Located at an altitude of 116 metres (381 ft) above sea level, Kurunegala is surrounded by coconut plantations and rubber estates.

To exacerbate matters for humans, animals had threatened the city's storage capabilities by consuming huge amounts of water.

Its ascendancy as an ancient capital of Sri Lanka began with a series of events that took place during the late 12th century at Yapahuwa.

[3] After the reign of Buwaneka Bahu III, the newly throned king Vijayabahu V ruled from Dambadeniya and Yapahuwa from 1335 to 1341 before once again the kingdom of Sri Lanka shifted to Gampola.

The tank is used as a water supply source and serves as a major attraction offering a scenic view of the city and the famous elephant rock.

The region comprising the Kurunegala town is well above the sea level compared to the coastal areas of Sri Lanka.

Kurunegala is surrounded by several major rock outcrops, a distinctive geological feature of the Wayamba province.

The only major change in the Kurunegala weather occurs during the monsoons from May to August and October to January when heavy rains can be expected.

While the city does experience noticeably drier weather during January and February, it does not qualify as a true dry season as average precipitation in both months are above 60 millimetres (2 in).

Kurunegala is a Sinhalese majority city; there are sizable communities belonging to other ethnic groups, such as Moors, Tamils, Burghers and Malays.

The town is also home to a wide range of other religious faiths and sects including Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

The Kurunegala Municipality Council is responsible for the overall administration, sanitary, welfare, and other general activities of the city.

[7] By road, it is connected to Colombo, Kandy, Matale, Puttalam, Trincomalee, Narammala, Negombo, Anuradhapura and Kegalle.

Many major corporations have large branch offices in Kurunegala and many industries including textiles, Sri Lankan gemstones, furniture, information technology, and jewellery are found there.

The king's income primarily came from agricultural produce, with farmers contributing a portion of their harvest, as well as from precious gems such as pearls, moonstones, and blue diamonds.

The city's historical legacy of agricultural prosperity and trade continues to influence its modern economic activities, blending tradition with contemporary development.

The Wayamba University of Sri Lanka is situated in Kuliyapitiya, while the Open University of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, the National Institute of Business Management, the College of Technology, the National Apprentice Industrial Training Authority, the Wayamba Technical College, the National Youth Council and the Vocational Training Authority have centres in the city.

One of the best known spin bowlers of all time in Sri Lanka, Rangana Herath is an iconic cricketer from Kurunegala.