Basic information

| Attribute | Detail | | --- | --- | | **Official Name** | Jaffna | | **Common Name** | Jaffna | | **Native Name(s)** | யாழ்ப்பாணம் (Yāḻppāṇam), යාපනය (Yāpanaya) | | **Nicknames** | Cultural Capital of Tamils, City of Temples | | **Motto** | _Data not readily available for this location._ | | **Geographic Level** | City / District | | **Country** | Sri Lanka | | **State/Province** | Northern Province | | **Capital** | Jaffna (Provincial Capital) | | **Government Type** | Municipal Council / District Secretariat | | **Date Founded** | Antiquity; Jaffna Kingdom established approx. 1215 CE | | **Time Zone** | Sri Lanka Standard Time (UTC +5:30) | | **Latitude** | 9.6615° N | | **Longitude** | 80.0255° E | | **Elevation** | 5 m (16 ft) | | **Total Area** | District: 1,025 km² (396 sq mi); City: 20.2 km² (7.8 sq mi) | | **Population** | District: ~600,000; City: ~80,000 | | **Population Density** | District: ~610/km²; City: ~3,900/km² | | **ZIP/Postal Codes** | 40000 | | **Area Codes** | 021 | | **Official Languages** | Tamil, Sinhala (with English widely used as a link language) | | **Currency** | Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) | | **Demonym** | Jaffnese, Yalpanite |