Batticaloa (Singhalese මඩකලපුව, there மட்டக்களப்பு) is a city in the east of Sri Lanka. It is located on the territory of the Eastern Province and is the administrative center of the district of the same name. Population: 88,459 (2007 estimate).

Origin of the name
The city got its modern name during the period of English colonial rule. Batticaloa was originally called Madakalapuwa (the first ‘M’ changed to ‘B’ at the time the island was held by the Dutch), which means “muddy lagoon” in Sinhala. This name, in turn, is derived from the Tamil Madurankernikulum.

Geography
Batticaloa is located on the east coast of Sri Lanka, on a flat, flat spit that separates the lagoon from the ocean. The city rises above sea level by an average of only 5 m. There are three lagoons in the Batticaloa area: Batticaloa, Valaichchenai and Vakari. The Batticaloa lagoon is 56 km long and has an area of ​​141 km².
Batticaloa has extensive sandy beaches.

Climate
The city is located in the east of the country, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The climate is tropical monsoon.

History
The first inhabitants of this area were the Dravidian tribes who spoke the ancient Tamil language. They developed a feudal society with a caste system. Around 700 BC, the first state arose here, headed by King Kutikan. At the beginning of the II century. n. e. королевство было захвачено Карикалой Чола из династии ранних правителей государства Чола (в т. n. период Сангам . Карикала взял несколько тысяч заложников, которых увёл в своё королевство, однако 12 лет спустя Гаджабаху I отправился в поход на Чола и вернул пленников на родину.

The history of the development of these lands by early settlers is described in a cycle of literary works (written over a long period of time), called Mattakallappu Manmiam (“Glory of Baticaloa”). Also, the history of Batticaloa is described in the ancient work Mattakallappu Purva Charitiram (“Ancient History of Batticaloa”).
In the 1st century n. e. Mukkuvars arrived on the lands of Batticaloa from Tamil Nadu (then – the state of Pandya) (English) Russian. – Tamil caste of fishermen. They began to create villages and fortified settlements along the coast. They had to participate in military conflicts.
In the twelfth century, the east coast Sri Lanka was attacked by the state of Kalinga (the army was based on mercenaries from southern India). The descendants of the Kalinga soldiers who remained on the island are believed to have become the founders of the Sri Lankan kingdom of Jaffna.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the Dutch expedition, sailing from Cape Comorin in Galle, continued sailing around the southern tip of the island and landed in Batticaloa on May 31, 1602. They discovered that there are plantations in these places that grow cinnamon, peppers and coconuts, but all of them belong to the local ruler. The locals brought a Portuguese to the meeting as an interpreter, because of all the Europeans they met only with the Portuguese and did not suspect that white people had some other language. After that, the Dutch admiral who led the expedition had negotiations with the Tamil king Rajasingan of Madurai on the issue of countering the Portuguese, whom the Tamils ​​considered oppressors.
On the territory of the modern city of Batticaloa in 1622, the Portuguese founded the fort of the same name, but on May 18, 1638 it was captured by the Dutch. The descendants of the first European settlers still live in the city in small numbers today.
In 1795, war broke out between Britain and the Batavian Republic. At the end of August of the same year, the English fleet began to bombard Batticaloa, and on September 18 the city fell. С 1802 года он входил в состав британской колонии Цейлоn. Since 1948 – as part of the Dominion of Ceylon, since 1972 – independent Sri Lanka.

Economy
The basis of the local economy is primarily fishing and agriculture. Locals fish and shrimp, grow rice. Aquaculture is also developed in Batticaloa.