Matara (Sinhala: මාතර, romanized: Māthara; Tamil: மாத்தறை) is a major city in Sri Lanka, on the southern coast of Southern Province. It is the second largest city in Southern Province. It is 160 km (99 mi) from Colombo. It is a major commercial hub, the administrative capital and largest city of Matara District.
Ethnic composition in Matara DS Division according to 2012 census data is Sinhalese 111,039 (95.88%), Muslims 4,296 (3.71%), Tamils 326 (0.28%), Others 144 (0.12%).