List of rivers of Sri Lanka facts for kids
The following table lists most rivers of Sri Lanka. Since Sri Lanka is a trilingual country, some rivers may have a Sinhala name (i.e. Kalu Ganga), while other have an English name (i.e. Kelani River). There are two words meaning "river" in the Sinhala language, namely Ganga (ගඟ) and Oya (ඔය). At 335 km (208 mi), the Mahaweli River is the longest river on the island, its drainage basin covering more than one-fifth of the island. It is estimated that there are 103 rivers in Sri Lanka.
Contents
List of major rivers (over 100km in length)
| Name | Length | Source | Drainage | Image | Location of mouth | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahaweli River | 335 km (208 mi) | Horton Plains | Trincomalee |  |
08°27′34″N 81°13′46″E / 8.45944°N 81.22944°E | |
| Malvathu River | 164 km (102 mi) | Inamaluwa Mountains | Vankalai |  |
08°48′08″N 79°55′40″E / 8.80222°N 79.92778°E | |
| Kala Oya | 148 km (92 mi) | Omaragolla Mountains | Kalpitiya North |  |
08°17′41″N 79°50′23″E / 8.29472°N 79.83972°E | |
| Kelani River | 145 km (90 mi) | Baththulu Oya | Colombo | .jpg) |
06°58′44″N 79°52′12″E / 6.97889°N 79.87000°E | |
| Yan Oya | 142 km (88 mi) | Ritigala | Pulmoddai | 08°55′04″N 81°00′58″E / 8.91778°N 81.01611°E | ||
| Deduru Oya | 142 km (88 mi) | Gommuna Mountains | Chilaw | 07°36′50″N 79°48′12″E / 7.61389°N 79.80333°E | ||
| Walawe River | 138 km (86 mi) | Belihul Oya | Ambalantota | 06°06′19″N 81°00′57″E / 6.10528°N 81.01583°E | ||
| Maduru Oya | 135 km (84 mi) | Akurugala Mountains | Kalkudah | 07°56′24″N 81°33′05″E / 7.94000°N 81.55139°E | ||
| Maha Oya | 134 km (83 mi) | Rakshawa Mountains | Kochchikade |  |
07°16′21″N 79°50′34″E / 7.27250°N 79.84278°E | |
| Kalu Ganga | 129 km (80 mi) | Seetha Gangula | Kalutara |  |
06°34′10″N 79°57′44″E / 6.56944°N 79.96222°E | |
| Kirindi Oya | 117 km (73 mi) | Namunukula | Bundala | 06°11′39″N 81°17′34″E / 6.19417°N 81.29278°E | ||
| Kumbukkan Oya | 116 km (72 mi) | Lunugala | Kumana | 06°48′36″N 81°49′25″E / 6.81000°N 81.82361°E | ||
| Menik Ganga | 114 km (71 mi) | Namunukula | Yala |  |
06°21′49″N 81°31′45″E / 6.36361°N 81.52917°E | |
| Gin Ganga | 113 km (70 mi) | Kabaragala Mountains | Gintota | 06°03′47″N 80°10′27″E / 6.06306°N 80.17417°E | ||
| Mi Oya | 109 km (68 mi) | Kuda Madagala Mountains | Puttalam | 08°05′44″N 79°48′37″E / 8.09556°N 79.81028°E | ||
| Gal Oya | 108 km (67 mi) | Hewa Eliya Mountains | Oluvil | 07°18′01″N 81°51′54″E / 7.30028°N 81.86500°E |
List of minor rivers (up to 100km in length)
| Name | Length | Source | Drainage | Location of mouth | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attanagalu Oya | 76 km (47 mi) | Kegalle District | Negombo Lagoon | ||
| Nilwala Ganga | 72 km (45 mi) | Rakwana Mountains | Indian Ocean | 5°57′N 80°32′E | |
| Kanakarayan Aru | 70 km (43 mi) | Semamadu Kulam | Chundikkulam Lagoon | ||
| Kotmale River | 70 km (43 mi) | Horton Plains National Park | Mahaweli River | ||
| Parangi Aru | 60 km (37 mi) | Vavuniya District | Palk Strait | ||
| Kehelgamu Oya | 50 km (31 mi) | Horton Plains | Kelani River | ||
| Pali Aru | 50 km (31 mi) | Puliyankulam | Palk Strait | ||
| Maskeliya Oya | 40 km (25 mi) | Peak Wilderness Sanctuary | Kelani River | ||
| Nay Aru | 40 km (25 mi) | Vavuniya District | Palk Strait | ||
| Per Aru | 32 km (20 mi) | Vavuniya District | Nanthi Lagoon | ||
| Mandekal Aru | 30 km (19 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Palk Strait | ||
| Nanu Oya | 27 km (17 mi) | Pidurutalagala | Kotmale River | ||
| Pallavarayankaddu Aru | 27 km (17 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Palk Strait | ||
| Akkarayan Aru | 25 km (16 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Jaffna Lagoon | ||
| Netheli Aru | 24 km (15 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Chundikkulam Lagoon | ||
| Theravil Aru | 23 km (14 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Chundikkulam Lagoon | ||
| Nay Aru | 20 km (12 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Nai Aru Lagoon | ||
| Piramenthal Aru | 20 km (12 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Chundikkulam Lagoon | ||
| Kodalikkallu Aru | 19 km (12 mi) | Mullaitivu District | Nanthi Lagoon | ||
| Valukkai Aru | 16 km (10 mi) | Jaffna District | Jaffna Lagoon | ||
| Kukule River | 06°39′10″N 80°05′42″E / 6.65278°N 80.09500°E | ||||
| Madu Ganga | |||||
| Mavil Aru | |||||
| Pusweli Oya | |||||
| Verugal Aru |
Malala oya - Hambanthota District karanda Oya - Potuvil Ampara District Heda Oya - Arugambay (Arunagamthota), Ampare District wil oya - Ampara District
Gallery
-
Mahaweli River, Teldeniya.
-
Malvathu River, Anuradhapura.
-
Kelani River, Kitulgala.
-
Castlereigh Reservoir on Kehelgamu Oya, a tributary of Kelani River.
-
Maskeliya Oya, a tributary of Kelani River.
-
Deduru Oya, Chilaw.
-
Walawe River, Udawalawe Dam.
-
Belihul Oya, a tributary of Walawe River.
-
Maha Oya, Pinnawala.
-
Kalu Ganga, Ratnapura.
.JPG)
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Ríos de Sri Lanka para niños
- List of dams and reservoirs in Sri Lanka
- List of waterfalls in Sri Lanka
