlement in Sri Lanka". [[International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences.
- Kennedy, Kenneth A. R.. (2000). "God-Apes and Fossil Men: Paleoanthropology of South Asia". University of Michigan Press.
- Fernando, Thilak. (24 September 1994). "Face to face with late Ven. Aggamaha Panditha Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero". The Island - Saturday Magazine.
- "Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike (prime minister of Sri Lanka)". BRITANNICA-Online.
- (10 October 2000). "Sirimavo Bandaranaike: First woman premier". BBC News.
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