Welcome to Sri Lanka!
Geography
Sri Lanka is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of India. It is known for its diverse and beautiful geography, ranging from the lush green hills of the hill country to the golden sandy beaches of the coastal regions. The total land area of the country is 65,610 square kilometers, and it is home to a variety of ecosystems and landscapes. Sri Lanka is divided into nine provinces, each with its own distinct climate and geography. The central highlands are home to the highest peak in the country, Pidurutalagala, which stands at an impressive 2,524 meters. The lowlands of the country are home to a variety of rivers, lagoons, and wetlands, while the coastal regions are known for their stunning beaches and coral reefs. Sri Lanka is also home to many national parks and wildlife reserves, providing a safe haven for a variety of species.
Ethnicity
The Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island nation located in South Asia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the southwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southeast, and the Arabian Sea to the northwest. Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual nation, with a population of approximately 21 million people.
The country is home to four major ethnic groups, namely the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and Burghers. The Sinhalese make up the majority of the population, accounting for 75.2% of the total population, followed by the Tamils at 11.2%, the Muslims at 7.4%, and the Burghers at 0.5%. The majority of the population is Buddhist, accounting for 70.2%, followed by Hinduism at 12.6%, Islam at 9.7%, and Christianity at 7.4%. The official language is Sinhala, but English is widely spoken and understood. Sri Lanka has a literacy rate of 92.6%. The median age of the population is 32.5 years, and the population is growing at a rate of 1.1%.
Education
Sri Lanka has a long history of providing education to its citizens. Education in Sri Lanka is divided into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
Primary education in Sri Lanka is provided free of charge by the government. All children aged 5–13 are required to attend school and complete their primary education. Primary education consists of five years of schooling, with students typically enrolling in Grade 1 at age 5. Primary education is followed by four years of secondary education.
Secondary education in Sri Lanka is offered in both public and private schools. Students typically enter secondary school at age 14 and complete the course of study in four years. Subjects studied in secondary school include English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, and Religion.
Tertiary education in Sri Lanka is provided by universities, professional colleges, and technical institutes. Universities offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in a variety of fields, such as engineering, medicine, law, and business. Professional colleges offer diplomas and certificates in specialized fields such as nursing, teaching, and information technology. Technical institutes offer vocational training in areas such as auto repair, carpentry, and plumbing.
In addition to the formal education system, Sri Lanka also offers a range of informal education opportunities. These include adult literacy programs, vocational training, and community-based education initiatives.
Healthcare
Sri Lanka has a comprehensive healthcare system that provides free healthcare to its citizens. The healthcare system is made up of both public and private hospitals and clinics, and is supported by an extensive network of primary health care centers. The government provides subsidies for medical treatment and drugs, and also provides free vaccinations for children. The country has a high doctor-patient ratio and is known for its quality medical care. It is also home to world-class medical research and education institutions.
History
Sri Lanka is a small island nation located off the southeastern coast of India. It has a long and rich history, dating back to the 5th century BC. Over the centuries, Sri Lanka has been ruled by many different dynasties, including the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Sinhalese, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.
Sri Lanka is home to a diverse population, with a variety of ethnic and religious groups. Buddhism is the main religion, and has been since the 3rd century BC. Hinduism and Islam are also practiced by many people in Sri Lanka.
The country has a rich cultural heritage, with a variety of festivals, dances, and music. Sri Lankan cuisine is also well-known for its unique blend of spices and flavors.
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a long and bloody conflict that took place from 1983 to 2009. This conflict was fought between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a Tamil separatist group. The war resulted in thousands of deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Since the end of the Civil War, Sri Lanka has made great strides in rebuilding the country and restoring peace and stability. In recent years, the economy has grown steadily and the country has become a popular tourist destination.
Sri Lanka is a fascinating country with a long and fascinating history. From its ancient empires to its modern-day conflicts, Sri Lanka has a story to tell.
Lifestyle
The lifestyle of Sri Lankans is heavily influenced by their culture and religion. Family is highly valued, and traditional values such as respect for elders, hospitality, and generosity are held in high regard. Education is also important and most Sri Lankans value a good education.
Sri Lankans enjoy a variety of activities and hobbies, including cricket, soccer, and other sports. Music, art, and theater are also popular, and Sri Lanka has a vibrant music and film industry. The cuisine of Sri Lanka is a mix of traditional dishes as well as influences from Indian, Chinese, and European cuisines.
This beautiful island nation is located in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of India. It is a diverse and vibrant country, with a rich history, culture, and natural beauty.
Sri Lanka has a long history, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods. It is home to the oldest human-planted tree in the world, the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi, and was an important center of Buddhism for over two millennia.
