Valikamam
Valikamam வலிகாமம் වලිකාමම් | |
|---|---|
Region | |
  Valikamam | |
| Coordinates: 09°45′N 80°01′E / 9.750°N 80.017°E | |
| Country |  Sri Lanka |
| Province | Northern |
| District | Jaffna |
| Largest city | Jaffna |
| Divisional Secretariats | |
| Area | |
• Total | 344.2 km2 (132.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
• Total | 358,991 |
| • Density | 1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka) |
Valikamam (Tamil: வலிகாமம் valikāmam, Sinhala: වැලිගම) is one of the three historic regions of Jaffna peninsula in northern Sri Lanka. The other two regions are Thenmarachchi and Vadamarachchi. Alternative spellings include Valikaamam or Valigamam.
Etymology
Valikamam translates to "the sandy village" in English. It is derived from the Tamil words vali (sand) and kamam (village). It is also an equivalent to the ancient name of Jaffna with the same meaning, Manaltidar or Manarridal. According to the 16th Century Jaffna Tamil literary work Santiago Kumara Ammanai, Valikamam referred as Valli Kiraamam (Village of Plant Tinospora cordifolia) [1]
See also
References
- ^ Ragupathy, Ponnampalam (1987). Early Settlements in Jaffna: An Archaeological Survey. University of Jaffna: Thillimalar. p. 211.