Northern Province (Sinhala: Uturu Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. The province capital is Jaffna. Its majority of its population are Tamils, with a minority of Sinhalese and Muslims. The current civil war has its roots in this province. Majority of the people earn their livelihood as farmers, fishers and professionals in the civil and business sectors. It is known for its institutions of higher education. Small scale industry such as chemical, light manufacturing and textiles were present before the civil war. Jaffna peninsula itself is irrigated by underground aquifers fed by wells whereas the rest of the province has irrigation tanks.