Sri Lanka is an island nation off the southeast coast of India with a population of over 20 million people. The majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist and the main ethnic groups are Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Sri Lankan Moors. Sri Lanka has a long history dating back over 2,500 years and was previously ruled by various kings. The culture has been influenced by Buddhism, South India, and European colonialism. Sri Lanka is known for its tea production, spices like cinnamon, and diverse cuisine that incorporates South Indian and Portuguese influences.

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2. SRI LANKA
Wonder of Asia

3. I am proud to say “I’m Sri Lankan” 3

4. ABOUT
Capital Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte
Colombo (executive and judicial)
Largest city Colombo
Official languages
Sinhala
Tamil
English
Ethnic groups
74.9% Sinhalese
11.2% Sri Lankan Tamils
9.2% Sri Lankan Moors
4.2% Indian Tamils
0.5% Others
Religion
70.2% Buddhism
12.6% Hinduism
9.7% Islam
7.4% Christianity
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5. National flag
Symbol Represents
1. The Lion The strength and magnanimity of the Sri Lankan nation
2. The bo leaves The four Buddhist virtues of loving-kindness, compassion,
sympathetic joy and equanimity
3. The sword of the lion The sovereignty of the nation
4. The curly hair on the lion's head Religious observance, wisdom and meditation
5. The eight hairs on lion's tail The Noble Eightfold Path
6. The beard of the lion Purity of words
7. The handle of the sword The elements of water, fire, air and earth
8. The nose of the lion Intelligence
9. The two front paws of the lion Purity in handling wealth
10. Orange stripe The Tamil ethnicity (including the Hill Country Tamils of Indian
ancestry)
11. Teal stripe The Moor ethnicity
12. Saffron border Buddhism and unity among the people
13. The maroon background The Sinhala ethnicity
14. The golden yellow border Other minority communities of Sri Lanka, such as the
Malays, the Burghers, the Indigenous Veddas, the Kaffirs and, the Sri Lankan
Chinese, who migrated to Sri Lanka during the 17th–19th centuries.
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6. National emblem
1. The emblem has four lions mounted
back to back on a circular abacus, facing
four different directions.
2. They represent courage, pride, power
and confidence. A circular abacus on which
the lions stand is adorned with the
engravings of a bull, a horse, and an
elephant.
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7. ADMINISTRATION OF SRI LANKA
• President
Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Prime Minister
Dinesh Gunawardena
• Speaker of the Parliament
Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena
• Chief Justice
Jayantha Jayasuriya
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8. History
2500 Years of recorded History
Sri Lanka was ruled by Kings from ancient times as far
back as the 3rd century B.C spanning over 2.500
years as recorded history depicts. Recent excavations
show that even during the Neolithic Age, there were
food gatherers and rice cultivators in Sri Lanka. Very
little is known of this period; documented history
began with the arrival of the Aryans from North India.
The Aryans introduced the use of iron and an
advanced form of agriculture and irrigation. They also
introduced the art of government. Of the Aryan
settlements, Anuradhapura grew into a powerful
kingdom under the rule of king Pandukabhaya.
According to traditional history he is accepted as the
founder of Anuradhapura.
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9. CULTURE
 The culture of Sri Lanka has been influenced by many
factors but has managed to retain much of its ancient
aspects. Mostly it has been influenced by its long history
and its Buddhist heritage. The country has a rich artistic
tradition, embracing the fine arts, including music, dance,
and visual arts. Sri Lankan lifestyle is reflected in the cuisine,
festivals, and sports. South Indian influences are visible in
many aspects. There are some influences from colonization
by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. Sri Lankan
culture is best known abroad for its cricket, food, holistic
medicine, religious icons like the Buddhist flag, and cultural
exports such as tea, cinnamon and gems. Sri Lankan culture
is diverse, as it varies from region to region.
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10. ARCHITECTURE
 The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of
architectural forms and styles. Buddhism had a significant
influence on Sri Lankan architecture. However techniques
and styles developed in Europe and Asia have also played
a major role in the architecture of Sri Lanka.
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11. MUSIC
 The two single biggest influences on Sri Lankan music are from Buddhism
and Portuguese colonizers. Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka after the
Buddhas visit in 300 BC, while the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century,
bringing with them cantiga ballads, the ukulele, and guitars, along with
African slaves, who further diversified the musical roots of the island.
These slaves were called kaffrinha, and their dance music was called baila.
Traditional Sri Lankan music includes the hypnotic Kandyan drums –
drumming was and is very much a part and parcel of music in both
Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka. Most western parts of Sri Lanka
follow western dancing and music.
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12. ARTS AND CRAFTS
 Many forms of Sri Lankan arts and crafts take inspiration from the Island
long and lasting Buddhist culture which in turn has absorbed and
adopted countless regional and local traditions. In most instances Sri
