Sabaragamuwa Province
Sabaragamuwa hosts Ratnapura ('City of Gems') and Adam's Peak pilgrimage site—7.7% of GDP from gemstones, tea, and religious tourism.
Sabaragamuwa Province hosts Ratnapura, the 'City of Gems'—Sri Lanka's sapphire and ruby mining center that has supplied precious stones for millennia. The gem trade creates a distinct economy: artisanal mining, cutting, polishing, and trading that resists industrial consolidation because deposits are scattered and unpredictable. The province contributes 7.7% of national GDP (2024), with tea plantations on highland slopes complementing gem mining. Adam's Peak (Sri Pada), sacred to Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian traditions, attracts pilgrims whose footprints locals believe belong to Buddha, Shiva, Adam, or St. Thomas. This religious pluralism reflects Sabaragamuwa's position as interior Sri Lanka, less touched by ethnic conflict than Northern or Eastern provinces. By 2026, the gem industry faces pressure from laboratory-grown stones while tea exports navigate premium positioning as climate affects production.