இலங்கை ஜனநாயக சமத்துவ குடியரசு Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Sri Lanka Matha" Music (help·info) , Singing (help·info)
Capital		Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte[1][2] 6°54′N 79°54′E / 6.9, 79.9
Largest city		Colombo
Official languages		Sinhala, Tamil
Demonym		Sri Lankan
Government		Democratic Socialist Republic
-	President	Mahinda Rajapaksa
-	Prime Minister	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Declared	February 4, 1948
-	Republic	May 22, 1972
Area
-	Total	65,610 km² (122nd) 25,332 sq mi
-	Water (%)	4. List of Sri Lankan flags The Flag of Sri Lanka, also called the Lion Flag, consists of gold lion passant holding a sword in its right fore paw in front The Coat of arms of Sri Lanka features a gold lion passant holding a sword in its right fore paw (the same lion from the Flag of Sri Lanka) in the centre and was A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's "Sri Lanka Matha" is the National anthem of Sri Lanka. Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte (ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ in Sinhalese and ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்த்தனபுரம் கோட்டே Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean about 28 kilometers (18 mi Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements tendencies and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected Head of state and the Head of government. Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə born November The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake MP (born on May 5, 1933) is the 14th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and a veteran politician Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 4
Population
-	2005 estimate	19,668,000[3] (52nd)
-	2007 census	20,010,000
-	Density	319/km² (35th) 818/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$86. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 72 billion (61st)
-	Per capita	$4,600 (111th)
GDP (nominal)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$26. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 794 billion (78th)
-	Per capita	$1,355 (117th)
Gini (1999–00)		33. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 2 (medium)
HDI (2007)		▼0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 743 (medium) (99th)
Currency		Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Time zone		(UTC+5:30)
Internet TLD		.lk
Calling code		+94

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sinhalese: , Tamil: இலங்கை; known as Ceylon before 1972) is an island nation in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The rupee ( Sinhala: රුපියල, Tamil: ரூபாய் ( sign: ₨; code: LKR) is the Currency ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. An island country is a Country that is wholly confined to an Island, several islands an Island group or several island groups and has no territory on The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand 3 mi) off the southern coast of India. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It is home to around twenty million people.

Because of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia, and has been a center of Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times. Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices "Ancient" redirects here For other uses see Ancient_(disambiguation. Today, the country is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, with more than a quarter of the population following faiths other than Buddhism, notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population, with Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, forming the largest ethnic minority. The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka. They speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and number approximately 15 million people with the Tamil people (also called Tamils or Tamilians) ( are an Ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, a state in India, and the north-eastern Other communities include the Muslim Moors and Malays and the Burghers. The Sri Lankan Moors (also called Muslims, Marakallayos or Sonagar) are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 9% of the country's The concept of a Malay race ( Bangsa Melayu) was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752-1840 The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists

Famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts and rubber, Sri Lanka boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy and the highest per capita income in South Asia. Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom The Coconut Palm ( Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 Cultural heritage ("national heritage" or just "heritage" is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or Society Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel

After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal and the Netherlands beginning in the 16th century, before the control of the entire country was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. During World War II, Sri Lanka served as an important base for Allied forces in the fight against the Japanese Empire. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku ^[4] A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948. The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement to aimed at achieving independence for Sri Lanka from British imperial rule

Contents 1 Name 2 History 3 Geography and climate 4 Flora and fauna 5 Government and politics 6 Provinces and districts 7 Economy 8 Transport 9 Military 10 Human rights 11 Demographics 12 Culture and arts 12.1 Traditional food 12.2 Festivals 12.3 Cinema 12.4 Music 13 Religions 14 Media 15 Education 16 Sports 17 References 18 Further reading 19 See also 20 External links

Name

Main article: Names of Sri Lanka

In ancient times, Sri Lanka was known by a variety of names: ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane^[5] and Arabs referred to it as Serendib (the origin of the word "serendipity"). Sri Lanka is an Island Country that has been known by many Names The existence of the island has been known to the Indic, Chinese Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate especially while looking for something else entirely ^[6] Ceilão was the name given to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese when they arrived on the island in 1505,^[7] which was transliterated into English as Ceylon. ^[8] In 1972, the official name of the country was changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka" (in Sinhala śrī laṃkā, IPA: [ˌʃɾiːˈlaŋkaː]; whereas the island itself is referred to as ලංකාව laṃkāva, IPA: [laŋˈkaːʋə], in Tamil இலங்கை ilaṅkai, iˈlaŋgai). A name ( Etymology: from OE nama akin to OHG namo, Latin Nomen, and Greek όνομα ( Freedom, or the idea of being free is a broad concept that Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. In 1978 it was changed to "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka". Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements tendencies and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation ^[9]

The current name is derived from Sanskrit word laṃkā, meaning "resplendent land",^[10] which was also the name of the island as described in the ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki The word "Sri" is a Sanskrit title of veneration. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical In Christianity, veneration ( Latin veneratio, Greek &delta&omicron&upsilon&lambda&iota&alpha dulia) or veneration of saints

History

Main article: History of Sri Lanka

History of Sri Lanka series
Prehistory of Sri Lanka
Early Sri Lankan History
Kings of Sri Lanka
Colonial era
Sri Lankan independence movement
Independence of Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Civil War

Paleolithic human settlements have been discovered at excavations in several cave sites in the Western Plains region and the South-western face of the Central Hills region. Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries The Prehistory of Sri Lanka dates back to about 125000 BP and possibly even as early as 500000 BP and covers the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and early Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement to aimed at achieving independence for Sri Lanka from British imperial rule Traditionally the recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries The Sri Lankan Civil War is an Ongoing conflict on the Island -nation of Sri Lanka. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" Anthropologists believe that some discovered burial rites and certain decorative artifacts exhibit similarities between the first inhabitants of the island and the early inhabitants of Southern India. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of South India is the area encompassing India 's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union Recent bioanthropological studies have however dismissed these links, and have placed the origin of the people to the northern parts of India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana, which described the emperor Ravana as monarch of the powerful kingdom of Lanka, which was created by the divine sculptor Vishwakarma for Kubera, the treasurer of the Gods. The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki For the South Indian film see Ravana (film. Ravanaa, also transliterated as Raavana, Ravan or Lanka ( Sanskrit: लंका lankā means "island" is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the Vishvakarma Or Vishwabrahmin ( Sanskrit: विश्वकर्मा viśvá-karman "all-accomplishing all-creator" is Kubera ( Sanskrit: कुबेर (also Kuvera or Kuber) is the king of the Yakshas and the lord of wealth in Hindu mythology ^[11] English historian James Emerson Tennent also theorized Galle, a southern city in Sri Lanka, was the ancient seaport of Tarshish from which King Solomon is said to have drawn ivory, peacocks and other valuables. Sir James Emerson Tennent 1st Baronet ( 7 April 1804 &ndash 6 March 1869) born James Emerson, was an Irish Politician Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English gɔːl the same as "Gaul" and in Sinhalese Tarshish occurs in the Hebrew Bible with these meanings One of the sons of Javan (Genesis 104 King Solomon ( Ge'ez: ስለሞን Arabic: ar سليمان, Sulayman, all from the Triliteral root S-L-M, "peace" Ivory is formed from Dentine and constitutes the bulk of the Teeth and Tusks of animals such as the Elephant, Hippopotamus, Peacocks may refer to Peafowl Peacocks (retailer The main written accounts of the country's history are the Buddhist chronicles of Mahavansa and Dipavamsa. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Mahavamsa, ("Great Chronicle " is a historical poem written in the Pali language of the kings of Sri Lanka. The Dipavamsa, or "Deepavamsa" (ie Chronicle of the Island in Pali) is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka.