Lankan art originates from religious beliefs, and are represented in many
forms such as painting, sculpture, and architecture. One of the most
notable aspects of Sri Lankan art are caves and temple paintings, such as
the frescoes found in Sigiriya and religious paintings found in temples in
Dambulla and Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. Other popular forms of
art have been influenced by both natives as well as outside settlers. For
example, traditional wooden handicrafts and clay pottery are found
around the hill country while Portuguese-inspired lacework and
Indonesian-inspired Batik have become notable.
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13. CINEMA
 The cinematic style is similar to the Bollywood movies. In 1979, movie
attendance rose to an all-time high, but recorded a gradual downfall
since then. Undoubtedly, the most influential and evolutionary filmmaker
in the history of Sri Lankan cinema is Lester James Peiris, who has
directed a number of movies which led to global acclaim, including
Rekava (Line of destiny, 1956), Gamperaliya (The changing village, 1964),
Nidhanaya (The treasure, 1970), and Golu Hadawatha (Cold Heart,
1968).There are many cinemas around Sri Lanka in city areas.
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14. CUISINE
 The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws influence from that of India, especially from
Kerala, as well as colonists and foreign traders. Rice, which is usually
consumed daily, can be found at any special occasion, while spicy curries
are favourite dishes for lunch and dinner. A very popular alcoholic drink is
toddy or arrack, both made from palm tree sap. Rice and curry refers to a
range of Sri Lankan dishes. Sri Lankans also eat hoppers (Aappa,), which
can be found anywhere in Sri Lanka.
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15. SPICES
 Sri Lanka has long been renowned for its spices. The best known is
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum/ Cinnamomum zeylanicum) which is
native to Sri Lanka. In the 15th and 16th centuries, spice and ivory traders
from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native
cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and
techniques. Lamprais rice boiled in stock with a special curry,
accompanied by frikkadels (meatballs), all of which is then wrapped in a
banana leaf and baked as a Dutch-influenced Sri Lankan dish. Dutch and
Portuguese sweets also continue to be popular. British influences include
roast beef and roast chicken. The influence of Indian cooking methods
and food has played a major role in what Sri Lankans eat.
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16. TEA CULTURE
 Being one of the largest producers of tea in the world, Sri
Lankans drink a lot of tea. There are many tea factories around
mountainous areas. Many Sri Lankans drink at least three cups
a day. Sri Lanka is also one of the best tea-producing
countries in the world and the Royal Family of the United
Kingdom has been known to drink Ceylon tea. Tea is served
whenever a guest comes to a house; it is served at festivals
and gatherings or just for breakfast.
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17. FESTIVALS & HOLIDAYS
 The Sinhala and Tamil New Year (“Aluth Avurudhu”; in Sinhala,
“Puthiyathandu”; in Tamil) is a very large cultural event on the island. The
festival falls in April (also known as the month of Bak) when the sun
moves from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya
(House of Aries).
 Unusually, both the end of one year and the beginning of the next occur
not at midnight but at separate times determined by astrologers with a
period of some hours between (the “nona gath”; or neutral period) being
a time where one is expected to refrain from all types of work and instead
engage solely in relaxing religious activities and traditional games. During
the New Year, festivities both children and adults will often don traditional
outfits. But the clothes must be washed and very clean because it should
be southam (pure).
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18. LANGUAGES
 Sinhala (also called Sinhalese or Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese
ethnic group which is the largest in Sri Lanka. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch
of the Indo-European languages.
 Sinhala is spoken by about 16 million people in Sri Lanka, about 13 million of who
are native speakers. It is one of the constitutionally-recognised official languages
of Sri Lanka, along with Tamil, which has its origins in South India.
 Most Sri Lankans can speak English, though of course, their brand of English may
sound a bit strange at first. Some struggle with English and that is sometimes due
to a lack of confidence. Just enjoy the experience, if you can learn a little of
Sinhala. The Sinhalese will go out of their way to help you because you have
gone out of your way to learn their language, their most cherished possession
and symbol of identity.
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19. ECONOMY
 Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian
Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is
separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk
Strait. Wikipedia
 Currency: Sri Lankan rupee
 Gross domestic product: 80.71 billion USD (2020) World Bank
 GDP per capita: 3,682.04 USD (2020) World Bank
 GNI per capita: 12,870 PPP dollars (2020) World Bank
 GDP growth rate: -3.6% annual change (2020) World Bank
 Internet users: 35.0% of the population (2020) World Bank
 Gross national income: 282 billion PPP dollars (2020) World Bank
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20. MILITARY POWER
 Military power
 Sri Lanka Armed Forces
 Active personnel 346,000 (ranked 79th)
 Reserve personnel 90,000
 Deployed personnel 8,000 (UN peace keeping)
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