Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a sovereign island republic located in the Indian Ocean, separated from the southeastern tip of India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Officially known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the country has a recorded history spanning more than two millennia and has been known by various names, including Taprobane to ancient Greek geographers, Serendib to Arab traders, and Ceylon under British colonial rule, a name retained until 1972 when the republic adopted its current designation.

Sri Lanka covers an area of approximately 65,610 square kilometres and had a population estimated at around 22 million as of the early 2020s. Its capital for legislative and judicial purposes is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, while Colombo serves as the largest city and the primary commercial centre.

Geography

The island is broadly divided into a mountainous central region and low-lying coastal plains. The central highlands, home to peaks such as Pidurutalagala (the highest point at 2,524 metres) and Adam's Peak (Sri Pada), give rise to several major rivers including the Mahaweli, the longest river on the island. The southwestern and central regions receive heavy rainfall from the southwest monsoon, forming the country's "wet zone," while the northern and eastern regions constitute a drier "dry zone" dependent on the northeast monsoon.

Sri Lanka's coastline stretches for approximately 1,340 kilometres, featuring sandy beaches, lagoons, and mangrove forests. The island lies close to major international shipping lanes, historically contributing to its strategic commercial importance.

The country's biodiversity is exceptional relative to its size. Sri Lanka is recognised as one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots, hosting endemic species of flora and fauna, including the Sri Lanka leopard and the purple-faced langur. Several national parks, including Yala and Wilpattu, protect significant wildlife populations.

History

Ancient and Medieval Periods

Human habitation of Sri Lanka is documented from at least 125,000 years ago based on archaeological evidence, with the Balangoda culture representing a notable prehistoric community. The arrival of Indo-Aryan migrants from the Indian subcontinent, traditionally associated with the legendary Prince Vijaya around the 5th century BCE, is considered the founding event of the Sinhalese civilisation according to the Mahavamsa, a Pali-language chronicle composed by Buddhist monks.

The ancient hydraulic civilisation centred on cities such as Anuradhapura (capital from roughly the 4th century BCE to the 11th century CE) and later Polonnaruwa represented a sophisticated agrarian society built on an elaborate network of reservoirs and irrigation canals. Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka traditionally dated to the 3rd century BCE, brought by Mahinda, son of the Indian emperor Ashoka, and has since been a defining element of Sinhalese cultural identity.

Tamil kingdoms, most notably the Kingdom of Jaffna in the north, coexisted and at times competed with Sinhalese kingdoms. Portuguese colonisers arrived in 1505, establishing coastal control, followed by the Dutch from the mid-17th century. The British conquered the entire island, including the previously unconquered Kandyan Kingdom, by 1815 and administered it as Ceylon.

Colonial Period and Independence

Under British rule, Ceylon became a major plantation economy, with large-scale cultivation of tea, rubber, and coconut. The British imported Tamil labourers from southern India to work on tea estates, creating a distinct demographic group known as Indian Tamils or estate Tamils, separate from the indigenous Sri Lankan Tamil community.

Ceylon gained independence from Britain on 4 February 1948, with Don Stephen Senanayake becoming the country's first prime minister. The country became a republic on 22 May 1972, adopting the name Sri Lanka.

Civil Conflict

Ethnic tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority escalated through the mid-20th century, fuelled in part by the Official Language Act of 1956, which made Sinhala the sole official language. Armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist organisation seeking an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east, began in earnest in 1983 and continued for 26 years. The war ended in May 2009 when government forces defeated the LTTE militarily. The conflict caused tens of thousands of deaths; precise casualty figures remain disputed.

Recent History

In April 2019, a series of coordinated suicide bombings targeting churches and hotels on Easter Sunday killed more than 260 people. Responsibility was attributed to a local Islamist extremist group. Sri Lanka experienced a severe economic crisis beginning around 2021–2022, characterised by foreign exchange shortages, fuel and medicine scarcity, and widespread power cuts, leading to large-scale public protests. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country and resigned in July 2022. The country subsequently entered an International Monetary Fund restructuring programme.

Government and Politics

Sri Lanka is a democratic republic with a semi-presidential system. Executive power is held by the president, who is directly elected by the people for a five-year term. The legislature is the Parliament of Sri Lanka, a unicameral body of 225 members elected by proportional representation. The Supreme Court stands at the apex of the judicial system.

The two dominant political formations have historically been the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), though newer parties and coalitions have gained prominence in recent years. Sri Lanka's ethnic and religious diversity—comprising Sinhalese Buddhists, Sri Lankan Tamils (predominantly Hindu), Moors (Muslim), and others—continues to shape its political landscape.

Economy

Sri Lanka's economy has been classified as a lower-middle-income economy by the World Bank, though it had progressed toward upper-middle-income status before the economic crisis of 2021–2022. Key sectors include tourism, textile and garment manufacturing, tea and agricultural exports, and remittances from overseas workers.

Sri Lanka is one of the world's foremost producers and exporters of tea, with Ceylon tea widely regarded as a premium product in global markets. The country is also a significant source of gemstones, particularly sapphires, rubies, and cat's eye chrysoberyl.

Culture

Sri Lanka's culture reflects the confluence of indigenous traditions and successive waves of Indian, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and British influence. The performing arts, architecture, and cuisine vary markedly between the Sinhalese, Tamil, and Moor communities. Classical Kandyan dance and the elaborate Esala Perahera festival in Kandy are internationally recognised expressions of Sinhalese Buddhist tradition.

Sinhala and Tamil are both official languages. English functions as a link language widely used in commerce, government, and education. Buddhism is accorded a foremost place under the constitution, while Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity are also practised freely.

Cricket is the most popular sport, and the national team has achieved notable success, winning the Cricket World Cup in 1996.