About Sri Lanka

Dangling like an emerald pendant in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a dazzlingly beautiful island blessed with an ancient history that stretches for over two thousand years. This endows Sri Lanka with a multitude of ancient ruins, many of which today receive recognition from UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part of the country with many waterfalls. Sri Lanka is well known for its beautiful beaches .

The mean temperature ranges from about 16 °C (61 °F) in the Central Highlands, where frost may occur for several days in the winter, to a maximum of approximately 33 °C (91 °F) in other low-altitude areas. With a literacy rate of 92%, and 83% of the total population having had Secondary Education, Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations amongst developing nations. People in Sri Lanka are very friendly in nature. They treat the visitors with utmost respect. When you combine this with the breath taking views of the island, it creates an atmosphere of a paradise island.

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. Buddhism arrived from India in the 3rd century BC, brought by Bhikkhu Mahinda, who is believed to have been the son of Mauryan emperor Ashoka. Mahinda's mission won over the Sinhalese monarch Devanampiyatissa of Mihintale, who embraced the faith and propagated it throughout the Sinhalese population.

European colonists established a series of tea, cinnamon, rubber, sugar, coffee and indigo plantations. The British also brought a large number of indentured workers from Tamil Nadu to work in the plantation economy. 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.

During World War II, the island served as an important Allied military base. 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. Following the war, popular pressure for independence intensified. The office of Prime Minister of Ceylon was created in advance of independence on 14 October 1947, Don Stephen Senanayake being the first prime minister. On February 4, 1948 the country won its independence as the Commonwealth of Ceylon. Later it was named as Sri Lanka.

Since independence from Britain in 1948, the primary focus of the armed forces has been on internal security. Most notably, the 30-year long war with the LTTE . They finally claimed victory on 19 May 2009 after the death of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran on 18 May 2009 due to a Sri Lanka army attack. The end of the conflict in Sri Lanka has opened a whole new chapter full of promise.