North Western Province ( Wayamba Paḷāta, Vada Mael Mākāṇam) is a province of Sri Lanka. The province consists of the districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw (24,712) and Puttalam (45,661), which are both small fishing towns. The majority of the population of Wayamba province is of Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also a substantial Sri Lankan Moor minority around Puttalam and Sri Lankan Tamils in Udappu and Munneswaram. Fishing, prawn farming and rubber tree plantations are other prominent industries of the region. The province has an area of 7,888 km2, and a population of 2,370,075 (2011 census). Geography Climate The climate of Wayamba is tropical, with a marked dry season, and temperatures averaging between 20 °C in January to 25 °C in March. The south of the province is wetter, with almost 2000 mm of rainfall per year, but the north of the province is one of the driest regions in Sri Lanka, averaging under 1100 mm of rain in parts. Districts Wayamba is divided into 2 districts: Kurunegala District Puttalam District Cities Kurunegala (Municipal Council) Large towns Puttalam (Urban Council) Kuliyapitiya (Urban Council) Chilaw (Urban Council) Other towns Alawwa Anamaduwa Bingiriya Bolawatta Dankotuwa Galgamuwa Giriulla Hettipola Hiripitiya Kalpitiya Kumarakattuwa Madampe Maho Marawila Narammala Nattandiya Nikaweratiya Pannala Polpithigama Madurankuli Wariyapola Wennappuwa Pallama Polgahawela Udappu Villages North Western Province contains six villages with the same name, Galagedara. Education Universities Open University of Sri Lanka, regional centre of Kurunegala Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya Wayamba National College of Education, Bingiriya Provincial Education- Provincial Department of Education - North Western Zonal Education - Kurunegala Zonal Education - Puttalam Zonal Education - Kuliyapitiya Zonal Education - Chilaw Zonal Education - Ibbagamuwa Zonal Education - Maho Zonal Education - Nikaweratiya Zonal Education - Giriulla Schools St. Joseph Vaz College - Wennappuwa Presidential Science College - Puttalam Holy Family Convent-Marawila Saranath College - Kuliyapitiya Central College - Kuliyapitiya Maliyadewa College - Kurunegala St. Annes College - Kurunegala Ananda College - Chilaw Dhammissara College - Nattandiya Wayamba Royal College - Kurunegala Senanayake Central College - Madampe Mayurapada College - Narammala Sri Sumangala College - Wariyapola S.W.R.D. Bandaranayaka Central College - Panduwasnuwara Zahira National College - Puttalam Transportation Roads The region is served by an extensive rail and road transport system