The earliest-known inhabitants of the island now known as Sri Lanka were probably the ancestors of the Wanniyala-Aetto people, also known as Veddahs and numbering roughly 3,000. "Vedda" and "Veddas" redirect here For the Sanskrit texts see Vedas. Linguistic analysis has found a correlation of the Sinhalese language with the languages of the Sindh and Gujarat, although most historians believe that the Sinhala community emerged well after the assimilation of various ethnic groups. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Sindh ( Sindhī: سنڌ Urdu: سندھ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhis. Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. From the ancient period date some remarkable archaeological sites including the ruins of Sigiriya, the so-called "Fortress in the Sky", and huge public works. An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either Prehistoric or historic or contemporary and Sigiriya (Lion's rock is an ancient rock fortress and ruins of a castle situated in central Matale District of Sri Lanka. Public works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the State on behalf of the Community. Among the latter are large "tanks" or reservoirs, important for conserving water in a climate that alternates rainy seasons with dry times, and elaborate aqueducts, some with a slope as finely calibrated as one inch to the mile. A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use An aqueduct is an artificial channel that is constructed to convey water from one location to another Ancient Sri Lanka was also the first in the world to have established a dedicated hospital in Mihintale in the 4th century BCE. Eight miles east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura - Trincomalee Road is situated the "Missaka Pabbata" which is in height and is one of the peaks Ancient Sri Lanka was also the world's leading exporter of cinnamon, which was exported to Egypt as early as 1400 BCE. Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Sri Lanka was also the first Asian nation to have a female ruler in Queen Anula (47–42 BC)

Since ancient times Sri Lanka was ruled by monarchs, most notably of the Sinha royal dynasty that lasted over 2000 years. The island was also infrequently invaded by South Indian kingdoms and parts of the island were ruled intermittently by the Chola dynasty, the Pandya dynasty, the Chera dynasty and the Pallava dynasty. Origin The origin of the word “Pandya” has been a subject of much speculation History In early Tamil literature the great Chera rulers are referred to as Cheral Kuttuvan Irumporai Kollipurai and Athan Origins See also Origin of Pallava The exact origin of the Pallavas is shrouded in mystery The island was also invaded by the kingdoms of Kalinga (modern Orissa) and those from the Malay Peninsula. Kalinga was a Kingdom in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa, as well as some northern areas of the bordering state Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula (Semenanjung Tanah Melayu (คาบสมุทรมลายู is a major Peninsula located in Southeast Buddhism arrived from India in the 3rd century BCE, brought by Bhikkhu Mahinda, who is believed to have been the son of Mauryan emperor Ashoka. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices A Bhikkhu ( Pāli) or Bhiksu ( Sanskrit) is a fully ordained male Buddhist Monastic. Mahinda ( Sanskrit: महिन्द्र Mahindra) (born 3rd century BCE in Magadha, now in Bihar, India) was a Buddhist The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE) ruled by the Mauryan dynasty was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi Mahinda's mission won over the Sinhalese monarch Devanampiyatissa of Mihintale, who embraced the faith and propagated it throughout the Sinhalese population. Tissa, later Devanampiyatissa, c 247 BC - 207 BC was one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura Eight miles east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura - Trincomalee Road is situated the "Missaka Pabbata" which is in height and is one of the peaks The Buddhist kingdoms of Sri Lanka would maintain a large number of Buddhist schools and monasteries, and support the propagation of Buddhism into Southeast Asia. The Schools of Buddhism. Buddhism is classified in various ways

Sri Lanka had always been an important port and trading post in the ancient world, and was increasingly frequented by merchant ships from the Middle East, Persia, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of Ship or vessel that carries Cargo, goods and materials from one port to another The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The islands were known to the first European explorers of South Asia and settled by many groups of Arab and Malay merchants. A Portuguese colonial mission arrived on the island in 1505 headed by the Lourenço de Almeida the son of Francisco de Almeida. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Lourenço de Almeida (died 1508 son of Francisco de Almeida, acting under him distinguished himself in the Indian Ocean, and made Ceylon (present Dom Francisco de Almeida (fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku dɨ aɫˈmɐiðɐ also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" (born c At that point the island consisted of three kingdoms, namely Kandy in the central hills, Kotte at the Western coast, and Yarlpanam (Anglicised Jaffna) in the north. Kandy ( maha nuvara, mahaˈnuərə in Sinhala, கண்டி kaṇṭi, ˈkaɳɖi in Tamil) is the English name for the city of Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte (ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර කෝට්ටේ in Sinhalese and ஸ்ரீ ஜயவர்த்தனபுரம் கோட்டே Jaffna or Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம் in Tamil meaning யாழ்= The Dutch arrived in the 17th century. The Dutch East India Company ( Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC in old-spelling Dutch, literally "United East Indian Although much of the island came under the domain of European powers, the interior, hilly region of the island remained independent, with its capital in Kandy. Kandy ( maha nuvara, mahaˈnuərə in Sinhala, கண்டி kaṇṭi, ˈkaɳɖi in Tamil) is the English name for the city of The British East India Company established control of the island in 1796, declaring it a crown colony in 1802, although the island would not be officially connected with British India. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The fall of the kingdom of Kandy in 1815 unified the island under British rule. Kingdom of Kandy ( Sinhalese: මහනුවර රාජධානිය Tamil:கண்டி இராச்சியம் mahanuvara rājadhāniya is the

European colonists established a series of tea, cinnamon, rubber, sugar, coffee and indigo plantations. Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Indigo dye is Dye with a distinctive blue color (see Indigo) The chemical compound that constitutes the indigo dye is called indigotin The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy. An indentured servant is a form of Debt bondage worker The Laborer is under Contract of an Employer for some period of time usually three to Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. The city of Colombo was established as the administrative centre, and the British established modern schools, colleges, roads and churches that brought Western-style education and culture to the native people. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical Increasing grievances over the denial of civil rights, mistreatment and abuse of natives by colonial authorities gave rise to a struggle for independence in the 1930s, when the Youth Leagues opposed the "Ministers' Memorandum," which asked the colonial authority to increase the powers of the board of ministers without granting popular representation or civil freedoms. The Sri Lankan independence movement was a peaceful political movement to aimed at achieving independence for Sri Lanka from British imperial rule The Youth Leagues were societies of young people mainly intellectuals who wanted independence for Sri Lanka. Buddhist scholars and the Teetotalist Movement also played a vital role in this time. During World War II, the island served as an important Allied military base. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Etymology The word bases is first recorded in English language from c A large segment of the British and American fleet were deployed on the island, as were tens of thousands of soldiers committed to the war against Japan in Southeast Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

Following the war, popular pressure for independence intensified. On February 4, 1948 the country won its independence as the Commonwealth of Ceylon. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Don Stephen Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. Don Stephen Senanayake ( October 20 1884 &ndash 22 March 1952) was an independence activist who served as the first Prime Minister of The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. On July 21, 1960 Sirimavo Bandaranaike took office as prime minister, and became the first female head of government in post-colonial Asia and the first female prime minister in the world. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike ( April 17, 1916 - October 10, 2000) was a politician from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and the name was changed to Sri Lanka. A Commonwealth republic is any one of the 31 sovereign states of the Commonwealth of Nations with a Republican form of government The island enjoyed good relations with the United Kingdom and had the British Royal Navy stationed at Trincomalee. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)

Since 1983, there has been on-and-off civil war, predominantly between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers), a separatist militant organization who fight to create an independent state named Tamil Eelam in the North and East of the island. The Sri Lankan Civil War is an Ongoing conflict on the Island -nation of Sri Lanka. TemplatePolitics of Sri Lanka Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Tamil Eelam ( Tamil: தமிழ் ஈழம் tamiḻ īḻam) is the name given by certain Tamil groups in Sri Lanka to the state which they aspire Northern Province ( Sinhala: Uturu Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. Eastern Province ( Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Sinhala: Negenahira Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka.

