Karaitivu (Island) என்பதற்கான மூலத்தைப் பார்

{{Short description|Island in Sri Lanka}}
{{Infobox islands
| name             = Karaitivu
| native_name      = <br>{{lang|ta|காரைதீவு}}<br>{{lang|si|කාර දිවයින}}
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| map              = Sri Lanka Northern Province#Sri Lanka
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| map_relief       = yes
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| label_position   = top
| coordinates      = {{coord|9|44|03|N|79|52|33|E|type:isle|display=inline,title}}
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| area_km2         = 22.95
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| country          = [[Sri Lanka]]
| country_admin_divisions_title      = [[Provinces of Sri Lanka|Province]]
| country_admin_divisions            = [[Northern Province, Sri Lanka|Northern]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1    = [[Districts of Sri Lanka|District]]
| country_admin_divisions_1          = [[Jaffna District|Jaffna]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2    = [[Divisional Secretary's Division|DS Division]]
| country_admin_divisions_2          = [[Karainagar Divisional Secretary's Division|Karainagar]]
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| country_area_km2                   = <!-- or |country_area_m2= or |country_area_ha= -->
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| population       = 9,576
| population_as_of = 2012
| population_footnotes = <ref name="DCS"/>
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| density_km2      = 417
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| languages        = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
| ethnic_groups    = [[Sri Lankan Tamils]]
| timezone1        = [[Time zone#UTC .2B 6.2C F|Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone]]
| utc_offset1      = +5:30
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}}
'''Karaitivu''' ({{lang-ta|காரைதீவு|translit=Kāraitīvu}}; {{lang-si|කාර දිවයින}} ''Kãra Divaina'') is an [[List of islands of Sri Lanka|island]] off the coast of [[Jaffna peninsula]] in northern [[Sri Lanka]], located approximately {{convert|15|km|0}} north-west of the city of [[Jaffna]].

==Etymology==
Present Karaitivu has been identified with ancient Kãra Divaina (the Island of Kãra). This island is referred to in the 12th-century Rameswaram [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] inscription of [[Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa|King Nissankamalla]] (1187-1196 A.D.) as "Kãra Divaina".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Rameswaram inscription of Nissankamalla#Epigraphia Indica Vol. XXXIV|last=Paranavithana|first=Senarath|quote=The statement that Nissankamalla, during there expeditions, visited the islands of Puvagu (modern Pungudutivu), Mininak (Maninaga), Kappa, and Kãra (Karai-tivu) occurs only in this epigraph.|publisher=Archaeological Survey of India|page=27|language=en| year=1970}}</ref> The Nampota, an ancient Sinhala text written after the 14th century also mentions this island as Kãra Divaina.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The study of place names in Sri Lanka|last=Weerakone|first=T.B.|publisher=Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, New Series, Vol. 36|pages=28–95|language=en| year=1991}}</ref>

Karaitivu means "the island of karai shrubs" in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and is derived from the Tamil words ''karai'' (Webera tetrandra, a thorny shrub from the family [[Rubiaceae]]) and ''tivu'' (island).<ref>{{cite news|title=Know the Etymology: 68 - Kaaraitheevu (Kaarainakar)|url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=98&artid=23260|work=[[TamilNet]]|date=5 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cassim |first1=Aysha Maryam |title=Sights, sounds and scents of Jaffna |url=https://www.ft.lk/FT-Lite/sights-sounds-and-scents-of-jaffna/6-612117 |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=[[Daily FT]] |date=29 April 2017 |location=Colombo, Sri Lanka}}</ref> The island was known as Amsterdam during [[Dutch Ceylon|Dutch colonial rule]].<ref name="KRI">{{cite web|title=Table 05 (Geo., Topography) Islands in Sri Lanka|url=http://www.jpp.co.jp/lanka/geo/geote/geo05e.htm|website=Sri Lanka Statistics|publisher=Kusaka Research Institute|date=2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Attygalle|first1=Randima|title=Restoring the Jaffna Fort|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=116279|work=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=21 December 2014}}</ref>

==The island==
Extended in an area of {{convert|22.95|km2|2}}, the island is divided into nine [[village officer division]]s whose combined population was 9,576 at the 2012 census.<ref name="DCS">{{cite web|title=Census of Population and Housing 2012: Population by GN division and sex 2012|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/Pages/Activities/Reports/FinalReport_GN/population/P2.pdf|publisher=Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka|page=146}}</ref>

Karaitivu is connected to Jaffna peninsula by a [[causeway]] and there is a [[ferry]] service from [[Kayts]] on the neighbouring island of [[Velanaitivu]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fernando|first1=Srimal|title=Sights and sounds of Jaffna|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2005/10/03/fea03.htm|work=[[Daily News (Sri Lanka)]]|date=3 October 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sivendran|first1=S.|title=Kayts, a different world|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/000102/splus2.html#2LABEL1|work=[[The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)]]|date=2 January 2000}}</ref> [[Karainagar]] is the main settlement on the island.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ferdinando|first1=Shamindra|title=Daring response to threat on Elara base|url=http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=78510|work=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)]]|date=8 May 2013}}</ref> The popular [[Casuarina Beach]] is located on the island.<ref>{{cite news|title=Casuarina Beach On Karaitivu Island|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/08/12/casuarina-beach-on-karaitivu-island/|work=[[The Sunday Leader]]|date=12 August 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Karaitivu (Jaffna)}}

{{Northern Province, Sri Lanka topics}}

[[Category:Islands of Jaffna District]]
[[Category:Karainagar DS Division]]


{{NorthernLK-geo-stub}}