Sri Lanka elephant safaris wild life and camping

Sri Lanka has a rich and exotic variety of wildlife and a long tradition of conservation rooted in its 2,230 year old Buddhist civilization. The following are the most important sanctuaries in terms of attractions, accessibility and availability of facilities.

Animal Sanctuaries
The animals to be seen in Sri Lanka's national parks include elephant, leopard, sloth bear, sambhur, deer and monkeys, wild buffalo, wild boar (pig), porcupine, ant-eater, civet cat, jackal, mongoose, loris several varieties of lizards, squirrels, reptiles and amphibians. Each park however has its own specialties.

• Yala(Ruhunu) National Park
• Wilpattu National Park
• Maduru Oya National Park
• Gal Oya National Park
• Bundala National Park
• Horton Plains National Park
• Udawalawe National Park
• Wasgamuwa National Park
• Weerawila Tissa Sanctuary
• Udawattakele Sanctuary
• Knuckles Mountain Range

Where to see Elephants in Sri Lanka

Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of the few remaining mega-herbivores in the world. The Sri Lanka elephant population about 2,500 � 3,000 Elephants and about 7% of world population. This large number of Elephants in a relatively small land, the chance of Elephant sightings is very high in Sri Lanka.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage first of its kind in the world is a unique place where abandoned and disable Elephants get lot of care and protection. This place is one of the world�s best Elephant breeding centers as well.

Jeep safaris in National Parks will give good opportunities to see the social behavior of the Elephants. To make it more exciting one can campout within the National Park for one night. Elephant back safari through a jungle track will be a memorable experience.

Sri Lanka's Best Elephants Locations

Yala, Habarana, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Maduruoya, Wasgomuwa, Lahugala, Galoya, Inginiyagala, Thanamalwila are best to see large number of wild elephants.

Domestic Elephants are found at Pinnawala, Ratnapura, Kandy, Kagalle.

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage

See baby jumbos wondering around their cramped foster home or bottle fed and bathed by their human foster fathers at Pinnawala, about 90Km from Colombo towards Kandy is the home to some 60 or more elephant orphans. A place you will really enjoy and never forget. Most orphans are accustomed to their curious human visitors are harmless.

Started in 1972 the Elephant Orphanage was relocated to at the present site in 1975 Bathing time at Ma Oya just in front of the orphanage is sharp at 10.00am and 2.00pm. Feeding time is about and hour earlier.
See baby jumbos wondering around their cramped foster home or bottle fed and bathed by their human foster fathers at Pinnawala, about 90Km from Colombo towards Kandy is the home to some 60 or more elephant orphans. A place you will really enjoy and never forget. Most orphans are accustomed to their curious human visitors are harmless.

Started in 1972 the Elephant Orphanage was relocated to at the present site in 1975 Bathing time at Ma Oya just in front of the orphanage is sharp at 10.00am and 2.00pm. Feeding time is about and hour earlier.


Medirigiriya

Visit Medirigiriya temple. Medirigiriya is famous for its 7th century Vatadage Temple atop a low rocky point. There are 3 concentric rows of pillars, making a total of 68, surrounding 4 large seated Buddha�s facing the four directions.
However our main concern here is to show the historical evidence of cultural association of elephant in Sri Lanka. Elephant wall (�Ath paura�) is a characteristic feature of the temples from ancient times to now.
In the evening do a jeep safari either at Kaudulla or Minneriya.
Minneriya National Park

Do a safari of Minneriya National Park by jeep. The Minneriya tank and the wetlands in this National Park provide very important habitats for animal and plant species found in this park. Wild elephants, various amphibians, local and immigrant bird species are plenty in this park. During the dry season large number of elephants moves in to this park. One can see more than 150 elephants at a time during this period. (Number is greater than the whole elephant population in Nepal or Bhutan!). There are bamboo trees, which are rare in other parks.


Udawalawe National Park

Transfer from park entrance to the campsite by 4WD jeeps. You can have a lunch at campsite.
In the evening do a safari of The Udawalawe National Park by jeep. This is a dry zone park, which was declared as a national park in 1972. The park falls between Udawalawe reservoir and the Walawe River and is surrounded by the scenic beauty of the mountain ranges that keep on winding endlessly on the Balangoda, Kalthota and Haputale escarpments. This park is world famous for its elephants, seen in all their playfulness, whole herds of them, adults and babies bathing and playing in the water or feeding.