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Sri Lanka

The island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. The Arabian Sea ( Arabic: بحر العرب transliterated: Baḥr al-'Arab Sanskrit: सिन्धु सागर transliterated: It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. The Gulf of Mannar is a large shallow bay that is an arm of the Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean. The Palk Strait is a Strait that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Island nation of Sri Lanka. ^[12] According to Hindu mythology, a land bridge to the Indian mainland, known as Rama's Bridge, was constructed during the time of Rama by the vanara architect Nala. Hindu mythology is the large body of Mythology related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and A land bridge, in Biogeography, is an Isthmus or other land connection between otherwise separate areas which allows Animals and Plants Adam's Bridge ( Tamil: ta ஆதாம் பாலம்) also known as Rama's Bridge or Ram Setu ( Tamil: ta இராமர் Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: Vanara (वानर literally "human with the tail of a Monkey " Nala ( Sanskrit: नल a character in Hindu mythology is the king of Nishadha Kingdom, who marries princess Damayanti, of Vidarbha Kingdom Often referred to as Adam's Bridge, it now amounts to only a chain of limestone shoals remaining above sea level. Adam's Bridge ( Tamil: ta ஆதாம் பாலம்) also known as Rama's Bridge or Ram Setu ( Tamil: ta இராமர் Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface ^[12] According to colonial British reports, this is a natural causeway which was formerly complete, but was breached by a violent storm in 1480. In modern usage a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank usually across a broad Body of water or Wetland. ^[13] The width of the Palk Strait is small enough for the coast of Sri Lanka to be visible from the furthest point near the Indian town of Rameswaram. The Palk Strait is a Strait that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Island nation of Sri Lanka. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Rameswaram (Tamil ராமேஸ்வரம் is a Town in Ramanathapuram district The tear drop shaped island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. Amongst these are Sri Pada (Adams Peak) and the highest point Pidurutalagala, at 2,524 meters (8,281 ft). Adam's Peak (also Adam's Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda "butterfly mountain" Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai) is a tall conical Mountain Pidurutalagala (ˌpidurutaˈlaːgələ literally "straw plateau rock" also known as Mount Pedro) is a Mountain in the central hill-country of Sri The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International The Mahaweli ganga (Mahaweli river) and other major rivers provide fresh water to the population. The Mahaweli Ganga ("Mahaweli River" Sinhala mahaväli ganga) is the longest River in Sri Lanka. ^[14]

Sri Lanka's climate can be described as tropical, and quite hot. Its position between 5 and 10 north latitude endows the country with a warm climate, moderated by ocean winds and considerable moisture. ^[15] The mean temperature ranges from a low of 16 °C (61 °F) in Nuwara Eliya in the Central Highlands (where frost may occur for several days in the winter) to a high of 32 °C (90 °F) in Trincomalee on the northeast coast (where temperatures may reach 38 °C (100 °F)). Nuwara Eliya ( Sinhala: නුවරඑළිය Tamil: நுவரேலியா (pronounced nuːrəliːjə meaning "the city in the open plain (table Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of The average yearly temperature for the country as a whole ranges from 28° to 30 °C (82–86 °F). Day and night temperatures may vary by 4 to 7 °C (7–13 °F). In January, the coolest month, many people wear coats and sweaters in the highlands and elsewhere. May, the hottest period, precedes the summer monsoon rains. The rainfall pattern is influenced by the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, which encounter the slopes of the Central Highlands, they unload heavy rains on the mountain slopes and the southwestern sector of the island. Some of the windward slopes receive up to 2,500 millimetres (98 in) of rain per month, but the leeward slopes in the east and northeast receive little rain. The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Periodic squalls occur and sometimes tropical cyclones bring overcast skies and rains to the southwest, northeast, and eastern parts of the island. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding Between December to March, monsoon winds come from the northeast, bringing moisture from the Bay of Bengal. The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. Humidity is typically higher in the southwest and mountainous areas and depends on the seasonal patterns of rainfall. At Colombo, for example, daytime humidity stays above 70% all year, rising to almost 90 percent during the monsoon season in June. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months Anuradhapura experiences a daytime low of 60% during the monsoon month of March, but a high of 79% during the November and December rains. In the highlands, Kandy's daytime humidity usually ranges between 70 and 79%.

Flora and fauna

Main article: Ecology of Sri Lanka

The mountains and the southwestern part of the country, known as the "wet zone," receive ample rainfall (an annual average of 2500 millimetres). The Ecology of Sri Lanka is unique caused by its geographical position and by its geological and climatic history Most of the southeast, east, and northern parts of the country comprise the "dry zone," which receives between 1200 and 1900 mm (47–75 in) of rain annually. Much of the rain in these areas falls from October to January; during the rest of the year there is very little precipitation, and all living creatures must conserve precious moisture. The arid northwest and southeast coasts receive the least amount of rain — 600 to 1200 mm (24–47 in) per year — However, though many say that there are no really dry areas in Sri Lanka, there are many pockets of very dry and abandoned areas where there is little to no rainwater. Varieties of flowering acacias are well adapted to the arid conditions and flourish on the Jaffna Peninsula. Acacia is a Genus of Shrubs and Trees belonging to the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Sri Lanka. Its underground Water is used for drinking agriculture and industry Among the trees of the dry-land forests are some valuable species, such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, and mahogany and teak. Ebony ( Diospyros ebenum) also known as India Ebony or Ceylon Ebony depending on its origin is a Tree in the genus Diospyros The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored wood originally the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Teak ( Tectona) is a genus of tropical Hardwood Trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia In the wet zone, the dominant vegetation of the lowlands is a tropical evergreen forest, with tall trees, broad foliage, and a dense undergrowth of vines and creepers. An evergreen forest is a Forest consisting entirely or mainly of Oaks trees that retain green foliage all year round

Subtropical evergreen forests resembling those of temperate climates flourish in the higher altitudes. Forests at one time covered nearly the entire island, but by the late 20th century lands classified as forests and forest reserves covered around one-third of the land. ^[16] As the area covered by forests declined, thereby threatening various species of wildlife, Sri Lanka became the first country in the world to establish a wildlife sanctuary. An animal sanctuary is a facility where Animals are brought to live and be protected for the rest of their lives ^[17] Among them, the Ruhunu National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and the Wilpattu National Park in the northwest preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution During the Mahaweli Ganga Program of the 1970s and 1980s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of land totaling 1,900 km² (730 sq mi) as national parks. The island has three biosphere reserves, Hurulu, Sinharaja, and the Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya. A biosphere reserve is an international Conservation designation given by UNESCO under its Programme on Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a National park in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and can been designated a Biosphere Reserve and

The national flower of Sri Lanka is Nil Mahanel (Nympheae stellata),^[18] the national tree is Na (Mesua nagassarium)^[19] and the national bird is the Sri Lanka Junglefowl, which is endemic to the country. Mesua ferrea ( Ceylon ironwood, Indian rose chestnut, Cobra's saffron or locally Penaga Lilin or Nahar) is a species The Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Gallus lafayetii, is a member of the pheasant family which is endemic to Sri Lanka. Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere ^[20]

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Sri Lanka

The Constitution of Sri Lanka establishes a democratic, socialist republic in Sri Lanka, which is also a unitary state. TemplatePolitics of Sri Lanka Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the official document that outlines the fundamental laws and the structure of government in the island nation Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created The government is a mixture of the presidential system and the parliamentary system. A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The President of Sri Lanka is the head of state, the commander in chief of the armed forces, as well as head of government, and is popularly elected for a six-year term. The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected Head of state and the Head of government. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force which comes under the Ministry of Defence. This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State In the exercise of duties, the President is responsible to the Parliament of Sri Lanka, which is a unicameral 225-member legislature. The Parliament of Sri Lanka is a Unicameral 225-member Legislature elected by Universal suffrage and Proportional representation for Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The President appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers composed of elected members of parliament. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. A minister or a secretary is a Politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional Government. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. The President's deputy is the Prime Minister, who leads the ruling party in parliament and shares many executive responsibilities, mainly in domestic affairs. The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka is the functional head of the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The ruling party in a Parliamentary system is the Political party or Coalition of the majority in Parliament. ^[21]

Members of parliament are elected by universal (adult) suffrage based on a modified proportional representation system by district to a six-year term. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes The primary modification is that, the party that receives the largest number of valid votes in each constituency gains a unique "bonus seat. " The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and dissolve Parliament any time after it has served for one year. The parliament reserves the power to make all laws. On July 1, 1960 the people of Sri Lanka elected the first-ever female head of government in Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike ( April 17, 1916 - October 10, 2000) was a politician from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon Her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga served multiple terms as prime minister and as president from 1999 to 2005. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (born 29 June 1945) was the fifth President (and fourth to hold the office as Executive president) of The current president and prime minister, both of whom took office on November 21, 2005, are Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ratnasiri Wickremanayake respectively. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa (commonly known as Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sinhala මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ; maˈhində ˈraːjəˌpakʂə born November Ratnasiri Wickremanayake MP (born on May 5, 1933) is the 14th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and a veteran politician

