Sri Lanka is an island that is located in the southern cost of India. It is officially named as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka with the capital city, Colombo. The country lies between major sea routes that connect west Asia and south east Asia. Sinhalese and Tamil communities are the majority and others include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs and the Malays. Sri Lanka mostly exports tea, coffee, coconuts and rubber. It’s also famous for the beauty of beaches, landscapes, and tropical forests.
Geography
The island is located in Indian Ocean. The climate is tropical warm and includes monsoon season in May. The southwestern part of the country, mountains, is ‘wet zone’ where heavy rain falls occur during the year while the southeastern and northern part is ‘dry zone’. “The total estimated population of Sri Lanka is 20,926,315. The population growth rate of Sri Lanka is 0.982 % which was last estimated in 2007.” [1]
History
In colonial era, the island was colonized by Portugal, Dutch, and the British. The British developed plantation of tea, cinnamon, rubber, sugar, and coffee and abused people of the natives. Soon, the people struggled for independence and after the World War ll, the country became independent. There was also a civil war by Sinhalese community and Tamils were defeated. “These people give the island the name by which it has been known throughout most of history: Sinhaladwipa, meaning 'island of the Sinhalese', which becomes Ceylon in English. The name of the country is changed to Sri Lanka ('beautiful island') when it becomes a republic in 1972.” [2]
Culture
Sinhalese and Tamil are two official languages and English is also spoken by some. Buddhism is the main religion in Sri Lanka (about 70%), and others include Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. Buddhism came from India very early with civilization culture and influenced Sinhalese society. The biggest holiday in the country is Sinhala and Tamil New Year and Muslim people celebrate Ramadan. “Sinhalese as well as Tamils welcome the Sinhala and Hindu New Year at an auspicious time and carry out all the important activities like first light the hearth, start cooking, eating and anoint oil all at an auspicious time. Commencing work and doing the first business transaction is also part of the traditions. Visiting the relations and friends forgetting all the bad things happened in the previous year is the most important social aspect of the festival.” [3]
Education
Sri Lanka is the most literate country among developing nations. 9 years of compulsory education is required and most enter secondary education. There are 16 public universities in the country. The modern school system was established by the British in 1836 and based on this after independence, the number of schools and literacy rate increased. “The contemporary Sri Lanka education system owes its origin to the British colonists. The education is imparted through Sri Lanka colleges. The mode of education in Sri Lanka schools is imparted through the primary, lower and high secondary schools.” [4]
Citied Sources
1. Maps of World – Sri Lankan Demographics
http://www.mapsofworld.com/sri-lanka/geography/demographics.html
2. History. Net – History of Sri Lanka
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac68
3. South travels - Events and Festivals in Sri Lanka
http://www.southtravels.com/asia/srilanka/events.html
4. Maps of World - Sri Lanka Education
http://www.mapsofworld.com/sri-lanka/education/
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