IIn addition to the elephants, spotted deer, sambhur, barking deer, gray langur, water buffalo and jackal are some of the prominent wild animals found in this park. Serpent eagles, hawk eagles, white bellied sea eagles, black capped bulbuls, malabar pied horn bills, white necked storks, open bills, white ibis, white rumped-shama the forest Nightingale, stork billed kingfishers and peacocks are also found in fair numbers.

Sri Lanka Elephants

Sri Lankan elephants known as Aliya or Etaha (tusker) by local people are the most loved animal by Sri Lankans. The have a fascinating behavior to watch and has a great National value as a tourist attraction. There are many National parks around the country to see elephants. Pinnawala established and Udawalawe the worlds first elephant orphanages which take care of baby elephants who lost their way or injured in the jungle. The travelers to Sri Lanka enjoy Watching and Photographing and riding on the elephants, Going on Elephant back Safaris in Jungle and Elephant Parades in Festivals.

Although there have been about 36000 elephants with the start of this century it has reduced up to about 2000 due to porching. according to the recent records about 2000 of them scattered all over the country in small pockets and about 500 of them are domesticated.

Randenigala Wild Life Santuary

Situated in the eatern part of Sri Lanka, Galoya is an ecological destination and a National Park which centered around the Senanayaka Samudra Reservoir the largest inland body of water in Sri Lanka, Wild Life an Irrigational Culture of a District of many communities. Galoya is a great place for bird watching, nature expeditions and Elephants. Galoya also has several Archeological Site with ancient Ruins.

How to get there
You can reach Galoyala from Kandy Mahiyangana through Ampara or from Batticaloa coming from North or from Down south via Monaragagala

Habarana National Park

Elephants are the main attraction in Habarana National Park on the way to the north. The Tank, forest and the peaceful environment of Habarana is appreciated by any tourist who enjoys wild life and elephant safaris , birds and nature.



How to get there
You can reach Habarana from Dambulla or from Anuradhapura on your way towards Trincomalee

Minneriya National Park

This ancient city by the Tank built by King parakramabahu is a habitat for wild life and birds. Minneriya now a wild life and Games park is an ideal destination to see wild life and elephants.




How to get there
You can reach Minneriya from Dambulla or from Polonnaruwa

Kumana National Park

Known as Yala East Kuman is Sri Lankas best Destination to see large number of migratory bird and aquatic birds including flamingos, herons, ibis and many others nest in the mangrove swamps especially in May and June. You can see endemic Red faced Malkoha in forest areas. You can also see herds of elephants and some times spot leopards and are bears too.




How to get there
You can reach Kumana through Yala National Park

Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu is one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka Located in Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka. The park lies within the North-central & North-western providences. The area of the park is 131693 ha. The unique feature of this park is the existence of “Willus” (Natural lakes).

As the park lies in dry zone rainfall is highly seasonal. Inter-monsoonal rains in March and the northeast monsoon (December – February) are the main sources of rainfall. Mean annual rainfall is about 1000 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 27�C.

The park consists of willus, dry-lowland forests, scrublands, open grasslands and coastal belt. Characteristic feature of the park is that majority of park area is covered with dense forest.

The vegetation dominated by tree species such as Palu (Manilkara hexandra), Weera (Drypetes sepiaria) & Satin (Chloroxylon swietenia). Milla (Vitex altissima), Ebony (Diospyros ebenum) and Wewarana (Alseodaphne semecaprifolia) are also found in fair numbers.

Elephants, leopards, sloth bear, water buffalo and spotted deer are among the large mammals. Coastal belt and willus support abundant birdlife such as painted storks, white ibis, open bills, Whistling teals, spoonbills, cormorants and kingfishers. Apart from them serpent eagles, great racket tail Drongo, Malabar pied hornbills, crested hawk eagles & Sri Lanka junglefowls are commonly seen. Both water monitors and mugger crocodiles can be seen in the willus.

Horton Plains National Park

Horton Plains National Park is in the highlands of the country belonging to central province. This is the highest plateau in the country. This was declared as a National Park in 1988. The park area is 3160 hectare.

