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Question 41 of 72 · World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies
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SSC

The capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka is:

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Answer: Option C — Jaffna

Detailed Solution

Jaffna is the capital of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka.

About Jaffna:

  • It is located on the Jaffna Peninsula, at the northern tip of Sri Lanka.
  • It is the cultural centre of the Sri Lankan Tamils, and most of its people are Tamil-speaking Hindus.
  • It is only about 50-60 km from the coast of Tamil Nadu across the Palk Strait.
  • It was the capital of the "Jaffna Kingdom" (Aryacakravarti dynasty), from the 13th century until the Portuguese conquered it in 1619.
  • It was later ruled by the Dutch (1658-1796) and the British.
  • The Jaffna Fort was built by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch; it is one of the largest forts in Sri Lanka.

The Nallur Kandaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Murugan, is the most important Hindu temple in Jaffna. Its annual festival draws large crowds.

The "Jaffna Public Library", once one of the largest libraries in Asia, was burned in 1981, destroying about 97,000 books and rare manuscripts. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2003.

During the civil war (1983-2009), Jaffna was heavily affected. The LTTE controlled it for some time, and the Sri Lankan army recaptured it in 1995.

India and Jaffna:

  • India built the "Jaffna Cultural Centre".
  • India has a Consulate General in Jaffna.
  • A passenger ferry service between Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu) and Kankesanthurai (near Jaffna) was started in October 2023.
  • India has helped build houses for war-affected families under the "Indian Housing Project".
  • Jaffna's Palaly Airport was upgraded and named "Jaffna International Airport" (2019), with flights to Chennai.

About Sri Lanka's provinces:

  • Sri Lanka has nine provinces: Western, Central, Southern, Northern, Eastern, North Western, North Central, Uva and Sabaragamuwa.
  • Provincial councils were created by the 13th Amendment (1987), after the India-Sri Lanka Accord.

Capitals of some provinces:

  • Western Province: Colombo.
  • Central Province: Kandy.
  • Eastern Province: Trincomalee.
  • Southern Province: Galle.
  • Uva Province: Badulla.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Trincomalee is the capital of the Eastern Province.
  • ✗Kandy is the capital of the Central Province.
  • ✗Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern Province.

Quick tip

Remember: Northern Province capital = Jaffna (Tamil cultural centre; Jaffna Fort; Nallur Kandaswamy Temple; library burned 1981); Eastern = Trincomalee; Central = Kandy; Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai ferry = 2023.

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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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