Hatton, Sri Lanka
Hatton (Sinhala: හැටන්, Tamil: ஹட்டன்) is a major town in the Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, Sri Lanka governed by the Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council. Hatton is a major centre of the Sri Lankan tea industry.
Hatton
හැටන් ஹட்டன் | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Hatton | |
| Coordinates: 6°53′23″N 80°35′53″E | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Central Province |
| District | Nuwara Eliya District |
| Divisional Secretariat | Nuwara Eliya Divisional Secretariat (Ambagamuwa Divisional Secretariat) |
| Established | 1821 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Urban Council |
| • Body | Hatton Dickoya Urban Council |
| • Chairman | S. Balachandran (Unofficial Magistrate) |
| Elevation | 1,271 m (4,170 ft) |
| Population (2018) | |
| • Total | 15,073 |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone) |
| Postal code | 22000 |
| Area code | 051 |
Hatton is one of the busiest cities in the hill country of Sri Lanka and is colloquially known as the tea capital of the country, as it is the central point for most upcountry tea growing regions, such as Maskeliya, Talawakelle, Bogawantalawa and Dickoya.
Hatton is located approximately 112 km (70 mi) southeast of Colombo and 72 km (45 mi) south of Kandy, at an elevation of 1,271 m (4,170 ft) above sea level.
Hatton was founded during the British colonial times in order to serve the coffee plantations and latter tea estates. The name of the town refers to the village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. A number of the surrounding tea estates are also named after Scottish villages.
Hatton serves as a gateway to Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) and Sinharaja Forest Reserve, but is better known for its Ceylon tea plantations. Over 48% of the town's population employed on tea estates.