The second & third highest mountains of the country namely Kirigalpotta & Thotupola respectively are found within the borders of the park. Park receives rainfall from both northeast & southwest monsoons as well as inter-monsoonal rains. Frequently occurring mist and clouds are one main source of precipitation. With annual precipitation of about 5000mm Horton Plains is the most important catchments area of the country. Three major rivers of the country start from this area namely Kelani, Walawe & the Mahaweli the longest river of the country. There is a slight dry period between January to March. Due to altitude the area is comparatively cold. Mean annual temperature is around 15�C and during colder months it will go down further where it is cold enough to create ground frost.

Park consists of montane cloud forests embedded in wet montane grasslands. Horton Plains has rich biodiversity. Most of the fauna and flora found in the park are endemic and furthermore some of them are confined to highlands of the island.

Forests are dominated by Calophyllum sp. & Syzygium sp. Giant tree fern Cyathea sp. and colourful Rhododrendron are among the main attractions. Park is also famous for beautiful flowers of endemic Nellu (Strobilanthes sp.), Bovitiya (Osbeckia sp.), Binara (Exacum trinervium) and many other orchid species. Endemic dwarf Bamboo (Arundinaria densifolia) dominates the edges of the river while Chrysopogon zeylanicum and Garnotia mutica dominate the grasslands.

Though this was one of the best elephant habitats in the country they are locally extinct due to poaching & sports hunting occurred during the British colonial era. Leopard and Sambhur & wild boar are the most common large mammals in Horton Plains. Endemic Bear Monkey, Rusty- Spotted and Fishing cats, Otter, Black napped hare and Giant Squirrel are among other mammals. Many species of endemic & threatened rats & shrews are also found in the park. Diversity & endemicity of reptiles (Lizards) and amphibians are remarkably high.
Though this is cold highland plateau the bird diversity is very high. More than 70% of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds are found here.

Weerawila Wild Life Santuary

This dry zone sanctuary is mainly comprises with three lakes namely, Weerawila wewa, Debara wewa and Pannagamuwa wewa. Yodha wewa and Tissa wewa are another two lakes, which located little far away from above three lakes. All these lakes are act as ideal habitats for shorebirds. Since they are situated close to south coast and Bundala National Park, which is the south most destination of the migratory birds of Sri Lanka lot of migratory birds also can be seen here. Egrets, Cormorants, Asian Openbill, White Ibis, Eurasian Spoonbill and many winter migrants can be seen here. Being the most prominent water resources in the area these tanks attracts considerable number of animals during the dry season. However the most common animal of the area is feral Buffalos.


How to get there
Weerawila can be reached from South Coast on your way from Yala
passing Hambantota a fascinating fishing town with a Natural harbour.

Maduruoya National Park

Maduruoya is situated by Kuda Sigiriya a great eco location yet to be explored by travelers to Sri Lanka. You can see large elephant herd reaching maduruoya reservoir.

Maduruoya well known elephant habitat. Other than elephant, leopard, sloth bear, sambhur, spotted and barking deer, wild boar and wild buffalo are also found here. Torque Macaque, Purple face leaf monkey and nocturnal slender Loris is also found in the park. Lesser Adjutant, Wooly necked stork, open bill, painted stork, Racket tailed Drongo, Yellow fronted barbet, Sri Lanka Junglefowl & Spurfowl are among the over 100 species of birds found within the park.


How to get there
Maduruoya can be reached through Matale and Hettipola or from Dehiattakandiya coming from Polonnaruwa or from Mahiyangana.
Maduruoya is closer to Wasgomuwa National park.

Wasgamuwa National Park

Wasgamuwa National Park was originally declared as strict nature reserve in 1938 and then change to a national park in 1984. The park lies within central and north- central provinces. The total park area is 39,322 ha.

Rainfall is mainly by northeast monsoon (December � February) and inter-monsoonal rains. Mean annual rainfall varies from 1750mm in dry zone area to 2250 in intermediate zone. Mean annual temperature is around 27�C.

Park consists of riverine forest, dry mixed evergreen forest, grasslands and wetlands. As park is almost surrounded by Mahaweli & Amban Rivers, riverine forest area is fairly large.

