Sri Lankan population. Official capital of sri lanka

Sri Lanka is real paradise for tourists. This amazing island attracted me with its gorgeous beaches, amazing nature, Ceylon tea and, of course, its rich history and culture.

Where is Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, which was previously known to everyone as the island of Ceylon. The capital of the republic is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

I was lucky enough to visit this amazing island in 2017. Since the last tsunami, which occurred in 2004, the country began to gradually revive. Hikkaduwa suffered the most then, and in order not to forget about this large-scale tragedy, a 15-meter statue of the Buddha was installed in the city.

What is Sri Lanka famous for?

The island is famous for its lush vegetation and beautiful nature. Everywhere a large number of pineapple and coconut palms, agaves, mangroves and ficuses. The jungle is full of monkeys, lemurs, bats and monitor lizards. It is simply impossible to remain indifferent to such tropical flora and fauna!

Sri Lanka is the center of world Buddhism, so Buddhist temples are very common here. At the same time, the scale of the buildings is amazing: the scale and beauty of the temples cannot be described in words. The premises of the temples are very richly furnished, the walls are decorated with bright frescoes depicting fragments from the life of the Buddha. These unforgettable feelings, perhaps, will remain in memory for a lifetime.

Except sacred temples, there are also a few more business cards Sri Lanka:

• Ceylon tea - the most delicious and fragrant tea in the world;
• wooden masks that are used as amulets or talismans;
• precious stones, since the island is famous for their mining;
• spices - here the most fragrant cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and much more;
• carvings of elephants, as elephants are considered sacred animals here.

An unforgettable vacation on the island of Sri Lanka in the middle of a rainy and boring autumn gave me a feeling of summer, a lot of vivid impressions and warm memories. Therefore, if you still do not know where Sri Lanka is located, it's time to find out by going there.

Useful0 Not very

Comments0

Oh, this "island of tea"! For many travelers and connoisseurs of the beauty of nature, Sri Lanka is a dream come true. For me, this is a dream come true.

Where is the island of Sri Lanka

If you look at a map of South Asia, you will see big Island, which is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. And he became famous for his plantations of Ceylon tea. Thanks to tropical climate You can relax and swim in the ocean here all year round. It seems to be the perfect option for me and heat-loving travelers like me.)

Religion of the population

Of course, the color and atmosphere of the island depends not only on nature and climate, but also on the people who live there. Faith has a huge influence on their way of life. Based on personal experience, I declare that the rest for you will turn into an unexpected and pleasant discovery only after you get to know the locals. The religion of the population of the island is diverse, however, like its inhabitants. However, the most common religions here are:

• Buddhism (70%);
• Hinduism (17%);
• Islam (7%);
• Christianity (5%).

Where to have fun in Sri Lanka

Acquainted with vacationers from different countries, I noticed that the most common question is: “where to have fun in Sri Lanka?”. Of course, for many, this holiday is associated with a visit Buddhist temples, trips to tea plantations and heavenly, incredibly peaceful holidays on the beach. It's all there in Sri Lanka. However, do not forget that there are countless resorts here, which are designed not only for tourists who come here for peace. The nightlife there is quite active, although it is concentrated mainly in hotels, where nightclubs are open until the morning.

In general, a lot can be said about Sri Lanka. It is noteworthy that in Sanskrit, Sri Lanka means "blessed land." Perhaps it is. After all, I don’t even know where you can find such beautiful places, an ideal climate, color and hospitable people who greet each guest like a close friend.

Useful0 Not very

Comments0

My husband and I are travelers with little experience, but with great ambitions. True, it took a long time to decide to fly to distant lands, since such long flights were something new and exciting for us. But after seeing the beautiful photos of this amazing island, we booked tickets the very next day and started preparing for the best trip we have had so far!

Where is the "blessed land" Sri Lanka

This paradise island is located in South Asia and is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka is next to India, which is separated from it by the Gulf of Mannar.

I thought that the capital of Sri Lanka is Colombo, but it is not. Despite the fact that Colombo is the most Big city islands, the capital is a city with a very long and complicated name, which I barely learned to pronounce correctly - Sri Jayawardenepura Kote.

Must have for every tourist in Sri Lanka

Having traveled far and wide, I can highlight the main places that I highly recommend to see on this amazing island! I list:

1. Dambulla temple complex.
2. Tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya.
3. Pinavella.
4. national park Yala.
5. Royal Botanic Garden.
6. Kandy.

Holiday impressions

It would seem impossible to get such a variety in one trip. My husband and I managed to both enjoy a lazy vacation on the ocean and explore the local culture. The people here are very simple, friendly and hardworking. We really enjoyed taking a ride in a taxi they call "tuk-tuk" - it was fun!

