WorldIslands
Where the name comes from
Sri Lanka joins Sanskrit Sri, an honorific meaning “resplendent” or “holy”, with Lanka, the island’s ancient name, also found in the Ramayana.
First people
Sinhala and Tamil traditions grew here over many centuries, from different language families, Indo-Aryan and Dravidian, and Anuradhapura was a royal capital for over a thousand years.1,2
Known for
Sri Lanka is known for Ceylon tea, for the rock fortress of Sigiriya and for its elephants.3
Outside rule
The Portuguese arrived in 1505 and conquered the coast, the Dutch took control by 1658 and the British in 1796; in 1815 Britain took Kandy, the last independent kingdom.4,5,6
The modern country
After independence in 1948, language and power-sharing became central questions.4
