Srilanka
Sri Lanka is a tourist's paradise. Marco Polo described it as "the finest island of its size in the world". Wonderful pristine beaches, lush-green hills, majestic waterfalls, corals, wild life, heritage sites, pilgrimage sites, exotic cuisine-Sri Lanka has everything that a tourist can imagine. It has something to offer to everyone.
Though Colombo is widely known as the capital of Sri Lanka but strictly speaking Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte-a miniature town in Colombo-is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka.
Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
The total population of Sri Lanka is around 20 Million. Major ethnic groups include: Sinhalese (74%), Tamil (18%), Moor (7%), Burgher, Malay and Vedda (1%). Buddhism is the major religion followed by around 70% of the population. Other major religions are Hinduism (15%), Christianity (8%) and Islam (7%).
Climate
Due to its proximity to equator Sri Lanka has typically tropical climate. There are no marked seasons. The weather in plains and the coastal areas is hot and humid with an average mean temperature of 27°C. Relative Humidity varies from 70% during the day to 90% at night. The cooling sea breeze moderates the temperature. The hills are cool and pleasant with an average mean temperature of around 20°C.
Sri Lanka is blessed with abundant rainfall. The south-west monsoon brings rain mainly from May to July to the western, southern and central regions of the island, while the north-east monsoon causes rains in the northern and eastern regions in December and January.
Location
Sri Lanka is an island country located in Indian Ocean to the south of India and separated from India by Palk Strait. It is also known as the Island of Serendipity.
Srilanka lies just above the equator between 5°55'N and 9°55' N and between the eastern longitudes 79°42' and 81°52'. The maximum length and width of Sri Lanka is 435 km and 225 km respectively. Total area of Sri Lanka is 65610 sq km (Land area: 64740 sq km, Water area: 870 sq km).
History
The civilisational history of Srilanka is more than 2500 years old. In earlier times it was known as Ceylon. Sri Lanka's first settlers were the nomadic Veddahs. They were conquered by the Sinhalese around the 5th or 6th century BC. A number of Sinhalese kingdoms, including Anuradhapura in the north, took root across the island during the 4th century BC. Buddhism was introduced by Mahinda, son of the Indian Mauryan emperor Ashoka, in the 3rd century BC, and it quickly became the established religion and the focus of a strong nationalism. Anuradhapura was established as capital of Sri Lanka in ancient times. Continuous struggle between South Indian kingdoms and Sinhalese kingdom went on for over 1000 years. In 11 century AD, the capital was shifted from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa.
The Portuguese arrived in Colombo in 1505 and gained a monopoly on the invaluable spice trade. By 1597, Potuguese had taken formal control of the island. But they failed to dislodge the powerful Sinhalese kingdom in Kandy. With the help of Dutch the Sinhalese kings were able to expel Portuguese from Sri Lanka in 1658. The Dutch were more interested in trade and profits than in ruling the country. They only half-heartedly resisted when the British arrived in 1796. In 1815 Britain defeated the Sinhalese kingdom of Kandy and became the first European power to rule the entire island. Coffee, tea, cinnamon and coconut plantations sprang up and English was introduced as the national language.
Sri Lanka achieved independence in 1948 and adopted democratic system of governance. In1972, the country became a republic and adopted Sri Lanka as its official name-hitherto it was known as Ceylon. Shortly after independence an ethnic conflict between majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils started. The conflict has taken a heavy toll on the island country and has resulted in the death of thousands of people. Peace talks brokered by Norway resulted in ceasefire in 2001 and currently the peace talks are going on between the two sides.
Tourist Attractions
Sri Lanka is a highly acclaimed tourist destination of south Asia renowned for its ancient monuments, sun-kissed beaches, museums and art galleries. The singular charm exhibited by the tourist attractions in Sri Lanka will surely engulf you with ecstasy. The most beguiling among the highlights of Sri Lanka are its monuments that reveal a rich past and a colonial charm that has been well preserved in the country.
Colombo, the capital, is the financial and the commercial hub and at the same time, a major tourist destination as well.
Entire town is dotted with several places of tourist interest, some of the must visit ones being Dehiwala Zoo, Dutch Period Museum, Fort Clock Tower, Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Hall and Mt Lavinia Beach.
The historical landmarks are among the best known tourist attractions in Sri Lanka and some of the notable ones are - Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Sigiriya, Dambula and Aluvihara.
The beaches occupy a leading place among the various places to visit in Sri Lanka. You will encounter a number of fascinating palm-fringed beaches.. The combination of sun and sand with the pristine ambiance lets you spend some memorable moments away from cacophony of your life in the cities. Some of the well-known beaches of Sri Lanka are Negombo, Mount Lavinia, Kalutara, Beruwela, Bentota, Hikkaduwa, Galle and Arugam Bay.
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