Sri Lanka's History Goes Back a Long Way

• Sri Lanka's documented history spans 3,000 years

Who Colonised Sri Lanka?

• Sri Lanka was colonised by the British, along with India. It was known from the beginning of British colonial rule (in 1815) until 1972 as Ceylon.
• Sri Lanka's recent history has been marred by a thirty-year civil war (until 2009) between the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, (on behalf of the Sinhalese majority) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, representing the Tamil minority

Is Sri Lanka a Poor Country?

Levels of extreme poverty run at about 4% of the population, which is low for a developing nation and good when compared with most of Asia.

Sri Lanka - Snippets of Information

• Sri Lanka means Resplendent Island.
• Tea is Sri Lanka’s principal export and it is the fourth largest exporter of tea in the world
• Cinnamon originated from Sri Lanka. Most of the world’s cinnamon still comes from here
• Thanks to the many waterfalls and rivers over 50% of the power for the country is generated by hydropower
• Sri Lanka was the first country in the world to democratically elect a woman as the head of government - Simiravo Bandaranaike in 1960

What to See and Do in Sri Lanka?

• Beaches
• Ayurveda
• Wildlife Parks
• Ancient ruins and Giant Buddhas
• Tea plantations
• Festivals