Sri Lanka has enjoyed democracy with universal suffrage since 1931. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Universal suffrage (also universal adult suffrage, general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to Politics in Sri Lanka are controlled by rival coalitions led by the left-wing Sri Lanka Freedom Party, headed by President Rajapaksa, the comparatively right-wing United National Party led by former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Marxist-Nationalist JVP. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP Sinhalese: එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය (pronounced Eksath Jathika Pakshaya Ranil Shriyan Wickramasinghe, MP (born March 24, 1949) is a Sri Lankan politician and current Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( Sinhala janatā vimukti peramuṇa, "People's Liberation Front" is a nationalist Marxist Political There are also many smaller Buddhist, socialist and Tamil nationalist political parties that oppose the separatism of the LTTE but demand regional autonomy and increased civil rights. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Regional autonomy is the term for the Decentralisation of governance to outlying regions Since 1948, Sri Lanka has been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security It is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Colombo Plan, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc The Colombo Plan is a regional organization that embodies the concept of collective inter-governmental effort to strengthen economic and social development of member countries in the The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ( SAARC) is an economic and political organization of eight countries in Southern Asia. Through the Cold War-era, Sri Lanka followed a foreign policy of non-alignment but has remained closer to the United States and Western Europe. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Non-Aligned Movement ( NAM) is an International organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The military of Sri Lanka comprises the Sri Lankan Army, the Sri Lankan Navy and the Sri Lankan Air Force. The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force which comes under the Ministry of Defence. The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the three armed services of Sri Lanka and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and The Sri Lankan Navy is the key maritime division of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and is classed as the most vital defence force of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Air Force ( SLAF) is the aerial defence division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. These are administered by the Ministry of Defence. Ministry of Defence Public Security Law & Order is responsible for the formulation co-ordination and the execution of policies in relation to the security of the country Since the 1980s, the army has led the government response against the Marxist militants of the JVP and now the LTTE militant forces. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( Sinhala janatā vimukti peramuṇa, "People's Liberation Front" is a nationalist Marxist Political Sri Lanka receives considerable military assistance from Pakistan and China ^[22].

Sri Lanka was considered one of the "world's most politically unstable countries" by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in 2004. [2]. The Economist labels Sri Lanka a "flawed democracy" in its 2006 rankings (ranking 57 and positioned among 54 other flawed ranked ones) [3] and Foreign Policy ranks Sri Lanka 25th (Alert Category) in its Failed States Index [4] for 2007. However, Sri Lanka, according to the US State Department in 2005, was classified a "stable democracy" amidst a ceasefire period of the long running civil war [5]. The Sri Lankan Civil War is an Ongoing conflict on the Island -nation of Sri Lanka.

See also: Foreign relations of Sri Lanka and Military of Sri Lanka

Provinces and districts

Main articles: Provinces of Sri Lanka, Districts of Sri Lanka, and Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces^[23] and 25 districts. Sri Lanka traditionally follows a nonaligned foreign policy but has been seeking closer relations with the United States since December 1977 The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force which comes under the Ministry of Defence. The Provinces of Sri Lanka (පළාත have existed since 1987 following several decades of increasing demand for a decentralization of the Government of Sri Lanka The provinces of Sri Lanka are divided into 25 Districts ( Sinhala: දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක sing |||} The districts of Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. The Provinces of Sri Lanka (පළාත have existed since 1987 following several decades of increasing demand for a decentralization of the Government of Sri Lanka The provinces of Sri Lanka are divided into 25 Districts ( Sinhala: දිස්ත්‍රි‌ක්‌ක sing ^[24] Each province is administered by a directly-elected provincial council:

	Province	Capital	Districts
1	Central	Kandy	Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya
2	North Central	Anuradhapura	Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa
3	Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullativu
4	Eastern	Trincomalee	Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee
5	North Western	Kurunegala	Kurunagala, Puttalam
6	Southern	Galle	Galle, Hambanthota, Matara
7	Uva	Badulla	Badulla, Monaragala
8	Sabaragamuwa	Ratnapura	Kegalle, Rathnapura
9	Western	Colombo	Colombo, Gampaha, Kaluthara

The districts are further subdivided into divisional secretariats, and these in turn to Grama Sevaka divisions. The Central Province ( Sinhala: Madhyama Palata) of Sri Lanka consists primarily of mountainous terrain Kandy ( maha nuvara, mahaˈnuərə in Sinhala, கண்டி kaṇṭi, ˈkaɳɖi in Tamil) is the English name for the city of Kandy is a district of the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Its area is 2365 km² Matale is a district in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1987 km² Nuwara Eliya is a district in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1228 km² For the region of Burkina Faso, see Centre-Nord Region. North Central Province ( Sinhala: Uturumeda Palata) is a Anuradhapura, (අනුරාධපුර in Sinhala, அனுராதபுரம் in Tamil) is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous Anuradhapura is a district in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Polonnaruwa is a district in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Northern Province ( Sinhala: Uturu Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. Jaffna or Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம் in Tamil meaning யாழ்= Jaffna is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka and is located in the Northern tip of Sri Lanka Kilinochchi is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka. It is located in the Northern Province on the south of Jaffna district Mannar (மன்னர் is a district of Sri Lanka. Many Buddhist ruins dating to pre-Christian times are found in this area Vavuniya is a district in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1967 km² Mullaitivu is a district in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The area of the district is 2617 km2 Eastern Province ( Tamil: கிழக்கு மாகாணம் Sinhala: Negenahira Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of Ampara (අමිපාර is a District in the southeastern part of Sri Lanka. Batticaloa District is a district in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Trincomalee is a district in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. The area of the district is 2616 km² North Western Province ( Sinhala: Wayamba Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka. Kurunegala (කුරුණෑගල is the capital of the Wayamba Province, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala is a district in North Western Province, Sri Lanka. Puttalam is a district situated near to the west coast of Sri Lanka. The Southern Province ( Sinhala: Dakunu Palata) of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English gɔːl the same as "Gaul" and in Sinhalese Galle is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Geological Background Its area is 1652 km² in which 35 km² is water and 1617 Hambantota District is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, in the Southern Province. Matara is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1246 km² Uva Province ( Uva Palata) is Sri Lanka 's second least populated Province, with 1187335 people created in 1896. Badulla (බදුල්ල in Sinhala; பதுளை in Tamil) is the Capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Badulla is a district in Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 2818 km² Moneragala is a district in Uva Province, Sri Lanka. It is the largest of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka with an area of 7133 km² Sabaragamuwa Province ( Sinhala: Sabaragamuwa Palata) is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities Ratnapura and Kegalle Ratnapura (රත්නපුර in Sinhala; இரத்தினபுரி in Tamil) ("City of Gems" in Sinhala and Tamil Kegalle is a district in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1663 km² Ratnapura is a district of Sri Lanka in the province of SabaragamuwaThe gem-mining centre of Sri Lanka is also a major crossroad between southern plains and the hill Western Province ( Sinhala: බස්නාහිර පළාත) is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo District is the smallest district in Sri Lanka with an area of 642 km² Gampaha is a district in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1386 Kalutara is a district in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 1606 km² |||} The districts of Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Sri Lanka

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. Ceylon Black tea is black tea that is grown in Sri Lanka (which was known as Ceylon before 1972 Economic history Sri Lanka began to shift away from a Socialist orientation in 1977 A plantation economy is an Economy which is based on Agricultural mass production usually of a few staple products grown on large farms called Plantations Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 Ceylon Black tea is black tea that is grown in Sri Lanka (which was known as Ceylon before 1972 The development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade. During World War II, the island hosted important military installations and Allied forces. Etymology The word bases is first recorded in English language from c However, the plantation economy aggravated poverty and economic inequality. Economic inequality refers to disparities in the distribution of Economic Assets and Income. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the government's economic policies. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were nationalised and a welfare state established. This article refers specifically to the Welfare state of the United Kingdom. While the standard of living and literacy improved significantly, the nation's economy suffered from inefficiency, slow growth and lack of foreign investment. Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in the center of a city to avoid Urban sprawl; and advocates compact

