Sri Lanka has a
documented history that spans over 3000 years. Its geographic location and deep
harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient
through to World War II. Sri Lanka is a diverse country home to many religions,
ethnicities and languages. It is the land of the Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils,
Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda.Sri
Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings were
composed on the island. The country's recent history has been marred by a
thirty-year civil war which decisively but controversially ended in a military
victory in 2009.
Sri Lanka is a
republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system. The capital,
Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, is a suburb of the largest city, Colombo. An
important producer of tea, coffee, gemstones, coconuts, rubber and the native
cinnamon,Sri Lanka has been called the tear drop of India because of its shape
and location and is known as "the Pearl of the Indian Ocean" because
of its natural beauty. It is also known as "the nation of smiling
peopleThe island contains tropical forests and diverse landscapes with high
biodiversity.
The country has
had a long history of international engagement, being a founding member of
SAARC and a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the G77
and the Non-Aligned Movement. It is also the only country in South Asia that is
currently rated 'high' on the Human Development Index.
Nature & Enviorenment
Sri Lanka which is situated in the
Indian Ocean grabs the attention of the visitors due to its climate and natural
resources. The climate of Sri Lanka can be described as tropical and warm. The
temperature may vary from 15C in the central highlands to 35C in other low
areas. The monsoon rainfall occurs between the month of May and August, and
between December to March in the Northeast.
Flora and Fauna
Sri Lanka has an extraordinarily rich
and unique bio-diversity, in fact one of the highest in Asia. Within the
confines of just 65,500 square kilometres inhabit well over 600 species of
terrestrial vertebrates. There are 82 mammals (including elephant, leopard and
bear), over 400 birds (the tally varies between ornithologists), 133 reptiles
(including 80 snakes!), and 54 amphibians (the number rises as new species of
frogs are being discovered).
This abundance of fauna is largely
because in Sri Lanka's comparatively small area there are wide geological and
climatic variations. The composition of Sri Lanka's fauna comprises three basic
components. They are Relict species, Endemic species and Immigrant species.
Coral Reefs
The coral reefs of Sri Lanka are nature’s
most beautiful wonders. It is a symbol to show the rest of the world that
heaven invades earth in this nation. The coastline of Sri Lanka, which is about
1600 km, supports highly productive and marine ecosystems such as mangroves,
sea-grass beds, coastal marshes, sand dunes and coral reefs.
Sri Lanka
has 193 species of coral and over 300 species of reef fish. Our reefs also
provide shelter to invertebrates such as Starfish, Sea urchins, Sea Cucumbers,
Lobsters, Cuttle fish and Cowries and reptiles such as Sea turtles