And how many cultural attractions are here! Temples made a special impression on me. Getting into them, as if transported to another world. The atmosphere makes you look at things differently, feel the history and think about the eternal.

We also got acquainted with new representatives of flora and fauna - we saw elephants and leopards, extraordinary plants and trees.

I have never experienced such emotions in my life! Definitely, we will return there again in the near future, and perhaps already the three of us.

Useful0 Not very

Comments0

Interested in since childhood Asian countries, their culture and customs. And when he began to earn money on his own, he almost immediately visited China. Now every year (on vacation) I visit new country and recently returned from Sri Lanka.

Location and features of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island nation, which is located in the South Asian region, few east of India . On the one hand, the territory of this country is washed by Indian Ocean, and on the other hand, bay of bengal. Sri Lanka borders only one state - India, from which it is separated by the Gulf of Mannar.

The capital of this state is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. It's comparatively Small town, just some 17 square kilometers. 115.8 thousand people live in it. The largest city is Colombo. Its area is 37 square kilometers, and the population is 753 thousand.

In total, the country is home to 21.3 million people. Interestingly, life expectancy here is quite high - about 75 years.

Sri Lanka speaks 3 languages:

• Sinhalese;
• Tamil;
• English(partially official).

The country is divided into 25 districts, which make up 9 provinces.

Sri Lanka is primarily known as one of the largest tea producers. This country accounts for about 10% of the world volume of this product. Tourism plays an important role in the economy.

Sri Lanka has a subequatorial climate. The air temperature here is almost always the same - about 27-28 degrees. However, the humidity depends on the season. It is more comfortable here in January and February, while in all other periods it rains quite often.

Where to stay and what to see

Coming here for vacation best stay in colombo. I rented a room at the Grand Oriental Hotel for which I paid $43 per night. But there are cheaper options - up to $30.

When I came here, I first of all went to Adam's Peak, it offers an indescribable view. Also visited: Royal Botanic Gardens, St. Clair Falls, Gal Vihara Temple and Koneshwaram. In general, in the country you can see a lot of things, and most importantly - nature.

Useful0 Not very

Comments0

Ceylon tea- this is the first thing that visited my head, after a friend invited me to visit this distant country. How far, I had a very rough idea.

Where is Sri Lanka located

And she is located VIndian Ocean. This is a lonely island near India. It is noteworthy that once the island was connected with India by land, but it was a very long time ago, however, it left an imprint on Sri Lanka itself, local residents and their way of life.

locals

The bulk of the local population is divided according to religious views on Catholics and Buddhists. In this connection, the island is dotted with Catholic and Buddhist temples.

Are separated locals into Tamils ​​and Sinhalese. Tamils ​​are slightly lighter than Sinhalese, which is a matter of pride for them.

Advantages of a tour package and without

Based on personal experience, I would note a few points in favor of« wild» recreation:

• We managed to see several cities, visit on different sides of the island, it is unlikely to do this on a ticket.
• You can hire a local resident, some speak Russian, to ride around the island. We did just that and have no regrets.
• In our budget a package holiday would not fit, but we would see much less.
• We visited places where tourists rarely visit, or they don’t stop by at all, judging by the rounded eyes of the locals when they see us. :)

Now for the ticket:

• A distant country, its own rules, its own mentality. Ride on a ticket anywaysafer.
• If they take you on a tour, they will bring and show everything in the best possible way.. We, resting as savages, used the services of local residents. A funny incident happened: they took us to show the elephants and, as promised, they showed us, only they brought us to the dump. :)

Separately, I would like to advise you to visit beautiful place, which stands out throughout the island is .

This is a small town located at an altitude of 1884 meters above sea level, the locals call this town - New England. Having visited many places in Sri Lanka and, periodically, languishing from the heat, we arrived in Nuwara Eliya and plunged into the cold. Clouds walk around the city, very beautiful and unusual. This town sunk into my soul, but we didn’t have time to enjoy its beauties, and we drove on.

Sri Lanka (Ceylon): flags, capital

Official capital island nation Sri Lanka - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte), and the largest city in the country and the actual capital - Colombo. The words "Sri Lanka" are traditionally translated from Sanskrit as "Blessed Land", although the more correct is not "Earth", but "Island". The former name of Sri Lanka was Ceylon.

Modern complete official name country - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The official capital of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is a small city in the Colombo agglomeration - largest city countries. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte houses the country's parliament, as well as various government departments and the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. Colombo, the de facto capital of the country, is also its administrative, political and economic centre.

• Serendib (pre-Singhal era),
• Tambapanni (from the founding of the Sinhalese state to the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505),
• Ceylon (from 1505 to 1815),
• British Ceylon from 1815 to 1948 (actually from 1817, since the Kingdom of Kandy existed before that time),
• Dominion of Ceylon from 02/04/1948 to 1972 (after gaining independence from Britain, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations),
• Republic of Sri Lanka from 1972 to 1978,
• Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka since 1978.