From 1977 the UNP government began incorporating privatisation, deregulation and promotion of private enterprise. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other agricultural commodities remains important, the nation has moved steadily towards an industrialised economy with the development of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw Ingredients into Food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. The field of finance refers to the concepts of Time, Money and Risk and how they are interrelated By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of export, and further declined to 16. 8% in 2005 (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments have reached 63%. The GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5. 5% during the early 1990s, until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3. 8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000, with average growth of 5. 3%. The year of 2001 saw the first recession in the country's history, as a result of power shortages, budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U The Sri Lankan Civil War is an Ongoing conflict on the Island -nation of Sri Lanka. Signs of recovery appeared after the 2002 ceasefire. The Colombo Stock Exchange reported the highest growth in the world for 2003, and today Sri Lanka has the highest per capita income in South Asia. The Colombo Stock Exchange ( CSE) is the main Stock exchange in Sri Lanka. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country

In April 2004, there was a sharp reversal in economic policy after the government headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party was defeated by a coalition made up of Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the leftist-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna called the United People's Freedom Alliance. The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP Sinhalese: එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය (pronounced Eksath Jathika Pakshaya The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is one of the major political parties in Sri Lanka. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( Sinhala janatā vimukti peramuṇa, "People's Liberation Front" is a nationalist Marxist Political The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The new government stopped the privatization of state enterprises and reforms of state utilities such as power and petroleum, and embarked on a subsidy program called the Rata Perata economic program. A government-owned corporation, state-owned enterprise or government business enterprise is a legal entity created by a Government to undertake commercial A public utility (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the Infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Its main theme to support the rural and suburban SMEs and protect the domestic economy from external influences, such as oil prices, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic

See also: Tea industry of Sri Lanka and Tourism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, with an income per head of $1,350, still lags behind some of its neighbors including Maldives and Mauritius but is ahead of its giant neighbor India. See also Economy of Sri Lanka The tea industry is one of the main foreign exchange gaining industry in Sri Lanka also became the world's leading exporter in 1995 shared Tourism is one of the main industries in Sri Lanka. Major tourist attractions are focused around the islands famous beaches located in the southern and eastern Its economy grew by an average of 5% during the 1990s during the 'War for Peace' era. According to the Sri Lankan central bank statistics, the economy was estimated to have grown by 7% last year, although inflation had reached 20%. It should be noted that Sri Lanka's central bank statistics have been called into question over allegations of political interference and institutional decay [6]. Parts of Sri Lanka, particularly the South and East coast, were devastated by the 2004 Asian Tsunami. The economy was briefly buoyed by an influx of foreign aid and tourists, but this was disrupted with the reemergence of the civil war resulting in increased lawlessness in the country [7] and a sharp decline in tourism [8] [9].

Transport

Main article: Transport in Sri Lanka

Most Sri Lankan cities and towns are connected by the Sri Lanka Railways, the state-run national railway operator. Transportation in Sri Lanka is based mainly on the road network which is centred on Sri Lanka 's capital Colombo. The National Railway or National Air Line Railroad was a planned Railroad between New York City and Washington DC in the United States The first railway line was inaugurated on April 26, 1867, linking Colombo with Kandy. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The total length of Sri Lankan roads exceeds 11,000 kilometres (6,840 mi), with a vast majority of them being paved. The government has launched several highway projects to bolster the economy and national transport system, including the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, the Colombo-Kandy (Kadugannawa) Expressway, the Colombo-Padeniya Expressway and the Outer Circular Highway to ease Colombo's traffic congestion. A transport network, or transportation network in American English is typically a network of roads streets pipes aqueducts power lines or nearly any structure which permits There are also plans to build a major bridge connecting Jaffna to the Indian city of Chennai. Jaffna or Yazhpanam (யாழ்ப்பாணம் in Tamil meaning யாழ்=

The Ceylon Transport Board is the state-run agency responsible for operating public bus services across the island. The Ceylon Transport Board (CTB was the Nationalised enterprise which handled all public Bus transport in Sri Lanka between 1958 and 1978 Sri Lanka also maintains 430 kilometres (270 mi) of inland waterways. It has three deep-water ports at Colombo, Trincomalee and Galle. Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of Galle (ගාල්ල in Sinhala; காலி in Tamil) (pronounced as one syllable in English gɔːl the same as "Gaul" and in Sinhalese There is also a smaller, shallower harbour at Kankesanturai, north of Jaffna. There are twelve paved airports and two unpaved airstrips in the country. SriLankan Airlines is the official national carrier, partly owned and operated by Emirates Airline. SriLankan Airlines Limited (previously known as Air Lanka) is the national airline of Sri Lanka. A flag carrier refers to a Transportation company such as an Airline or Shipping company that is locally registered in a given Country Emirates Airline (shortened form Emirates) ( Arabic: طيران الإمارات Tayarān al-Imārāt) is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group It was voted the best airline in South Asia by Skytrax. Skytrax is a United Kingdom -based consultancy the public face of Inflight Research Services SriLankan Air Taxi is the smaller, domestic arm of the national carrier, while Expo Aviation and Lankair are private airline companies. Expo Aviation (Pvt Ltd is an Airline based in Colombo, Sri Lanka that operates Domestic Passenger Services and International Cargo Services to the Lankair is an Airline based in Sri Lanka. Code Data IATA Code IL ICAO Code LKN An airline provides air transport services for Passengers or Freight, generally with a recognized operating certificate or license The Bandaranaike International Airport is the country's only international airport, located in Katunayaka, 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of Colombo. Bandaranaike International Airport (also known as Katunayake International Airport) is Sri Lanka 's only international Airport. An international airport is an Airport typically equipped with Customs and Immigration facilities to handle international flights to and from other

Military

Main article: Military of Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan soldiers have taken part in many wars throughout its history, including the Boer War and both World Wars (under the command of the British at the time). The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force which comes under the Ministry of Defence. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: A world war is a War affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations In the course of the civil war, the military has been transformed from a ceremonial force to a modern army. Since 2004, Sri Lankan troops have been a part of the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti, which is the country's first major overseas mission. Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole:

The military of Sri Lanka is organized into three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the three armed services of Sri Lanka and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and The Sri Lankan Navy is the key maritime division of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and is classed as the most vital defence force of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Air Force ( SLAF) is the aerial defence division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. Since independence, its primary mission has been the targeting of armed groups within the country, most notably engaging in a 25 year long war with the LTTE. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. The LTTE is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries (see list). "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie.

