Negombo
Negombo (Sinhala: මීගමුව, romanized: Mîgamuwa, IPA: [miːɡəmuʋə], Tamil: நீர்கொழும்பு, romanized: Nīrkoḻumpu, IPA: [n̪iːɾxoɻumbɯ]), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome) and Mîpura (city of bees), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, 38 km (24 mi) from Colombo via the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway and the nearest major city from the Bandaranaike International Airport (about 9 km distance).
Negombo is a major commercial centre in the country and the largest city in Gampaha District, and is also the administrative centre of Negombo Division. Negombo has a population of about 142,136 within its divisional secretariat division. Negombo municipal boundary is fully extended throughout its Divisional Secretariat area.
Negombo is known for its long sandy beaches and centuries old fishing industry. Negombo has a large bilingual (Sinhala/Tamil) population with a large Christian majority.