Travel to Sri Lanka
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Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Sri Lanka
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC +6
- Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)
- Country Dialing Code: 94
Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List
- Ancient City of Polonnaruwa
- Ancient City of Sigiriya
- Sacred City of Anuradhapura
- Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
- Sacred City of Kandy
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve
- Golden Temple of Dambulla
Sri Lanka
Location
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Capital
Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
Population
20,064,776
note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2005 est.)
Regions
8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note - North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern
Climate
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Ethnic groups
Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Religions
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Languages
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%
note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Government type
republic
Background
The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formalized a cease-fire in February 2002, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.
Sri Lanka Travel and Accommodation – Your Tips for Travelers
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