Jaffna or Yazhpanam (Tamil: யாழ்ப்பாணம், Sinhala: යාල්පානම් ) (யாழ் meaning = sitar and பாணம் meaning = Town, therefore யாழ்ப்பாணம் means Town of (the) Harper) is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Though most of the residents of Jaffna are Sri Lankan Tamils, there is also a minor presence of Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims) and Portuguese Burghers (Roman Catholics). Almost all Sri Lankan Muslims were driven off from Jaffna by the LTTE in the 1990s, as a result of the ethnic conflict which started in the 1970s[1] which today leaves Jaffna almost exclusively Tamil, apart from the military personnel.
