[5][6][7] The majority of the fighting in the Sri Lankan Civil War took place in the Northern province.

The accord required a referendum to be held by 31 December 1988 in the Eastern Province to decide whether the merger should be permanent.

Crucially, the accord allowed the Sri Lankan president to postpone the referendum at his discretion.

[13][14] On September 2 and 8 1988 President Jayewardene issued proclamations enabling the Northern and Eastern provinces to be one administrative unit administered by one elected Council.

However, the referendum was never held and successive Sri Lankan presidents issued proclamations annually extending the life of the "temporary" entity.

The thought of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam controlling this province, directly or indirectly, alarmed them greatly.

[15] On 16 October 2006 the Supreme Court ruled that the proclamations issued by President Jayewardene were null and void and had no legal effect.

Much of the Northern Province was under the control of rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for many years during the civil war.

[18] Northern Province is located in the north of Sri Lanka and is just 22 miles (35 km) from India.

[19] The Northern Province is divided into five districts, 34 divisional secretariats and 921 Grama Niladhari divisions.

[21] Several hundred thousand Sri Lankan Tamils, possibly as much as one million, emigrated to Western countries during the war.

[22] Many Sri Lankan Tamils also moved to the relative safety of the capital city Colombo.

[26] With universal adult suffrage been enabled through the Donoughmore Constitution, representatives from the province were elected to parliament.

However, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), which at that time occupied the North-East Province, rigged the elections in the north so that the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF), two Indian backed paramilitary groups, won all of the 36 seats in the north uncontested.

On 10 December 1988 Annamalai Varatharajah Perumal of the EPRLF became the first Chief Minister of the North-East Provincial Council.

[30] On 1 March 1990, just as the IPKF were preparing to withdraw from Sri Lanka, Permual moved a motion in the North-East Provincial Council declaring an independent Eelam.

[31] Since the early 1990s parts of the north-east provinces were controlled by the LTTE, which according to the Sri Lankan government owned Sunday Observer newspaper, prevented elections.

[citation needed] The majority of the people earn their livelihood as farmers, fishers, and professionals in the civil and business sectors.

Before the civil war cement and chemical industries along with fishing made a major contribution to the economy.

[36] However, with the election victory of President Maithripala Sirisena and the removal of restrictions that prevented foreigners from visiting the north contributed to the sense of economic renewal alongside the development of Kankesanthurai Harbor the Palali Airport.

Hospitals and schools as well as a cultural center and vocational training facility is being built in Jaffna.

As of 2018 the apparel industry of the province employ 7,917 staff and represent an investment of US$65 million with factories in Vavuniya, Killinochchi, Mannar and Mullaitivu.

Crores and Current Prices[39] Transport infrastructure in the province is poorly developed and limits economic activity.

The railway lines between Vavuniya, Jaffna, and Kankesanthurai and between Medawachchiya and Talaimannar were destroyed during the civil war.