Mannar District is located in northwestern Sri Lanka.It is oneof five administrative districts of the Northern Province.The district covers 2,002 sq. km, approximately 3% of the total land area of Sri Lanka. Geographically the bulk of Mannar is on themainland within the arid and dry zone.     High temperatures and low rainfall characterize the
 climate. The monthly temperatures range between 26.5°C and 30.0°C with highs normally recorded between May and August. Mannar receives nearly 60% of its rainfall during thenortheast monsoon, which lasts from October through December. The land area is

relatively flat and sits at low elevations. Towards the interior theterrain is gently undulating, favoring the storage of rainwater in tanks that provide the majority of the irrigation for the district’s arable land. The primary economic activities in Mannar are crop cultivation (mainly paddy), fisheriesand animal husbandry.