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It was Tambapanni to Emperor Asoka of
India, Taprobane to the Greeks and Romans, Serendib to the
Arab seafarers, Hsi-lan-ch’ih to the Chinese, Ceilao to the
Portuguese, Ceylaan to the Dutch, Ceylan to the French and
Ceylon to the British.
Now it is Sri Lanka - the Resplendent
Island.
Sri Lanka, the navigational
hub of the Orient in the ancient world, is an island in
the Indian Ocean located between 5°55´ and 9°55´ N latitude
and 79°42´ and 81°52´ E longitude close to the southern
tip of the Indian sub-continent. From north to south it
has a maximum length of 447 km and at its widest point it
measures 219 km. with a total land area of 65,610 sq. km.
The Island enjoys pleasant tropical climate relatively hot
in the plains and cooler in the central highlands. The majority
is Sinhalese (74%) who speak an Indo-Aryan language called
Sinhala. Other major ethnic groups are Tamils (18.1%) and
Moors (7.1%). Majority of the population is Buddhist (69.3%).
(For other religious and ethnic groups click population)
Most of the Sri Lankans speak English.
Today the Island offers all
its visitors a breathtaking array of fine sandy beaches,
beautiful landscapes, impressive archaeological and historical
sites, rich fauna & flora, mouth watering cuisine and
friendly people. Sri Lanka offers something for everyone
and makes sure that nobody leaves disappointed. As one of
the great travel destinations in the world, no traveler
is complete without a visit to this pearl of the Indian
Ocean which truly is a land like no other. |
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