The region from sea level up to the 30m contour line along the coast belongs to the coastal plain. In the South in certain places, the coastal plain is about 3 km narrow and in the North it is about 32 km wide. The coastal plain consists of various relief features. The lower areas of river valleys and the river mouth regions belong to this. The coastal plain has several special features such as flat land, points, lagoons, sand dunes as well as the features like braided rivers, marshy lands and deltas.
A lagoon is a lengthy stretch of an area filled with brackish water, separated from the sea by sand bars which have narrow outlets to the sea only during a certain period of the year. Negombo, Jaffna, Puttlam, Chillaw and Batticaloa are examples. Show on Map
Marshes are formed when the sediments brought by rivers are deposited as sand banks and blocking the estuaries or water remaining in lowlands due to overflowing of rivers. Examples of marshes are Muthurajawela, Bundala, Kalametiya, Somawathiya, Anawilundawa and Kirala kele.Show on Map
Bays - A bay has a wider opening of the sea protruding towards the land filled with saline water. Many such bays are located along side the coastal line in Sri Lanka. Some of them are Koddiyar Bay, Arugam Bay and Weligama Bay.Show on Map
A land area with hard stone that protrudes towards sea is called a point. Dondra head, Fowl Point, Sangamankanda Point and Point Pedro are examplesShow on Map
Small land areas completely covered with water are called islands.Nagadeepa,Kytes,Kachchthive,Nayanathive,Delf, AnalativuShow on Map
A sea cliff is a land area composed of hard rocks standing at an edge of the coast with a steep slope. Trincomallee, Kirinda and Rumassala are examplesShow on Map
Delta is a land area formed with the deposit of sediments carried by a river close to river mouths with a shape of a triangle. Deltas can be seen close to the river mouths of Mahaweli Ganga, Mee oya and Kala oya.
There are attractive places located close to the coastal line. Blow hole is such a feature. This name has been given as a result of splashing
water up through a cave making a sound.Show on Map
The intermediate plain is 30-300 m in altitude.The plain is wider in the North and becomes narrower towards the South. The features that can be mostly seen are contour hedges, residual hills, rivers, flood plains and plains.
Rakwana Mountains and Bulutota hills that extend North - West to South - East directions Show on Map
Residual hills are the remains of hard mountains which had been subjected to erosion. Kataragama, Mihintale, Sigiriya, Ritigala and Govindahela are examples. Show on Map
The areas over 300 m belong to this zone.There are plateaus,Gaps or Passes and waterfalls in central hills.
Residual hills are the remains of hard mountains which had been subjected to erosion. Kataragama, Mihintale, Sigiriya, Ritigala and Govindahela are examples. Show on Map