Sri Lanka has a long history influenced by Sinhalese and Tamil kingdoms, European colonial rule, and post-independence conflicts. It gained independence in 1948 and faced a civil war from 1983 to 2009. The country continues to rebuild its economy, focusing on tourism and trade.
Sri Lanka, 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 separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Covering an area of approximately 65,610 square kilometers, it has a population of about 21 million people as of 2023. The capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, while the largest city is Colombo. The official languages are Sinhala and Tamil, with English also widely used. Sri Lanka operates as a unitary semi-presidential republic. The economy is diverse, with key sectors including textiles, tea export, agriculture, tourism, and telecommunications. Sri Lanka is known for its rich cultural heritage, ancient history, and biodiversity, including numerous national parks and wildlife reserves. The country is a member of international organizations such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.