Sri Lanka (UK: /sri ˈlæŋkə, ʃriː -/, US: /- ˈlɑːŋkə/ ( listen);[10][11] Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා Śrī

Laṃkā; Tamil: இலங்கை Ilaṅkai), officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is

an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal and
southeast of the Arabian Sea. It is geographically separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf
of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its
largest city and centre of commerce.
Sri Lanka's documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of prehistoric human settlements
dating back at least 125,000 years.[12] It has a rich cultural heritage, and the first
known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, the Pāli Canon, date back to the Fourth Buddhist council in 29
BC.[13][14] Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the
time of the ancient Silk Road through to the modern Maritime Silk Road.[15][16][17] Its location as a major
trading hub made it known to both the far East as well as the European continent from as far back as
the Anuradhapura period. The country's trade in luxury goods and spices attracted traders of many
nations, creating Sri Lanka's diverse population. During a period of great political
crisis the Portuguese, whose arrival in Sri Lanka was largely accidental, sought to control the
island's maritime regions and its lucrative external trade. The Portuguese possessions were later
taken over by the Dutch. The Dutch possessions were then taken by the British, who later extended
their control over the whole island, colonising it from 1815 to 1948. Resistance to the British was
immediate. A national movement for political independence arose in the early 20th century; and in
1948, Ceylon became a republic, and it adopted its current name in 1972. Sri Lanka's recent history
has been marred by a 26-year civil war, which ended decisively when the Sri Lanka Armed
Forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.[18]
Sri Lanka's current constitution stipulates it as a republic and unitary state governed by a semi-
presidential system. It has had a long history of international engagement, as a founding member of
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and a member of the United
Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the G77, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Sri Lanka is rated
"high" on the Human Development Index (HDI), with its HDI rating and per capita income the highest
among South Asian nations.[19] The Sri Lankan constitution accords Buddhism the "foremost place",
although it does not identify it as a state religion. Buddhism is given special privileges in the Sri
Lankan constitution.[20]
Sri Lanka is home to many cultures, languages and ethnicities. The majority of the population are
from the Sinhalese ethnicity, while a large minority of Tamils have also played an influential role in
the island's history. Moors, Burghers, Malays, Chinese, and the indigenous Vedda are also
established groups.[21]