Flora of the park consists of Palu (Manilkara hexandra), Weera (Drypetes sepiaria), Satin (Chloroxylon swietenia), Wa (Cassia roxburghii), Gal Siyambala (Dialium ovoideum) and Ebony (Diospyros ebenum). The riverine forest dominated by Kumbuk (Terminalia arjuna), Mee (Madhuca longifoloa) and Thimbiri (Diospyros malabarica). Grasslands mainly consist of (Imperata cylindrica).

Wasgamuwa is famous as an elephant habitat. These elephants are known to be less habituated to people and are more wildish. Other than elephant, leopard, sloth bear, sambhur, spotted and barking deer, wild boar and wild buffalo are also found here. Torque Macaque, Purple face leaf monkey and nocturnal slender Loris is also found in the park. Lesser Adjutant, Wooly necked stork, open bill, painted stork, Racket tailed Drongo, Yellow fronted barbet, Sri Lanka Junglefowl & Spurfowl are among the over 100 species of birds found within the park.


How to get there
Wasgomuwa can be reached through Matale and Hettipola or from Dehiattakandiya coming from Polonnaruwa or from Mahiyangana.

Udawalawe National Park

The Udawalawe National Park situated in the dry zone of the country and belonging to Sabaragamuwa & Uva provinces. The park area is 30,821 ha. The park was established in 1972.

The park lies within dry zone and small segment lies within intermediate zone. The long dry season is characteristic feature. Main source of rainfall is southwest monsoon (May � September) and mean annual rainfall is about 1520mm. the mean annual temperature is around 29�C.

Park consists of dry lowland forest, riverine forest, thorny scrublands and grasslands. One special attraction of the park is the Udawalawe reservoir and the Walawe River which flows through the park.

The main tree species found in the forest area are the satin (Chloroxylon swietenia), Milla (Vites pinata), ebony (Diospyros ebenum) and Ehala (Cassia fistula). Riverine forest dominated by Kumbuk (Terminalia arjuna) & Mandora (Hopea cordifolia). Mana (Cymbopogon confertiflorus), Illuk (Imperata cylindrica) and Daminiya (Grewia tiliaefolia) are found in grasslands & scrublands.

Udawalawe National Park is world famous for its large elephant populations. In this park one can observe elephants at any given time of the day. Other than Elephants water buffalo, spotted & barking deer, wild boar, sambhur, jackal & ruddy, grey & striped necked mongoose are also found in this park. Though the leopard, jungle & fishing cats have recorded in the park sightings are very rare.

The park is also famous for birdlife. Crested serpent eagle, changeable hawk eagle, white-bellied sea eagle & grey-headed fishing eagle are the main raptors found in the park. Painted stork, open bill, little & Indian cormorant, Indian darter, many species of waders are also found within the park. Among the forest birds are the warblers, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Malabar pied hornbill, Sikir Malkoha, Blue face Malkoha, common Caucal, and grey hornbill.

How to get there
Uda walawe is easily accessible via Ratnapura after a 4 hours drive. You can also reach Udawalawe from Downsouth via Tangalla or Hambantota. Udawalawe is closer to Haputale and Bandarawela if you are coming from central hills. Yala National Park also near by Udawalawe.

Yala (Ruhunu) National Park

Yala National Park is situated in the southeast region of the island in the dry zone boarding the Indian Ocean. Park area is belonging to two provinces namely South and Uva Provinces. The total area of the park (which is of 5 blocks) is 97,881 ha but only Block I and Block II are open for visitors.

The park was initially established in 1938 only with block I and other blocks were included later.Rainfall is highly seasonal. Main source of rainfall is Northeast monsoons (December – February) and inter monsoonal rains during March-April. Mean Annual Rainfall: 900 – 1300 mm. Area is experiencing drought during June –October. Mean annual Temperature 27o C. Daily temperature above 30oC is not uncommon.Vegetation is mainly consists of Secondary lowland dry monsoon forest & semi arid thorny scrublands. Small patches of riverine forest, mangroves, sand dunes and dry grasslands also presented.

Forest area is dominated by Palu (Manilkara hexandra), Weera (Drypetes sepiaria), Malitthan (Salvadora persica), Ehala (Cassia fistula), Divul (Limonia acidissima) and Kohomba (Azadirachta indica). Thorny scrubland is dominated by Eraminia (Ziziphus.sp) and Andara (Dichrostachys cinerea). Sonneratia, Acanthus, Rhizopora and Lumnitzera species dominate the mangrove vegetation.

