SRI LANKA
RESTRICTED ACCESS NATION

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island nation in South Asia, located about 31 kilometers (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India. Popularly referred to as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, it is home to around twenty million people.

Because of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia, and has been a center of Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times. Today, the country is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation, with nearly a third of the population following faiths other than Buddhism, notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population, with Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, forming the largest ethnic minority. Other communities include the Muslim Moors and Malays and the Burghers.

HISTORY:

The earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka were probably the Sinhalese which are estimated to have arrived around the 6th century BC. It is also presumed that this people group most likely arrived from northern India. Buddhism was introduced to the area around the middle of the 3rd century BC, and shortly after this introduction civilization prospered especially in the two cities of Anuradhapura (200 BC to 1000 AD) and Polonnaruwa (1070 to 1200).

The 14th century marked the first of several invasions and occupations when a south Indian dynasty siezed control of the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Much of the 16th century was spent under Portuguese rule, and the 17th under Dutch control. In 1796, Sri Lanka was ceded to Britain, and was recognized as a crown colony in 1802. It was then finally united under British rule in 1815.

Sri Lanka finally received its independance from Britain in 1948 under the name of Ceylon. The name Sri Lanka was adopted and changed in the year 1972.

RELIGION:

Buddhism is by far the most prevalent faith in Sri Lanka with about 70% of the population adhering, but there are a few significantly sized minority faiths. About 8% of the population follow the beliefs of Islam, and about 7% follow Hinduism. Only about 6% of the population claims any kind of Christianity, though recently, Christian missionaries have been encountering high levels of persecution from the people and sometimes the government as well.