The country is home to many different ethnic groups, including Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims, as well as smaller minorities such as Burghers, Malays, and Veddas. Each of these groups has its own unique culture and traditions, making Sri Lanka a truly multicultural nation.
Sri Lanka is also renowned for its stunning landscapes, from lush jungles and majestic mountains to white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. It is a paradise for nature lovers, with an abundance of wildlife and a wide array of outdoor activities to enjoy.
We hope you enjoy your stay in Sri Lanka and wish you a wonderful time exploring this beautiful and diverse country.
Then down the hills , from tea kingdom comes the beautiful Natural Rubber Plantations, where people tap the white stem bark of rubber trees to drain milk white latex to small cup like coconut shells, the latex is collected into baskets and carried on the head to factories to process into brown sheets. Tourists are fascinated by the rubber tapping and processing factories, most works are done by women folks. The next year of lower down plat land is conquered by beautiful Cocoanut plantations, where mature nuts are plucked by men either climbing trees or with long sticks as tall as 40-50 feet. The nuts are husked by men using pointed pegs fix in the ground. It’s a fantastic technique where men hoist as much as a thousand nuts a day.
These fascinated workers are common sites for tourists. The drying and then extraction of coconut oil in factories are another attractions of tourists. Wonderful sites on the road side in tiny huts are yellow young coconut or king coconuts selling damsels for tourists, the young coconut water is a famous sweet drink of tourists and quench their thirst. They too eat the tender coconut kernel which has a lovely texture and taste. The low lying flat lads are famous rice paddy farming areas, people mostly in their loin clothes work in the rice paddies which are harvested mostly by women and rice paddy is extracted using buffalos . These are beautiful attractions of tourists as this ancient techniques are never found elsewhere in the world
Forests
The jungles of the small island is rich in wild fauna and flora. The most fascinated among are the Wild Asian elephants, Elephaus maximus , these can be seen in guess in places like Udawalawe, Yaala, Wilpaththu, Minneriya, some herds are large as 40-75 elephants with feeding mother elephants calves.
Needless to mention, the country has elephant orphanage at Pinnawela, where close to 10” elephants are well liked after and taken to river for bathing daily, a fantastic site of attraction of tourists, a well organized hotels is located for them to watch these magnificent giants. Wildlife sanctuaries are located at a couple of places and bears, deers and sabers can be seen frequently, in Horton Plains,
Beautiful and diversed North of the Island
Our most intriguing are of the Island is the North. Jaffna, fantastic homes covered in all four sides with palm leave fens . Very friendly people and their food is unique to north, the so called “ thossi and Vadei are my favorites . The fermented sap of a Palm tree called northern thal, omg, fantastic. It’s called Thal Raa , I enjoyed it for 6 months when I lived in Velvetithrri to go to Sea for my Marine reasearch in Flying fish. I ventured into sea up to Madras in South India. Lively sight to observe Flying fish but a bit far from shore. The Hindu Temples in north , for Tamil speaking Sri Lankans are a real unique for the entire island, I was fascinated by the rituals of our Hindus . Needless to say the Buddhist Temple off shore in the city of Jaffna, the Naaga Deepa . The marine life up in north is fabulous and dominated by corals, crabs, shrimps, lovely to eat.
Ocean
Oceanic beauty is not found elsewhere in the world. . Beaches are fantastic, especially down south Unawatuna and Mount Lavinia, the East Coast, around Trincomalee Nilaweli is , north of Trincomalee or we call it Trinco is fantastic, excellent facilities, Imgur the the foods, Sea foods like Lagokn Crabs, fresh Oceanic fish like Seer fish, Tuna , Groupers , above all the famous Flying fish from May to August, omg no where else in the Wirld, Mark my word if you want to watch Giant Whales, Benin Truncoalee , hire a motor boat and sail for one hour, you see a dozen of giants of th Sea like Humbacks , Sperms of course the Blues as well.
The lovely sky hopping Indian Ocean bottle nose dolphins, they are in thousands, can be seen between 11 am to 3.00 pm, it’s a fantastic opportunity that no one must avoid. On the other side of the East coast, the beaches off Pasicuda , omg, such beautiful corals, one can see these wonders of the Sea by staying in Ananthaya Hitels. Lovely, of course, this is not all the famous Arugambay further south, in the south east corner, of the Island, it’s an Ocean Paradise, The most attractive place and popular tourist site is Unawatuna, where every home a bunch of tourists live quite comfortably, in beautiful small rooms , of course with a beautiful net hanging from room top to protect from insects. But no danger to our tourists, the Sea I’d fabulous , girls are bathing in their short panties without any fear of bad goons, it was fantastic.