All the big game mammals of the country are found within the park. Elephant, Leopard, sloth bear, Spotted Dear, Wild Boar and sambhur. Apart from them small mammals such as Black naped hare, Grey, Ruddy & Striped necked mongoose, Grey Langur & porcupine are common small mammals.

Park is also famous for its abundant bird life. Over140 species have recorded so far within the park. Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested serpent Eagle, Malabar pied Hornbill, Jungle fowl, painted Stork, White Ibis and Black necked Stork are commonly seen

How to get there
You can reach yala from South coast via Tangalla and Hambantota or via Udawalawe from Ratnapura, Haputale or via Bandarawela, Tanamalwila from Nuwaraeliya. Yala is close to Udawalawe national park

Sri Lanka National Parks

There are manyNational Parks you can visit in Sri Lanka. Yala is the largest national park. The National Parks of Sri Lanka are managed by the department of Wild Life and Conservation. National Parks are bit different from Wild Life sanctuaries which allow free movements. You need to obtain permission and a guide provided by the park. You are not supposed to get out from the vehicle under any circumstances.
You need drive a 4 WD vehicle and stay only in specified roads.

• Yala National Park
• Udawalawe National Park
• Wasgomuwa National Park
• Maduraoya National Park
• Weerawila national park
• Horton Plains National Park
• Bundala National Park
• Willpattu National Park
• Kumana National Park
• Minneriya National Park
• Giritale National Park
• Habarana National Park
• Lahugala National Park
• Galoya National Park
• Randenigala Santuary

Sri Lanka Nature Heritage

In Sri Lanka nature is considered as sacred heritage. It's a fact as the world's first Wild Life Centaury was established by King Devanam Piyatissa ( 307 B.C.) honoring the request made by the Arahath Mahinda Thero (the sun of Great King Dharmashoka who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka).

The Arahath Mahinda thero advised the King who was on a deer hunt when they meet at Ambastala Forest.

"Dear King ..
The animal who live in this land,
the birds fly in the sky,
and the fish swim in the rivers
have a right to their life like you and me.
As the King, you are not their owner,
but the protector and the ruler"

The King declared the Ambasthala (Currently Mihintale Forest) a wild life sanctuary and ordered his men and countrymen not to kill any animals in the forest any more.

Introducing Sri Lanka Ahangama & Midigama

This is Sri Lanka’s surfers’ paradise, known for its powerful left break. For the best surfing in Ahangama, head straight out from Kabalana Beach Hotel; in Midigama, look for the breaks near the 139km marker. The whole area is popular with surfers as it’s cheap to stay here and the breaks are never crowded. But apart from surfing, the area doesn’t have wide appeal; the beaches can be pretty thin and there’s no real concentration of places that appeal to travellers.

Note that the water covers lots of rocks, coral and other hazards. Also, besides a few guesthouses offering battered boards for rent (Rs 450 to 600 per day), there are no places selling surf gear or offering repairs – you’ll have to go to Hikkaduwa.

One worthwhile stop on this stretch of coast is the Sea Turtle Farm & Hatchery (0777 836115; admission Rs 150; 7am-7pm), midway between the 128km and 129km posts, where you can see baby turtles that are ready for release into the ocean here.

Introducing Sri Lanka Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada)

Located in a beautiful and fascinating area of the southern Hill Country, this lofty peak has sparked the imagination for centuries. It is variously known as Adam’s Peak (the place where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven), Sri Pada (Sacred Footprint, left by the Buddha as he headed towards paradise) or Samanalakande (Butterfly Mountain, where butterflies go to die). Some believe the huge ‘footprint’ on the top of the 2243m peak to be that of St Thomas, the early apostle of India, or even of Lord Shiva.

Whichever legend you care to believe, this place has been a pilgrimage centre for over 1000 years. King Parakramabahu and King Nissanka Malla of Polonnaruwa provided ambalamas (resting places to shelter weary pilgrims) up the mountain.

