A Tropical Island with 2,500 Years of Documented History
Sri Lanka — known historically as Ceylon until 1972 — is a tropical island the size of Ireland, located off the southeastern tip of India in the Indian Ocean. The country has one of the world’s oldest documented historical traditions, with continuous chronicles dating back to the 5th century BC. The Mahavamsa — the Pali-language chronicle of Sri Lankan history — was composed in the 5th-6th centuries AD and remains an exceptional source on Buddhist history and politics.
Sri Lanka’s recent history has been dominated by the 26-year civil war (1983-2009) between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), fought over Tamil minority autonomy in the north. The war killed an estimated 100,000 people and ended with the LTTE’s military defeat in 2009. The country is still working through reconciliation between its Sinhalese Buddhist majority (~74%) and Tamil Hindu minority (~12%).
The country experienced a severe economic crisis in 2022 — sovereign default, fuel and medicine shortages, mass protests that ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and an IMF bailout programme that has stabilised the economy partially. Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leftist party) was elected president in September 2024.
A Brief History
Ancient Sri Lanka
Indo-Aryan settlers from India arrived around the 6th century BC, founding the Sinhalese kingdoms of Anuradhapura (377 BC-1017 AD) and Polonnaruwa (1017-1232). Buddhism was introduced in the 3rd century BC and has remained the dominant religion ever since.
Colonial Period
Successive colonial powers controlled Sri Lanka — Portuguese (1505-1658), Dutch (1658-1796), and British (1796-1948). The British developed extensive tea plantations in the central highlands using Tamil labourers brought from India, contributing to the demographic foundations of later ethnic conflict.
Independence and Civil War
Independence in 1948. The 1956 Sinhala Only Act marginalised Tamils, contributing to escalating ethnic tensions. The civil war erupted in 1983 following anti-Tamil pogroms. The LTTE (Tamil Tigers) became one of the world’s most sophisticated insurgencies, controlling significant territory until military defeat in 2009.
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed over 35,000 Sri Lankans.
Geography and Climate
Sri Lanka covers 65,610 km² — about the size of West Virginia — with central highlands (peaking at Pidurutalagala, 2,524 m), coastal plains, and dry zones in the north and east.
Climate
Tropical with two monsoon seasons affecting different parts of the island at different times.
Culture, Language and Religion
Sinhala and Tamil are co-official languages. English is widely used in business.
Religion: approximately 74% Buddhist (Theravada), 12% Hindu, 10% Muslim, 7% Christian.
The Economy
Sri Lanka has a lower-middle-income economy (~$74 billion GDP in 2024, recovering from severe 2022 crisis). Key sectors: textiles and garments, tea (Ceylon tea remains globally famous), tourism, remittances.
Cuisine
Sri Lankan cuisine is sharper and spicier than most of South Asian regional cooking:
- Rice and curry — the staple meal, with multiple curries served alongside rice
- Hoppers (appa) — bowl-shaped fermented rice flour pancakes
- String hoppers (idiyappa) — steamed rice noodle nests
- Kottu roti — chopped roti stir-fried with vegetables and meat
- Pol sambol — fresh coconut chilli relish
Nature and UNESCO Sites
Sri Lanka has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Sacred City of Anuradhapura, Sacred City of Kandy, Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Ancient City of Sigiriya, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Old Town of Galle, Golden Temple of Dambulla, and Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.
Travel Guide
Entry & Best Seasons
Most Western nationalities need an ETA ($35). December-March is best for the south and west; May-September for the east and north.
Budget
Inexpensive — daily mid-range $50-$100.
Surprising Facts
- Sri Lanka is the world’s largest exporter of cinnamon, where the spice is native (cinnamon was historically called “Ceylon cinnamon” specifically).4
- Ceylon tea — produced from gardens above 600 metres in the central highlands — is among the world’s most prized teas; Sri Lanka is the world’s third-largest tea exporter.4
- The Sigiriya frescoes — painted around 477 AD on a sheer rock face — depict 21 women whose identities remain debated by archaeologists.1
- Sri Lanka has more leopards per square kilometre in Yala National Park than anywhere else on earth.1
- The country was the first in the world to elect a female prime minister — Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1960.6
- Sri Lanka’s flag features a lion holding a sword — derived from the Sinhalese Kingdom of Kandy’s flag.6
Sources and References
See the list of cited sources in the page frontmatter.