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Sri Lanka

Human Rights situation in Sri Lanka has come under criticism by human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch,^[10] as well as the United States Department of State^[25] and the European Union,^[26] have expressed concern about the state of human rights in Sri Lanka. Major human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the United States Department of State and the European Union, Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Both the government of Sri Lanka and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are accused of violating human rights. TemplatePolitics of Sri Lanka Politics of Sri Lanka takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic Republic, whereby the President "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled In its 2007 report, however, they stated that "escalating political killings, child recruitment, abductions and armed clashes created a climate of fear in the east, spreading to the north by the end of the year", whilst also outlining concerns with violence against women, the death penalty and "numerous reports of torture in police custody". However, the report also stated that the ceasefire between government and LTTE remained in place despite numerous violations. ^[27] However, the Sri Lankan minister for HR said “We regret one or two statements made here, that fly in the face of all concrete evidence, that the situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating, when we have dealt more firmly with terrorism, with far-less damage to civilians, than in any comparative situation. ”^[28]Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said, the report presents a distorted view of the actual situation in Sri Lanka during the year 2007 and is a litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations. ^[29]

Sri Lanka's government is labeled as one of the "world's worst perpetrators of enforced disappearances", according to a study by US-based pressure group 'Human Rights Watch' (HRW). An HRW report accuses security forces and pro-government militias of abducting and "disappearing" hundreds of people - mostly Tamils - since 2006. Sri Lanka's government says HRW has exaggerated the scale of the problem. The report said, "The number of disappearances carried out by the Tamil Tigers in government-controlled areas was relatively low. But, the Tigers were responsible for targeted killings, forced child recruitment, bomb attacks on civilians and the repression of basic rights in areas they controlled. ". [11]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is the 53rd most populated nation in the world, with an annual population growth rate of 0. Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean about 28 kilometers (18 mi 79%. Sri Lanka has a birth rate of 15. Crude birth rate is the natality or Childbirths per 1000 people per year 63 births per 1,000 people and a death rate of 6. Mortality rate is a measure of the number of Deaths (in general or due to a specific cause in some population scaled to the size of that population per unit time 49 deaths per 1,000 people. Population density is the greatest in western Sri Lanka, especially in and around Colombo. There is a small population on the island of the Wanniyala-Aetto people, also known as Veddahs. "Vedda" and "Veddas" redirect here For the Sanskrit texts see Vedas. These are believed to be the oldest and indigenous ethnic group to inhabit the island. The Sinhalese people form the largest ethnic group in the nation, composing approximately 81. The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka. They speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and number approximately 15 million people with the 9% of the total population. Tamils are concentrated in the North, East, Central and Western provinces of the country. Western Province ( Sinhala: බස්නාහිර පළාත) is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. Tamils who were brought as indentured labourers from India by British colonists to work on estate plantations, nearly 50% of whom were repatriated following independence in 1948,^[30] are called "Indian Origin" Tamils. Repatriation (from late Latin repatriare - to restore someone to his homeland is the process of return of Refugees or Soldiers to their homes They are distinguished from the native Tamil population that has resided in Sri Lanka since ancient times. According to 2001 census data Indian Tamils makeup 5. 1% of the Sri Lankan population and, Sri Lankan Tamils 4. 3%. Though this figure only accounted for Sri Lankan Tamils in government-controlled areas, not accounting for those in rebel-held territories. There is a significant population (8. 0%) of Moors, who trace their lineage to Arab traders and immigrants from the Middle East. The Sri Lankan Moors (also called Muslims, Marakallayos or Sonagar) are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 9% of the country's The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Their presence is concentrated in the cities and the central and eastern provinces. There are also small ethnic groups such as the Burghers (of mixed European descent) and Malays from Southeast Asia. The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists The concept of a Malay race ( Bangsa Melayu) was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752-1840

Sinhalese and Tamil are the two official languages of Sri Lanka. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is spoken by approximately 10% of the population, and is widely used for education, scientific and commercial purposes. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Members of the Burgher community speak variant forms of Portuguese Creole and Dutch with varying proficiency, while members of the Malay community speak a form of creole Malay that is unique to the island. This article is about Portuguese-based Creole languages See Creole peoples for the Portuguese Creole ethnicity Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname The Sri Lankan Creole Malay language is a unique mixture of the Sinhalese language and the Tamil language with Malay. Sri Lanka also enjoys significant religious diversity.

See also: Religion in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan Buddhism, Hinduism in Sri Lanka, and Islam in Sri Lanka

Culture and arts

Main article: Culture of Sri Lanka

The island is the home of two main traditional cultures: the Sinhalese (centered in the ancient cities of Kandy and Anuradhapura) and the Tamil (centered in the city of Jaffna). The culture of Sri Lanka has been influenced by many things in the past In more recent times a British colonial culture was added, and lately Sri Lanka, particularly in the urban areas, has experienced a dramatic makeover in the western mold. Until recently, for example, most Sri Lankans, certainly those in the villages, have eaten traditional food, engaged in traditional crafts and expressed themselves through traditional arts. But economic growth and intense economic competition in developed countries has spilled over to most of Sri Lanka, producing changes that might variously be identified as progress, westernisation or a loss of identity and assimilation. Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors

Traditional food

Sri Lankans have added western influences to the customary diet such as rice and curry, pittu (mixture of fresh rice meal, very lightly roasted and mixed with fresh grated coconut, then steamed in a bamboo mould). Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Kiribath (cooked in thick coconut cream for this unsweetened rice-pudding which is accompanied by a sharp chili relish called "lunumiris"), wattalapam (rich pudding of Malay origin made of coconut milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs, and various spices including cinnamon cloves and nutmeg), kottu, and hoppers ("appa"), batter cooked rapidly in a hot curved pan, accompanied by eggs, milk or savouries. Kiribath (milk rice is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from Rice. Coconut cream is an Infusion of shredded Coconut and water Coconut cream may also be made with Milk instead of water to obtain a richer product Coconut milk is a sweet milky white cooking base derived from the meat of a mature Coconut. The cashew ( Anacardium occidentale; Syn Anacardium curatellifolium A The nutmegs Myristica are a Genus of Evergreen Trees indigenous to tropical southeast Asia and Australasia Kottu, or Kottu Roti is a Sri Lankan dish made from a Sri Lankan pancake called "Godhamba Roti " and Vegetables Egg and/or Meat Middle Eastern influences and practices are found in traditional Moor dishes. The Sri Lankan Moors (also called Muslims, Marakallayos or Sonagar) are the third largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka comprising 9% of the country's While Dutch and Portuguese influences are found with the island's Burgher community preserving their culture through traditional favourites such as Lamprais (rice cooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf), Breudher (Dutch Christmas cake) and Bolo Fiado (Portuguese-style layer cake). Christmas cake is a type of Fruitcake served at Christmas time in the UK, Ireland, Japan, Philippines and many Commonwealth

Festivals

Main article Sri Lankan festivals

Every year on or about April 13th Sinhala and Tamil people celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival, and Muslims celebrate Ramadan. Sri Lanka having a history as long as many ancient civilizations positioning in the crossroad of the East and the West and being a multicultural society celebrates a wide variety of In April (the month of Bak when the sun moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries in the celestial sphere Sri Lankans Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic Esala Perahera (A-suh-luh peh-ruh-ha-ruh) is the grand festival of Esala held in Sri Lanka. Esala Perahera (pronounced /ɑsələ peɹəhɑɹə/) is the grand Festival of Esala held in Sri Lanka. It is very grand with elegant costumes. Happening in July or August in Kandy, it has become a unique symbol of Sri Lanka. It is a Buddhist festival consisting of dances and richly-decorated elephants. There are fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other cultural dances. The elephants are usually adorned with lavish garments. The festival ends with the traditional 'diya-kepeema'. The elephant is paraded around the city bearing the tooth of Buddha. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder However the new year for tamils have been established as being on January 14th from this year.

Cinema

Sri Lankan cinema in past years has featured subjects such as family relationships, love stories and the years of conflict between the military and Tamil Tiger rebels. Kadawunu Poronduwa (Sinhala "The Broken Promise" was the first "talkie" to be made in the Sinhala language it is generally considered to be the beginning "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Many films are in the Sinhalese language and the Sri Lankan cinematic style is similar to Indian cinema. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese

The first film to be produced and shown in Sri Lanka was Kadawunu Poronduwa (The Broken Promise) which was released in 1947. Kadawunu Poronduwa (Sinhala "The Broken Promise" was the first "talkie" to be made in the Sinhala language it is generally considered to be the beginning The first colour film of Sri Lanka was Ran Muthu Doova.

