About Sri Lanka
Renowned through history for its beauty this Island was known in ancient Sanskrit as Lanka or the Resplendent Isle, the evocative name of Serendib, the root of the modern word Serendipity by ancient Persians. It contains all the ingredients of the perfect travel destination with unsurpassed natural beauty boasting a 1000 miles of sandy coastline washed by turquoise waters, with interiors of rolling hills of tea, forested peak wilderness and valleys of lush rainforest teeming with flora and fauna.
Sri Lanka boasts 2500 hundred years of living history lying at the maritime crossroads of the East & West, providing the traveller with the opportunity to discover the living history of an ancient culture, from the ruins of the magnificent cities and citadels of the Kings of ancient Sri Lanka, to the beautiful forts and harbour cities of its colonial past.
Discover the evolution of this unique land, a country born of the ancient cultures of southern and northern India, influenced by the traders from the ancient world and by colonial occupation of firstly the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally the British that have transformed this Island into the truly unique culture that is Sri Lanka today.
Welcome to Sri Lanka “a land like no other”.
The great traveller Marco Polo discovered Sri Lanka and wrote of it as being the finest Island of its size, but long before this Sri Lanka was known to the classical world of Rome and Greece as ‘Taprobane’. To ancient Arabia, as ‘Serendib,’ and in the renowned classical writings of the civilisations of the subcontinent it was known as ’Lanka.’
Renowned in the ancient world as the island of gemstones & spices (commodities that 2500 years later still make up a major part of Sri Lanka’s export industry) the Island has always been frequented by travellers from around the world seeking commerce.
For 2000 years the ancient kingdoms of Sri Lanka prospered. The rise and fall of these kingdoms are a history of intrigue, war and conquests between the ancient civilisations of India, Burma, Cambodia and Lanka. The ancient ruins of these great kingdoms are one of the highlights for travellers to Sri Lanka.
The invading armies of the great European colonisers commenced with the Portuguese in the 1505 AD who were usurped by the Dutch in 1602 AD and finally the British in 1796 AD. The attraction of the island to these colonial powers was the strategic importance of the country which straddled the trade routes between east and the west, allowing these empires to maintain their nautical superiority in the region. This was further complemented with the rich source of spices and gemstones that were abundant in the island.
The Island known as Ceylon under the British gained independence in 1948 and reclaimed its Sanskrit name of antiquity Sri Lanka – The Resplendent Isle.
This rich native history and over 450 years of European influence in this country have created a rich and diverse culture, Sri Lanka is a country rich in the influence of both endemic and colonial legacies, resulting in the development of a truly unique world culture.
One of the highlights of Sri Lanka is its people. You are likely to come away with the impression that the Sri Lankans are a nation of “smiling” people. It is almost impossible not to get a beaming smile from every Sri Lankan you meet; underlying this is the inherent friendly, laidback and hospitable nature of Sri Lankans.
Sri Lanka is made up of multiple ethnic communities that have called this Island home for centuries. This mix of cultures has contributed to the unique and fascinating culture that is Sri Lanka.
The Sinhalese make up almost 74% of the population of the Island and are primarily followers of the teaching of the Buddha. The origins of the Sinhalese are attributed to a migration from Northern India around the 6th century BC. Legend has it that the founding father of the Sinhala nation was a disgraced Indian prince, Vijaya, who with his entourage was banished from his father’s kingdom and made landfall in Sri Lanka where he met and married the queen of the aboriginal natives of Sri Lanka whose offspring grew to create the unique civilisation, language and culture that thrives to this day.
The Tamils constitute 18% of the population of Sri Lanka and are primarily followers of the Hindu faith. The Tamils have been apart of Sri Lanka for centuries with the earliest migration being fisher folk from southern India. This was followed by generations of invading forces of Chola and other empires of Southern India into the North of Sri Lanka, which to this day remains the stronghold of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.
The Muslims account for 9% of the population and are known as the Moors of Sri Lanka. They are the descendants of Arab & Indian traders who came to the Island in search of gems & spices. The Moors of Sri Lanka have been recognised as being part of the Island for over 1000 years. A smaller part of this ethnic group is the Malays, who arrived on the island, during the Dutch occupation from the island of Java.
On your travels you may meet a ‘Burgher.’ Maybe a blond haired, blue eyed individual who speaks perfectly accented Sinhalese. They are the descendants of the Portuguese, Dutch and British, who occupied Sri Lanka. The Burghers are primarily of the Christian faith. In many cases the Burgher blood lines are not mixed, evidenced by the mass migration of Burghers to Australia, after Sri Lanka gained independence, which occurred during the existence of the ‘White Australia policy’. Today the majority of the Burghers, while holding onto their proud heritage have mixed with the other races of Sri Lanka.
The Veddhas are the original inhabitants of Sri Lanka. The Veddhas known as ‘the People of the Forest’ continue to live a hunter and gatherer lifestyle, existing in small groups in the North Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. There is much debate as to how many true Veddhas exist today. It is believed that apart from a handful most Veddhas are now of mixed blood. They are however, proud of their culture and continue to maintain their way of life.
The Republic of Sri Lanka is one of Asia’s strongest democracies, the country is led by an executive president and prime minister under a parliamentary and common law model adopted from the United Kingdom. Since gaining her independence from the British in 1948, Sri Lanka has retained a democratic process throughout its modern history surviving a brief but difficult socialist period in the 60’s. The country follows a constitution that limits the terms that can be served in office by the President and the Prime minister to two.
Sri Lanka’s story post independence is one of triumph and sadness. In the 70’s the country rose to being one of Asia strongest economies rivalling Singapore in the region, whilst boasting the world’s first women prime minister elected in the 1960’s, in addition to a literacy rate of 92% which to this day remains one of the highest in Asia. However, it quickly slid from this height to a country in a state of civil war as the price was paid for poor leadership decisions post independence which created a rift between the Sinhalese and Tamil populations of the nation resulting in a brutal civil war.
With the civil war reaching its climatic end in May 2009, the Island once again looks to a bright future. In the meantime life in Sri Lanka continues to go on with its usual Islander flamboyancy and charm. As the nation looks to a new era in its history, it retains much of it old charm not restricted to the shy, warm smile of the locals.
