Ever heard about the pearl of Indian ocean? No? well don't worry you are about to find out. A small Island located in the southeast coast of India full of smiley people, dream beaches, cultural treasures and rich biodiversity currently name as Sri Lanka. Interesting right?Over the time Sri Lanka has acquired many nick names that reflects it's rich culture heritage and landscapes, serendib /serendip'' , pearl of the Indian ocean'' , a drop of tears in the Indian ocean'' are few of them. And until 1972 Sri Lanka Known as Ceylon, any specific thing come to your mind with the mention of Ceylon? Yes it's Ceylon Tea, one of the finest tea produce in Sri Lanka.
Demography
Sri lanka is diverse country home to many religions, ethnicities and languages. According to the census of population the current population of Sri Lanka is 21.4 M, the Sinhalees people are the majorities although there are many ethnic minorities including Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and aboriginal vadda people.
History
The documented history of Sri Lanka spans three thousand years.One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana which provides details of a kingdom named lanka that has been created by the divine sculptor vishwakarma. According to Mahavasama a chronical written in Pali Language, the ancient period of Sri Lanka begaind in 543 BC with the landing of prince Vijaya who sailed 860 nautical miles on eight ships to Sri Lanka with 700 followers from the southwest coast of what is now Rarh region of west Bengal. 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.
Geography
The Geography Of Sri lanka can roughly be divided into three zones based of elevation: the central highlands , the plains and the costal belt. The highest point Piduruthalagal, reaching 2,524 meters (8,281 ft) above sea level. The climate is tropical and warm, due to the moderating effect of ocean winds. Temperature ranges from 17 celcius in central highlands to maximum of 33 celcius in other low-altitude areas. The raining patterns of Sri Lanka influenced by monsoon winds from Indian Ocean and bay of Bengal.
Biodiversity
Sri Lanka is one of the 34 biodiversity hotspot in the world. The wet zone rainforest provide home to nearly all the country's endemic woody plants and about 75% of endemic animals. Sri Lanka also has rich agro-biodiversity due to a unique hydraulic system that has flourished in the country for many centuries, and to the selection practices of the farmers and adaption to varied ecological conditions. With 1,620 km of coastline rich marine and coastal biodiversity is also represented, notably including 208 species od hard corals and 756 species of marine molluscs.
culture
The culture of Sri Lanka dates back over 2500 years. It is influenced primarily by Buddhism and Hindunism. The country has a rich artistic traditions, embracing the fine arts including music dance and visual arts. Sri lankan culture is reflected in cuisine, festivals and sport , the culture has it's own influence from colonisation by portuguese , the Dutch and the British. Sri Lankan culture is well known in the world for it's food , herbals and medicines, religious icons , architecture and many other cultural aspects.