Afterwards there were many Sinhalese movies produced in Sri Lanka and some of them, such as Nidhanaya, received several international film awards. Nidhanaya ( English: The Treasure) is a 1972 Sinhalese language film directed by Lester James Peries The most influential filmmaker in the history of Sri Lankan cinema is Lester James Peiris who has directed many movies of excellent quality which led to global acclaim. Lester James Peiris (born April 5, 1919) is is an internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film director screenwriter and film producer His latest film, 'Wekanda Walawwa' (Mansion by the Lake) became the first movie to be submitted from Sri Lanka for the Best Foreign Language film award at the Academy Awards. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. In 2005 the director Vimukthi Jayasundara became the first Sri Lankan to win the prestigious Camera d’Or award for Best First Film, or any award for that matter, at the Cannes Film Festival for his Sinhalese language film Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land). Vimukthi Jayasundara was born in Ratnapura in southern Sri Lanka. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, Controversial filmmaker Asoka Handagama's films are considered by many in the Sri Lankan film world to be the best films of honest response to the ethnic conflict currently raging in the country. Prasanna Vithanage is one of Sri Lanka's most notable filmmakers. Prasanna Vithanage (born in 1962) is one of Sri Lanka 's most notable Filmmakers His films have won many awards both local and international His films have won many awards, both local and international. Recent releases like 'Sooriya Arana', 'Samanala thatu', and 'Hiripoda wessa' have attracted Sri Lankans to cinemas. Sri Lankan films are usually in the Sinhalese language. Tamil language movies are also filmed in Sri Lanka but they are not part of Kollywood which is Indian Tamil cinema. Tamil (ta தமிழ்; t̪əmɨɻ is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. Tamil cinema or Kollywood ( Tamil: கோலிவுட் kōlivūṭ) is the English name of the popular Tamil Film Industry based in the However some Kollywood films are based in Sri Lanka as well.

Music

The earliest music came from the theater at a time when the traditional open-air drama (referred to in Sinhala as Kolam, Sokari and Nadagam). Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල ISO 15919: siṁhala ˈsiŋhələ earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the language of the Sinhalese Kolam ( Tamil: ta கோலம்) is a form of sandpainting that is drawn using Rice powder by female members of the family in front of their home In 1903 the first music album, Nurthi, was released through Radio Ceylon. Radio Ceylon is the oldest Radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department Also Vernon Corea introduced Sri Lankan music in the English Service of Radio Ceylon. Vernon Corea ( 11 September 1927 - 23 September 2002) was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in

In the early 1960s, Indian music in films greatly influenced Sri Lankan music and later Sri Lankan stars like Sunil Shantha found greater popularity among Indian people. Sunil Santha (1915&ndash1981 was a renowned and influential Sri Lankan singer By 1963, Radio Ceylon had more Indian listeners than Sri Lankan ones. The notable songwriters Mahagama Sekara and Ananda Samarakoon made a Sri Lankan music revolution. Mahagama Sekara (1929-1976 is one of Sri Lanka 's well known Poets and was a significant figure in Sinhalese poetry. Ananda Samarakone (1911 – 1962 was a Sri Lankan Composer and Musician. At the peak of this revolution, musicians such as W. D. Amaradeva, H. Wannakulawattawaduge Don Albert Perera (born December 5, 1927 in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka) better known by his adopted name Amaradeva R. Jothipala, Milton Mallawarachchi, M. S. Fernando, Annesley Malewana and Clarence Wijewardene did great work. Annesley Malewana ( Sinhala, ˈænəsli ˈmaːləvənə is an influential Sri Lankan musician Clarence Wijewardane (August 3 1943 – December 13 1996 is a legendary Sri Lankan musician who pioneered the use of Electric guitar in Sinhala music

A very popular type of music is the so-called Baila, a kind of dance music that originated from Portuguese music introduced to the island in colonial times. Baila is the term used to describe a form of Dance music popular on the island of Sri Lanka.

See also: Ceylon tea (black), Cuisine of Sri Lanka, Dances of Sri Lanka, Fashion Industry of Sri Lanka, Cinema of Sri Lanka, and Music of Sri Lanka

Religions

Main article: Religion in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a multi ethnic and multi religious population. Ceylon Black tea is black tea that is grown in Sri Lanka (which was known as Ceylon before 1972 The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws influence from that of India, as well as Colonists and foreign traders The origin of the dances of Sri Lanka lies with the Indigenous people of Sri Lanka, the Wanniyala-Aetto and " Yakkas " (meant who did Sri Lankan cinema in recent years has featured films that tackle gritty subjects including family relationships abortion and the years of conflict between the military and Tamil The music of Sri Lanka originates in cultural traditions deriving from three influences the religious practices of Buddhism, the aftereffects of Portuguese Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil or Nallur Murugan Kovil ( kovil meaning Temple in Tamil) is one of the of the most significant Sri Lanka's population practices a variety of religions 77% of Sri Lankans are Theravada Buddhists 15% are Hindus 7 Buddhism constitutes the religious faith of about 70% of the population of the island,^[31][32] most of whom follow the Theravada school of Buddhism. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation ^[33] According to traditional Sri Lankan chronicles, Buddhism was introduced into Sri Lanka in the 2nd century BCE by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the Emperor Ashoka, during the reign of Sri Lanka's King Devanampiyatissa. Mahinda ( Sanskrit: महिन्द्र Mahindra) (born 3rd century BCE in Magadha, now in Bihar, India) was a Buddhist Ashoka ( Devanāgarī: अशोकः IAST: Aśokaḥ, aɕoːkə(hə Prakrit Imperial title Devanampriya Priyadarsi Tissa, later Devanampiyatissa, c 247 BC - 207 BC was one of the earliest rulers of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura ^[33] During this time, a sapling of the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment was brought to Sri Lanka and the first monasteries were established under the sponsorship of the Sri Lankan king. The Bodhi Tree, also known as Bo (from the Sinhalese Bo was a large and very old Sacred Fig tree ( Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder The Pali Canon (Thripitakaya), having previously been preserved as an oral tradition, was first committed to writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BC. ^[34]

Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any Buddhist nation,^[33] with the Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 2nd century BCE. This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation. During periods of decline, the Sri Lankan monastic lineage was revived through contact with Thailand and Burma. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. ^[34] Periods of Mahayana influence, as well as official neglect under colonial rule, created great challenges for Theravada Buddhist institutions in Sri Lanka, but repeated revivals and resurgences — most recently in the 19th century — have kept the Theravada tradition alive for over 2000 years. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for

Sri Lanka religiosity
religion			percent
Buddhism			70%
Hinduism			15%
Christianity			8%
Islam			7%

The second largest religion is Hinduism. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism was primarily established in Sri Lanka by migrants and often invaders from southern India,^[35] and Hindus now constitute seven to fifteen percent of the population,^[32][36] mostly of the Shaivite school. Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Followers of Islam comprise approximately eight percent of the population,^[32] having been brought to the island by Arab traders over the course of many centuries^[37] European colonists introduced Christianity to the country in the 16th century,^[38] and the religion has been adopted by around six percent of the population. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[32] There also was a small population of Zoroastrian immigrants from India (Parsis) who settled in Ceylon during the period of British rule. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located As a result of emigration, few remain, yet they have played a significant role in the growth of the country. The former finance minister of Sri Lanka, Nariman Choksy, was a Parsi. Other famous Parsi families in Sri Lanka include the Captain family and the Pestongee family.

Religion plays an important part in the life and culture of Sri Lankans. The Buddhist majority observe Poya Days, once per month according to the Lunar calendar. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices A lunar calendar is a Calendar that is based on cycles of the Moon phase. The Hindus and Muslims also observe their own holidays. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion There are many Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka and many mosques, Hindu temples and churches across the island, especially in areas where respective communities are concentrated. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical A church building is a Building or Structure whose primary purpose is to facilitate the meeting of a church. Buddhists are distributed across most parts of the island except in the north. A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Hindus are concentrated in north, east, and central high lands. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Christians, particularly Roman Catholics are mainly concentrated along the western coastal belt. Muslims are concentrated in several pockets along the coast and in interior. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion All religious communities are represented in western province and in other urban centers in sizable numbers.

