Ampara is part of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka which is a remote town on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, approximately about 360 km from the bustling city of Colombo. It is the biggest paddy harvesting province of the island, and has is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the east coast providing fisheries resources. The district was formed from the southern part of the Batticaloa District in April 1961.

Eastern province has an area of 9,996 square kilometers (3,859.5 sq mi). The province is covered by the Northern Province to the north, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Southern Province to the south, and the Uva, Central, and North Central provinces to the west. The province's coast houses lagoons, the largest being Batticaloa lagoon, Kokkilai lagoon, Upaar Lagoon, and Ullackalie Lagoon.

The Senanayaka Samudraya is the largest body of water ever created in Sri Lanka which is nestled between Siyambalanduwa and Ampara and is a sight to behold during sunsets. This giant reservoir is surrounded by the rising mountains of Inginiyagala creating a sight that gives a breathtaking and picturesque view.

Development of the Gal Oya Project, the reservoir that irrigates the drylands of the east of Sri Lanka, remains a glorious testament to the most ambitious irrigation development project undertaken immediately after the Independence.