Sri Lan·ka (sr läng k , shr) Formerly Cey·lon (s -l n, s -) An island country in the Indian Ocean off southeast India. Inhabited originally by the Vedda, the island was later invaded by the Singhalese (6th century b.c.) and the Tamil (11th and 12th centuries a.d.). The lucrative spice trade on the island was controlled successively by Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and British traders from the 12th century. It became a British colony in 1798 and achieved independence in 1948. In 1972 the island was declared a republic, and it adopted the Singhalese name of Sri Lanka. Colombo is the capital and the largest city. Population: 20,900,000. Sri Lan kan adj. & n. |   |
Sri Lanka [ˌsriː ˈlæŋkə]
n
(Placename) a republic in S Asia, occupying the island of Ceylon: settled by the Sinhalese from S India in about 550 bc; became a British colony 1802; gained independence in 1948, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth in 1972. Exports include tea, cocoa, cinnamon, and copra. Official languages: Sinhalese and Tamil; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Hinayana Buddhist majority. Currency: Sri Lanka rupee. Capital: Colombo (administrative), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative). Pop.: 19 399 000 (2001 est.). Area: 65 610 sq. km (25 332 sq. miles) Official name (since 1978) Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Former name (until 1972) Ceylon
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Sri Lanka - a republic on the island of Ceylon; became independent of the United Kingdom in 1948Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE, Tamil Tigers, Tigers, World Tamil Association, World Tamil Movement - a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka that began in 1970 as a student protest over the limited university access for Tamil students; currently seeks to establish an independent Tamil state called Eelam; relies on guerilla strategy including terrorist tactics that target key government and military personnel; "the Tamil Tigers perfected suicide bombing as a weapon of war" capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo - the capital and largest city of Sri Lanka; has one of the largest harbors in the world; is located on the western coast of the island of Ceylon Kandy - a city of central Sri Lanka that was the last capital of the ancient kings of Ceylon; a resort and religious center Eelam, Tamil Eelam - the independent state that the Tamil Tigers have fought for Adam's Peak, Samanala - a mountain peak in south central Sri Lanka (7,360 feet high) Singhalese, Sinhalese - a native or inhabitant of Sri Lanka Sri Lankan - a native or inhabitant of Sri Lanka |
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|