A section of the people belonging to the Buddhist Rakhine tribe of Arakan came to this upazila in quest of better living and first settled at Khepupara and Kuakata.

Tradition goes that the Rakhines on excavating wells traced fresh water in the area and thereby settled there.

It is said that two influential Rakhine chiefs used to reside on either side of a canal running northsouth through the upazila, Kalau Magh on the eastern bank and Khepu Magh on the western side.

Kalapara has a literacy rate (age 7 and over) of 52.0%, compared to the national average of 51.8%, and a sex ratio of 993 females per 1000 males.

[4] Kalapara Upazila is divided into Kalapara Municipality, Kuakata Municipality, and 12 union parishads: Baliatali, Chakamaia, Champapur, Dalbugonj, Dhankhali, Dulaser, Lalua, Latachapli, Mahipur, Mihagonj, Nilgonj, and Tiakhali.

Mosque 275, temple 41, pagoda 4, Buddhist Vihara 8, church 2, mazar 1. Notable institutions includes: Kalapara Jame Masjid, Kuakata Buddhist Vihara, Mazar of Pir Bashiruddin.