Which Sri Lankan peninsula occupies the island’s far north and contains the city of Jaffna?

The Jaffna Peninsula is the northern Sri Lankan peninsula that contains the city of Jaffna.

It projects northward from Sri Lanka into the Palk Strait, separating the island’s northern waters from the Gulf of Mannar. Much of the peninsula is low-lying and relatively dry compared with Sri Lanka’s wetter southwestern regions. Its landscape includes lagoons, shallow coastal waters, palmyra palms and extensive agricultural areas.

Jaffna is the peninsula’s principal city and the cultural centre of Sri Lanka’s Tamil population. The area has a long history shaped by Tamil kingdoms, Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule, and British administration. Jaffna Fort, built by the Portuguese and expanded by the Dutch, is one of the region’s best-known landmarks.

The peninsula is sometimes confused with the Northern Province, but they are not identical: the province also includes large mainland districts south of the peninsula. Nearby islands such as Delft, known locally as Neduntivu, lie off its western coast.