These days the pilgrimage season begins on poya day in December and runs until Vesak festival in May. The busiest period is January and February. At other times the temple on the summit is unused, and between May and October the peak is obscured by clouds for much of the time. During the pilgrimage season a steady stream of pilgrims (and the odd tourist) makes the climb up the countless steps to the top. They leave from the small settlement of Dalhousiehouse), 33km by road southwest of the tea town of Hatton, which is on the Colombo–Kandy–Nuwara Eliya railway and road. The route is illuminated in season by a string of lights, which look very pretty as they snake up the mountainside. Out of season you can still do the walk; you’ll just need a torch. Many pilgrims prefer to make the longer, much more tiring – but equally well-marked and lit – seven-hour climb from Ratnapura via the Carney Estate, because of the greater merit thus gained. (del-

It’s not only the sacred footprint that pilgrims seek. As the first rays of dawn light up the holy mountain you’re treated to an extremely fine view – the Hill Country rises to the east, while to the west the land slopes away to the sea. Colombo, 65km away, is easily visible on a clear day. It’s little wonder that English author John Stills, in his book Jungle Tide, described the peak as ‘one of the vastest and most reverenced cathedrals of the human race’.

Interesting as the ascent is, and beautiful as the dawn is, Adam’s Peak saves its pièce de résistance for a few minutes after dawn. The sun casts a perfect shadow of the peak onto the misty clouds down towards the coast. As the sun rises higher this eerie triangular shadow races back towards the peak, eventually disappearing into its base.

Introducing Sri Lanka

Travel Alert: Fighting between the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) has ceased, but northern Sri Lanka has been devastated by the conflict and political violence continues in the conflict's wake. Check the BBC for news updates and Safe Travel for current government warnings.

When the noted writer Sir Arthur C Clarke made his home in Sri Lanka in 1956, he claimed the island jewel of the Indian Ocean was the best place in the world from which to view the universe. The author of 2001: A Space Odyssey passed away in 2008, but no doubt the futurist would have logged on to Google Earth to gaze back at his island home from an online universe. And concealed in the sky-high imagery of this teardrop-shaped nation, he would have recognised an amazing diversity for somewhere so compact.

Fringing the coasts is an array of gently arcing golden-sand beaches, now making a comeback after the devastation wreaked by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Zoom closer to spy the giant tanks (artificial reservoirs) built by the first Sinhalese rulers around the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Pollonaruwa. In the Hill Country, a layer of cotton wool clouds obscures the view, mirroring the misty mornings travellers often experience in this area of waterfalls and verdant tea plantations.

To the northwest, a gossamer-thin land bridge almost connects fragile Sri Lanka to the modern juggernaut that is India. Two and a half decades of civil war reinforces this bridge to Tamil Nadu is as much cultural as geographic.

Irrespective of their cultural background, Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim locals will welcome you with pride. Pride in their criminally underrated cuisine, pride in their national parks and wildlife, and – especially – pride in their national cricket team. Whether you’re a humble three-wheeler jockey or a British-trained lawyer or doctor, the sport that frequently stops the nation is always worthy of discussion. How will the boys do in the upcoming series against New Zealand? Will the country be ready to host the World Cup in 2011? And have you seen how much that opening batsman from Kandy is earning in the new Indian Premier League?

Faced with funding a war and weathering a global financial crisis, Sri Lanka’s proud population has been doing it tough for a few years. But equipped with a stellar combination of scenery, culture and history, a growing focus on sustainable tourism and (hopefully) a more settled society, Sri Lanka is firmly back on the radar for curious travellers seeking unique experiences.

Sri Lanka

"Ceylon" redirects here. For the time period of 1948-1972, see Dominion of Ceylon. For other uses, see Ceylon

Sri Lanka (English pronunciation: /sriˈlɑːŋkə/, sriˈlæŋkə, or ʃriˈlɑːŋkə; local pronunciation: [ˌɕriːˈlaŋkaː]; Sinhala: , Tamil: இலங்கை), officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known as Ceylon (/sɪˈlɒn/) before 1972, is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India.

As a result of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia.^{[citation needed]} It has also been a center of the BuddhistHinduism. The SinhaleseTamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, form the largest ethnic minority. Other communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the indigenous Vedda people. religion and culture from ancient times as well as being a bastion of community forms the majority of the population;

The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon - which is native to the country. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist^{[citation needed]} The island also boasts the first female Prime Minister in the world, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. destination.

After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal and the Netherlands beginning in the 16th century, before control of the entire country was ceded to the British Empire in 1815.^{[citation needed]} During World War II, Sri Lanka served as an important base for Allied forces in the fight against the Japanese Empire. A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948.