The Central Province (Sinhala: මධ්‍යම පළාත Madhyama Paḷāta, Tamil: மத்திய மாகாணம் Madhdhiya Mākāṇam) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 5,674 km² and a population of 2,421,148, making it the 2nd most populated province. The city of Kandy is the capital of the province.

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Central Province මධ්‍යම පළාත மத்திய மாகாணம்
Province
Kandy (capital city of the province)
Flag
Location within Sri Lanka
Coordinates: 7°20′N 80°45′E
Country	Sri Lanka
Created	1833
Admitted	14 November 1987
Capital	Kandy
Largest City	Kandy
Districts	List Kandy Matale Nuwara Eliya
Government
• Type	Provincial council
• Body	Central Provincial Council
• Governor	Lalith U Gamage
Area
• Total	5,674 km2 (2,191 sq mi)
• Rank	6th (8.63% of total area)
Population  (2011 census)
• Total	2,558,716
• Rank	2nd (12.97% of total pop.)
• Density	450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Gross Regional Product  (2021)[1]
• Total	Rs. 1787 billion
• Rank	3rd (10.1% of total)
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (Sri Lanka)
ISO 3166 code	LK-2
Vehicle registration	CP
Official languages	Sinhalese Tamil
Flower	Rhododendron arboreum[2]
Website	www.cp.gov.lk

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The Central Province is located primarily in the central mountainous terrain of Sri Lanka. It is bordered by the North Central Province to the north, the Uva Province to the east, the North Western Province to the west and the Sabaragamuwa Province to the south and west.

The province is famous for its production of Ceylon tea, where plantation was initiated by the British in the 1860s after a devastating disease killed all coffee plantations in the province. The province attracts many tourists, with hill station towns such as Gampola, Hatton and Nuwara Eliya. The province is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Though three successive European powers invaded and established colonies on the island of Sri Lanka between the 16th and 19th centuries, the central province managed to maintain its independence until 1815, when the British conquered the Kingdom of Kandy. The British then established a colonial headman ranking system in 1824, which came into effect in 1832.

The provinces of Sri Lanka were established by the British in 1833. In independent Sri Lanka, provinces did not have any legal status or power until 1987, when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils.^[3][4]

Colonial head mudaliyars

• Sir Christofel de-Silva (1824–1842)
• Don William Gunawardene De-Saram III (1842–1856)
• Sir Hendrick Ekanayake (1856–1860)
• Sir Alexander-James Divakara Mohotti (1860–1888)
• Don Agaris Divakara Mohotti (1888–1924)

The Mudaliyar Office was abolished in 1924 and the last of the colonial headmen retired from their positions and gave up the rule to the British officers in 1926. All headman positions were then passed down to the newly elected governor-general of the Central Province. This was established in 1929 as a way for the British to directly rule the provinces.

The central province is home to many sites historical and cultural importance, such as the historic town of Matale, the Temple of the Tooth, the Dambulla cave temple, the Aluwihare temple and the Sigiriya rock fortress.

The province has an area of 5,674 km² and a population of 2,421,148. Major towns include Kandy, Matale, Dambulla, Gampola, Nuwara Eliya and Hatton.

The Central Province is an ethnically diverse province, with a mixture of Sinhalese, Tamil and Moor communities. Many tea plantation workers are Indian Tamils, brought over to Sri Lanka by the British in the 19th century.

The Central Province is divided into three districts and 36 divisional secretariats.

• List of settlements in Central Province (Sri Lanka)
• Provinces of Sri Lanka
• Districts of Sri Lanka
• Tea production in Sri Lanka