Often you can meet the question of the correct placement of stress in the name of the country "Sri Lanka": L A nka or lank A? However, based on the original name, neither of the two options will be correct. The stress in the word "Lanka" is not put, since in the Sinhalese language there is no stress, but there are only long and short sounds, and in this case only short ones are used.

Flags of Ceylon and Sri Lanka

Throughout history, the colors and motifs of the flags of the island nation have changed many times. The following shows exactly how this has been expressed over the past two centuries.

History of changing the flags of Sri Lanka

Modern state flag The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the result of many years of transformation of its parts and elements since the state gained independence. The symbolism of the latest modern version is shown below. national flag Sri Lanka.

• 1815-02/04/1948 British Ceylon

A new flag was created, based on the British flag and placed on a blue background in the upper left corner and the symbolism of the country (in the understanding of the British colonizers) in the form of a satellite in the middle right.

• 02/04/1948-03/02/1951 Dominion of Ceylon

In 1948, after the liberation of the island from colonial dependence on Great Britain, the new republic adopted official flag the last independent Kingdom of Kandy (1469-1815). It depicts the symbol of the country - the Sinhalese lion with a raised sword in its paw and 4 decorative elements at the corners of the canvas.

• 03/02/1951-05/22/1972 Ceylon

Colored stripes have been added to the flag, occupying 1/7 of the flag's area - the colors of the country's ethno-religious minorities: Muslim Moors and Hindu Tamils.

• 1972 - to date Democratic Republic Sri Lanka

Four stylized leaves of the Bo tree (one of the symbols of Buddhism) were added to the composition at the corners of the flag, replacing the previous ornament.

Flag of the Republic of Sri Lanka: symbols

After the flag of the Kingdom of Kandy was adopted as the basis, the changes and additions indicated above were made to it. Their appearance was associated primarily with the interethnic problems of the Sri Lankan society.

As a result, the interpretation of the symbolism of the national flag of Sri Lanka was used by various political forces earlier and continues to be used now in the interests, mainly aimed at strengthening the urgency of the national issue, and not searching for common ground.

The Sinhalese lion is the national symbol of Sri Lanka.

After Ceylon gained independence from Britain in 1948, the question arose of creating a banner new republic. To develop the layout of the flag, a special committee was created, which decided to return to the version of the flag of the last free Sinhalese kingdom, used during the reign of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (Sri Vikrama Rajasinha): it depicted a Sinhalese lion on a maroon background.

Despite the fact that lions are not found in Sri Lanka, the choice of a symbol would seem somewhat strange. However, the fact is that the appearance of the Sinhalese lion symbol itself dates back to the time of Prince Vijay, who landed on the island in 543 BC. with a flag with a lion on it. According to legend, the founder of the Sinhalese nation came from India, where lions in those days were found in large quantities. So, having appeared as the flag of Prince Vijay, over time, the Sinhalese lion was fixed as a symbol of royal power. For example, the paws of a lion on the flag of the kingdom of Kandy meant the stability of Sri Lanka, its steadfastness; and equal distances from the paws to the body and from the body to the crown symbolized the equality of the ruler and the law.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජය

Capital Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte city
Square– 65,610 sq. km.
Population- 21.6 million people
Language- Sinhala and Tamil
Form of government- mixed republic
Date of Independence (from UK)- February 4, 1948
The largest city —
Currency— Sri Lankan rupee
Timezone — +5:30
Telephone code — +94

At the official level, the country is called Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The state is located in the south of Asia on the territory of the island of Sri Lanka in the southwestern part of the coast of Hindustan. Until the moment when the country gained independence, it was called Ceylon. The official capital of the state is the city of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, where Supreme Court and parliament. However, the actual capital is the city. Here is the residence of the President of the country and the government sits. Dondra is the southern cape of the island, Dutch Bay is the western one.

Sri Lanka - video

Sri Lanka is bordered by the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. The Polk Strait and the Gulf of Manara separate Sri Lanka from Hindustan. In the past, the island was connected to the mainland by the so-called Adam's Bridge (a shallow in the Polk Strait), but according to legend, the bridge was destroyed during one of the earthquakes. Located in the center of the country mountain ranges, the relief of the rest of the territory is predominantly lowland. The tallest Mountain peak is located at an altitude of 2,524 meters above sea level and is called Pidurutalagala. The subequatorial monsoon climate of the island is due to the northeast and southwest monsoons blowing throughout the year.
The largest rivers Sri Lanka are Kalu, Aruvi-Aru, Kelani, Mahaweli-Ganga.

