Glimpse of Sri Lanka

“We welcome you to out beautiful Island, Sri Lanka. The Island’s proud history of over 2500 years and the breathtaking  diversity of scenery  will capture your heart and soul like no other destination. May the time you spend in our Island be filled with exciting experiences – memories of which you will carry; long after you leave our shores.”

The palms clasped together and a gentle bow of  the head accompanies “ Ayubowan” (may you be blessed with long life), Sri Lanka’s gentle gesture of welcome and respect. It is the age-old greeting of our people, and the chances are will be greeted this way, wherever you happen to travel throughout the island.

What may strike you most about Sri Lanka is its amazing diversity of scenery. It is possible to pass brilliant green paddy fields, sun-bronzed beaches, ruined cities, small lively  villeges, near desert regions, sanctuaries for wildlife  in tropical jungles, andhill country tea plantations literally within hours of each other.

Ancient Sanskrit literature refer to Sri Lanka as ‘Sinhaladvipa’ – Island of the Sinhalese. The people called by that name have inhabited this island from earliest historical times. Traditions recorded in the historical chronicles of Sri Lanka trace the origin of the Sinhalese to an exiled North Indian prince, Vijaya, and his retinue, who settled down in the island and established the Sinhalese kingdom in the 6th B.C.

However, the earliest recorded civilization dates back to 380 BC,  when Anuradhapura (205km from Colombo) was established as the first Capital City. Following the advent of Buddhism in the 3rd Century BC, a civilization rich in Indo-Aryan culture took root. It produced the great cities with their “dagabas” which compare, and even exceed in size, the pyramids of Egypt, palaces and pleasure gardens, rich art and architecture and the gigantic irrigation works, many of which are still in use today.

With invasions from neighbouring South India, the base of power shifted to Polonnaruwa (101km from South East of Anuradhapura) and other cities such as Dambadeniya, Kurunegala, Kotte and Kandy. In the 16th Century the island had its first recorded encounter with the traders and colonizers of the West, with the arrival of Portuguese in 1505. What followed was a period of nearly five hundred years during which the island came under the control and influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and British.

While the Portuguese and Dutch ruled over the maritime regions for a rough 150 years each, the British established complete control over the island with the fail of the Kandyan Kingdom in 1815. They too ruled for 150 years before the country regained independence in 1948. The impact of many cultures over the centuries, from South Indian to the Moorish and that of western colonizers, have resulted in the country’s culture being enriched by a rich diversity, much of which is in evidence today. The island’s economy, has traditionally been based on agriculture, with rice as the main food crop. Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and peppery have been age old exports, as were gems and even peacocks and elephants. With western commercial influence, rice gave way to cash crops, until the British made tea the base of the economy.

 The new thrust in the economy is on export-led industry. Agriculture is now being revived. Non-traditional exports such as garments, seafood, foliage, cut flower and tropical fish and value aged agro-industries have in recent years contributed to the economic advance of Sri Lanka.

The people of Sri Lanka are of diverse races and faiths. The majority are Sinhalese who are Buddhists, while among minorities the Tamils, mainly Hindu are the largest, followed by the Moors who follow Islam, and sharply declining number of Burghers, descended from the Portuguese and Dutch, who are Christians. There is also a considerable population of Christians among the Sinhalese and Tamils.

The country was first in South Asia to move away from State-centered economic structure and embrace a private-sector led market oriented economy. The opportunities are many for foreign investment, with almost all exchange controls relaxed and many incentives given for foreign investment. Free Trade Zones, repatriation of profit, widespread education, a sophisticated middle class and a newly emerging capital market, have made Sri Lanka most attractive to foreign investors in the past decade.

Although well on the road to modernization, the country and its people still cherish most of their traditional values and take pride in their rich culture. An aspect which continues to attract visitors from abroad, as much as the beauty and diversity of scenery, and the warmth and friendship of the people.

Profile in Short

Geography
An island of approx. 65,610 sq. km. Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean off the southern tip of the coast of India. It lies between 5° 55’ and 9° 55’ north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes 79° 42’ and 81° 52’.

Climate
Warm and fine year round. Average temperatures around 27° C in Colombo going down as the land rises to the hill country to as low as 10° C. The island has two wet seasons between May and July in the south-west and December/January in the north-east. Climatically Sri Lanka has no off-season. Bright sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the wet season. Sea temperatures as a rule remain around 27° C.

Population
Nearly 19.3 million, 74.5% Sinhalese, 11.9% SLTamils, 4.6% Ind. Tamils, 8.3% Moors, 0.3% Malays, 0.2% Burghers and 0.2% Others.
Literacy rate average 90.01% - one of the highest in Asia.

Religions
Predominantly Buddhism but also Hinduism, Islam and Christianity.

Language
Communication is rarely a problem because English is widely spoken in all parts of the country. Place names and signboards are in the national languages and often in English. National Languages – Sinhala and Tamil

Time
Sri Lanka’s standard Time is 5 ½ hours ahead of Greenwich.

Water
Filtered water and mineral waters as well as bottled drinking water are available. The yellow king coconut is a popular thirst quencher, and of course, the most popular drink is a hot cup of tea.