Media

Main article: Media in Sri Lanka

See also: List of newspapers in Sri Lanka and List of television networks in Sri Lanka

The national radio station, Radio Ceylon is the oldest-running radio station in Asia. Sri Lanka's media outlets are generally divided along linguistic and ethnic lines with state and private media operators providing services in the main languages List of newspapers in Sri Lanka is as follows News media companies Many papers in circulation categorized as state-owned below are owned by the government The first Television network in Sri Lanka, named Independent Television Network (ITN was launched on April 13, 1979 as a private broadcaster This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. Radio Ceylon is the oldest Radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department ^[39][40] It was established in 1923 by Edward Harper just three years after broadcasting was launched in Europe. For the musician see Edward Harper (musician Edward Harper was an engineer who travelled to Colombo in 1921 to work in the Ceylon Telegraph Department ^[41] It remains one of the most popular stations in Asia, with its programming reaching neighboring Asian nations. The station is managed by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and broadcasts services in Sinhalese, Tamil, English and Hindi. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC came into existence on January 5th 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Since the 1980s, a large number of private radio stations have also being introduced, and they have gained commercial popularity and success. Broadcast television was introduced to the country in 1979 when the Independent Television Network was launched. Independent Television Network is Sri Lanka's first terrestrial television channel and the first colour television channel in South Asia. Initially all Television stations were state controlled, but private television networks began broadcasts in 1992. A television network is a distribution network for Television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many Television stations ^[42] Global television networks from India, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States are also widely popular, and cable and satellite television is gaining in popularity with Sri Lanka's middle-class. Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Popular publications include the English language Daily Mirror and The Sunday Observer and The Sunday Times, Divayina, Lankadeepa and Lakbima in Sinhalese and the Tamil publications Dinakaran and Uthayan.

Education

Main article: Education in Sri Lanka

With a literacy rate of 92%, and 83% of the total population having had Secondary Education,^[43] Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations amongst developing nations. Sri Lanka 's population is highly educated with a literacy rate of 92% higher than that expected for a Third world country. traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write or the ability to use Language to read, write, listen, Australia See also Education Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties ^[44] An education system which dictates 9 years of Compulsory Schooling for every child is in place, with 99% of the children entering the first grade. Compulsory education is Education which children are required by law to receive and governments to provide ^[43] A free education system initiated in 1945^[45] by Dr. Free education (or subsidized education) is Education that is provided at no cost to students C. W. W. Kannangara, a former minister of education, has greatly contributed to this. Crestoper William Wijeyekoon Kannangara ( October 13 1884 - September 23, 1956) was a Sri Lankan lawyer and politician Mr. Kannangara led the establishment of the Madhya Maha Vidyalayas (Central Schools) in different parts of the country in order to provide education to Sri Lanka's rural population. Madhya Maha Vidyalayas or Central Colleges where established by the late Minister of Education Hon In 1942 a special education committee proposed extensive reforms to establish an efficient and quality education system for the people. Special Education is the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures adapted equipment and materials accessible settings and other interventions Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency

Most secondary schools in Sri Lanka provide education from grades 1 to 13 in the same institution. Students sit for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination (O/Levels) in grade 11 and the GCE Advanced Level Examination (A/levels) in grade 13, conducted by the Department of Examinations. These schools are modeled on British colleges. A majority of them are public, but a number of private schools do exist. While most reputed schools centered around large cities are usually single-sex institutions, rural schools tend to be coeducational. In recent decades, a large number of international schools have been established across the nation. An International school is loosely defined as a School that does not require their students to learn the national or local language of the country the school is located in In these schools General Certificate of Secondary Education, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge International Examinations are popular education programs. The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE, is an international Qualification for School Students. The International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Programme (DP is an Educational programme examined in one of three languages ( English, French or Spanish University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE is the world's largest provider of international qualifications for students between the ages of 14 and 19 Popular education is at the crossroads between Politics and Pedagogy, and strongly relies on the democratic ideal of the Enlightenment, which considered

See also: List of schools in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a around 16 public universities. There two main types of schools in Sri Lanka, these are governmental and non-governmental schools most of these schools provide primary and secondary education Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology ( SLIIT) is a University -level Information technology institute in Sri Lanka. A public university is a University that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government as opposed to private universities. They include the University of Colombo, the University of Peradeniya, the University of Kelaniya, the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, the University of Moratuwa, the University of Peradeniya, the University of Jaffna, the University of Ruhuna, the Eastern University of Sri Lanka, the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka and the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka. The University of Colombo (also known as UoC) Sri Lanka 's oldest University, is located in the urban centre of Colombo. The University of Peradeniya is one of most prestigious universities in Sri Lanka. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is one of the leading Universities in Sri Lanka. The University of Moratuwa, located on the banks of the Bolgoda Lake in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, is the top technical university in Sri Lanka The University of Peradeniya is one of most prestigious universities in Sri Lanka. The University of Ruhuna is a university located in Matara, Sri Lanka. The Eastern University of Sri Lanka is located in Vantarumoolai, Batticaloa in the eastern province of Sri Lanka. The Sabaragamuwa University located in Belihuloya Balangoda Sri Lanka Wayamba University is the thirteenth national university in Sri Lanka. However the lack of space in these institutions and the unwillingness to establish private universities has led to a large number of students been denied entry into formal universities as well as high undergraduate unemployment. Unlike Public universities, private universities generally do not receive direct operational funding from national or subnational governments and thus rely on private As a result, a number of public and private institutions have emerged, which provide specialised education in a variety of fields, such as computer science, business administration and law. Computer science (or computing science) is the study and the Science of the theoretical foundations of Information and Computation and their Management (covering theory practice and scope of management and Manager' (covering the people who manage might help clarify and systematise Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society These include the government owned Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology and the Institute of Technological Studies. Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology ( SLIIT) is a University -level Information technology institute in Sri Lanka.

See also: Universities in Sri Lanka

Sports

See also: Cricket in Sri Lanka

While the national sport in Sri Lanka is volleyball,^[46] by far the most popular sport in the country is cricket. A national sport is a Sport or Game that is considered to be a intrinsic part of the culture of a Nation. Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries ^[46] Rugby union also enjoys extensive popularity, as do aquatic sports, athletics, Football (soccer) and tennis. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Sri Lanka's schools and colleges regularly organize sports and athletics teams, competing on provincial and national levels. The Sri Lankan cricket team achieved considerable success beginning in the 1990s, rising from underdog status to winning the 1996 World Cup,^[47] as well as the Asia Cup in 1996 and 2004. The Sri Lankan cricket team is a national Cricket team representing Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka remains one of the leading cricketing nations in the world, with the national team reaching the finals of Cricket World Cup 2007, where they lost to Australia. The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was a Men 's Cricket Tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007 using the sport's The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. ^[48]

Sri Lanka has a large number of sports stadiums, including the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, the R. Premadasa Stadium and the Rangiri Dumbulla Stadium in Dambulla as well as the Galle International Stadium. The Sinhalese Sports Club is the home of Sri Lanka cricket housing the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL as well as being an important ground for major domestic R Premadasa Stadium is a Cricket stadium situated in Khettarama, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Rangiri Dumbulla Stadium is a multi-use Stadium in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. Galle International Stadium is a Cricket stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, situated near the Galle fort and fringed on two sides by the The country co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup with India and Pakistan, and has hosted the Asia Cup tournament on numerous occasions. The 1996 Cricket World Cup (aka Wills World Cup was won by Sri Lanka who beat Australia by 7 wickets at the final in Lahore. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Not to be confused with the football Asian Cup The Asia Cup is an international Cricket tournament It will also co-host the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The 2011 Cricket World Cup will be the tenth time this tournament has been held and will be held in the four Asian Test cricket playing countries India Pakistan Aquatic sports such as boating, surfing, swimming and scuba diving on the coast, the beaches and backwaters attract a large number of Sri Lankans and foreign tourists. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set.

References

Further reading

See also

External links

Government

• Official web portal of the Government of Sri Lanka
• Office of the President of Sri Lanka
• Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka
• Central Bank of Sri Lanka

Tourism

• The Official Website of Sri Lanka Tourist Board
• Sri Lanka Travel Guide and Country Reference
• Lonely Planet Destination Guide- Sri Lanka
• Ministry of Tourism

Business

• Board of Investment of Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka Export Development Board
• Colombo Stock Exchange

Other

• Virtual Library Sri Lanka
• The CIA World Factbook - Sri Lanka
• Sri Lanka - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
• Collection of slides of Sri Lanka, University of Pennsylvania library

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