According to the state census conducted in the summer of 2013, about 21.6 million people live in the country. On a national basis, one can distinguish Sinhalese (about 75%), Tamils ​​(about 18%), Sri Lankan Moors (about 7%), burghers (about 0.3%), Veddas (about 1 thousand people). In religious terms, the country's population is divided into followers of Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam - 70%, 15%, 8% and 7% respectively.

The calling card of the country is tea. In terms of its production, Sri Lanka is the third in the world, second only to China and. The country has achieved the greatest success in the extraction of precious stones, rubber and cinnamon. The textile industry occupies a leading position in terms of exports (about 63%), agriculture - about 20%. The country has a fairly extensive network bus routes, which are served by both the state bus company and private enterprises. You can get by bus to any corner of the island, but traveling in it will bring little pleasure due to dirt, dust, crush and low speed (no more than 45 km / h). There are also more comfortable buses, but getting on them is quite difficult - tickets must be ordered in advance at bus stations or transport agencies.

Worth mentioning about railway transport islands. Railway communication connects large. The trains have cars of different classes with and without air conditioning. On one of the routes, the world-famous restored train runs, which was built back in 1928. Sri Lanka has international Airport Bandaranaike, located about 35 kilometers from. The airport was built by the British in 1940 and was initially used as a military one.

Sights of Sri Lanka

Waterfall Bambarakanda

Waterfall "Bridal Veil"

On the territory of the state are famous Ceylon tea plantations, which was first brought here from China in 1824. In the second half of the 19th century, tea was first grown here on an industrial scale - James Taylor, a planter from Scotland, did this, planting about 80 hectares of land with tea.

1. In Sri Lanka, internal conflicts often occur, so do not be surprised at the large number of military on the streets and roadblocks. Railway stations and bus stations in the country are usually surrounded by fences, and at the entrance all passengers must present identification documents. In the southern part of the country, the situation is somewhat calmer, so there are usually fewer checks here.

2. When visiting restaurants or cafes, pay attention to what the food you ordered is prepared from, as all dishes here are spicy. To avoid misunderstandings, ask the waiter serving your table about the composition of a particular dish. Sauces should be chosen carefully. If you have eaten very spicy food, then you do not need to drink it with water - it is better to eat bread or unleavened bread.

3. If you have a desire to order tea in a cafe, take the trouble to explain how you need to brew it, because here it is done a little differently than in Europe.

4. The main dish in Sri Lanka is rice, which is served on a separate large plate, along with which they bring small saucers with various spices and seasonings.

5. Do not be afraid if you are offered to buy light drugs on the street - this is considered a common occurrence here, despite the fact that the laws of the country provide for the death penalty for the distribution and possession of drugs.

6. Be sure to wash your hands very thoroughly before eating. Vegetables are best scalded with boiling water. Water should only be drunk from plastic bottles with factory caps.

7. The inhabitants of the country are very friendly with tourists, although this attitude is not always pleasant, as sometimes it develops into obsession (this applies mainly to local street vendors and guides).

8. In Sri Lanka, entry to many beaches is free, however, the beaches at some hotels are closed. It is strictly forbidden to hunt animals and collect corals here.

9. It is best to dress in the country in light clothes made of natural fabrics in light colors. If you are going to climb the mountains, be sure to take warm clothes with you.

10. When visiting temples, you need to take off your shoes and hats. It is forbidden to enter such places in short skirts and shorts, as well as with bare shoulders and back. Do not turn your back on Buddha statues, do not show your feet or shoe soles to others, do not take pictures local population without permission, and also do not offend the cows, as they are sacred animals here.

11. It is not necessary to leave a tip in restaurants or hotels. Sometimes they are included in the total bill for the service or lunch.

12. The voltage in the local electrical network is 230-240V, and the sockets are installed with three pins, so you need to purchase a special adapter to use them.

Mira, it is worth starting with the search for India. This state is located in Asia, the peninsula where it is located has the shape of an isosceles triangle, one of the vertices of which points strictly to the south. Sri Lanka is located in close proximity to India at a distance of about 100 km to the southeast. It is easy to find, it is the only large island in the Indian Ocean. On a large scale, you can see that there is a shoal between Sri Lanka and the Hindustan peninsula - until the 15th century, these two geographical objects were connected, but after a series of earthquakes, the isthmus was destroyed and went under water. The name of the state is formed from two words in Hindi: "shri" - glorious and "" - land. However, the older generation of the island is known as Ceylon - that's how it was until 1972.

The sandbar in the Strait of Polk, which used to connect Hindustan with the island of Sri Lanka, is called Adam's Bridge.

State of Sri Lanka

Interestingly, the tea grown on the island is still called Ceylon tea, the name "Sri Lankan" has not taken root.

How to get to Sri Lanka