Dominion of Ceylon - wikipedia Dominion of Ceylon Ceylon 1948 -- 1972 Top : Flag ( 1948 -- 1951 ) Bottom : Flag ( 1951 -- 1972 ) Coat of arms Anthem : Sri Lanka Matha Mother Sri Lanka Royal anthem God Save the Queen Capital Colombo Common languages Sinhala Tamil English Religion Buddhism Hinduism Christianity Islam Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch 1948 -- 1952 George VI 1952 -- 1972 Elizabeth II Governor - General 1948 -- 1949 Henry Monck - Mason Moore 1949 -- 1954 Lord Soulbury 1954 -- 1962 Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke 1962 -- 1972 William Gopallawa Prime Minister 1948 -- 1952 Don Senanayake 1952 -- 1953 Dudley Shelton Senanayake 1953 -- 1956 John Lionel Kotalawela 1956 -- 1959 S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike 1970 -- 1972 Sirimavo Bandaranaike Legislature Parliament of Ceylon Upper house Senate Lower house House of Representatives Historical era 20th century Independence 4 February 1948 JVP Insurrection 1971 Republic 22 May 1972 Area 1948 65,610 km ( 25,330 sq mi ) 1956 65,610 km ( 25,330 sq mi ) 1962 65,610 km ( 25,330 sq mi ) 1971 65,610 km ( 25,330 sq mi ) Population 1948 7060000 1956 8100000 1962 11000000 1971 12800000 Currency Ceylon Rupee Preceded by Succeeded by British Ceylon Sri Lanka Ashley Havinden, Michael ; David Meredith. Colonialism and development : Britain and its tropical colonies, 1850 -- 1960. p. 12. `` Sri Lanka ''. Retrieved 30 March 2010. `` Ceylon Independent, 1948 -- 1956 ''. World History at KMLA. Retrieved 30 March 2010. Historical states in present - day Sri Lanka 543 BC -- 377 BC Kingdom of Tambapanni Kingdom of Upatissa Nuwara 377 BC -- 1017 AD Kingdom of Anuradhapura 1017 -- 1070 Chola occupation of Anuradhapura 1056 -- 1212 Kingdom of Polonnaruwa 1232 -- 1505 Kingdom of Jaffna Kingdom of Dambadeniya Kingdom of Gampola Kingdom of Kotte Kingdom of Sitawaka Portuguese Ceylon 1594 -- 1815 Kingdom of Kandy Chiefdom of Vanni Dutch Ceylon 1815 -- 1948 British Ceylon 1948 -- present Dominion of Ceylon Republic of Sri Lanka History of Sri Lanka Sinhala Kingdom Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations that shared a monarch with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and certain other sovereign states. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. It was an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres ( 19.3 mi ) off the southern coast of India. Contents 1 History 1.1 Independence and growth 1.2 Reform 2 Government and politics 2.1 Problems 3 Economy 3.1 Currency 4 Military 4.1 Army 4.2 Navy 4.3 Air Force 5 See also 6 References History See also : Colonial history of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka in the twentieth century Independence and growth Main article : Sri Lankan independence movement Following World War II, public pressure for independence increased. The British Colony of Ceylon achieved independence on 4 February 1948, with an amended constitution taking effect on the same date. Independence was granted under the Ceylon Independence Act 1947. Military treaties with the United Kingdom preserved intact British air and sea bases in the country ; British officers also continued to fill most of the upper ranks of the Army. Don Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. Later in 1948, when Ceylon applied for United Nations membership, the Soviet Union vetoed the application. This was partly because the Soviet Union believed that the Ceylon was only nominally independent, and the British still exercised control over it because the white, educated elite had control of the government. In 1949, with the concurrence of the leaders of the Sri Lankan Tamils, the UNP government disenfranchised the Indian Tamil plantation workers. In 1950, Ceylon became one of the original members of the Colombo Plan, and remains a member as Sri Lanka. Don Senanayake died in 1952 after a stroke and he was succeeded by his son Dudley. However, in 1953 -- following a massive general strike or ' Hartal ' by the leftist parties against the UNP -- Dudley Senanayake resigned. He was followed by John Kotelawala, a senior politician and an uncle of Dudley. Kotelawala did not have the personal prestige or the political acumen of D.S. Senanayake. He brought to the fore the issue of national languages that D.S. Senanayake had suspended. The Queen of Ceylon, Elizabeth II, toured the island in 1954 from 10 -- 21 April. ( She also visited in 1981 ( 21 -- 25 October ) after the country became a republic. ) In 1956 the UNP was defeated at elections by the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, which included the Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( SLFP ) led by Solomon Bandaranaike and the Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party of Philip Gunawardena. Bandaranaike was a politician who had fostered the Sinhala nationalist lobby since the 1930s. He replaced English with Sinhalese as the official language. He was the chief Sinhalese spokesmen who attempted to counter the communal politics unleashed by G.G. Ponnambalam. The bill was known as the Sinhala Only Bill, and also made Sinhalese the language taught in schools and universities. This caused Tamil riots, as they spoke the Tamil language and it had not been recognised as an official language. These riots culminated in the assassination of the prime minister, Bandaranaike. His widow, Sirimavo, succeeded her husband as leader of the SLFP and was elected as the world 's first female prime minister. In 1957 British bases were removed and Ceylon officially became a `` non-aligned '' country. The Paddy Lands Act, the brainchild of Philip Gunawardena, was passed, giving those working the land greater rights vis - a-vis absentee landlords. Reform Elections in July saw Sirimavo Bandaranaike become the world 's first elected female head of government. Her government avoided further confrontations with the Tamils, but the anti-communist policies of the United States Government led to a cut - off of United States aid and a growing economic crisis. After an attempted coup d'état by mainly non-Buddhist right - wing army and police officers intent on bringing the UNP back to power, Bandaranaike nationalised the oil companies. This led to a boycott of the country by the oil cartels, which was broken with aid from the Kansas Oil Producers Co-operative. In 1962, under the SLFP 's radical policies, many Western business assets were nationalised. This caused disputes with the United States and the United Kingdom over compensation for seized assets. Such policies led to a temporary decline in SLFP power, and the UNP gained seats in Congress. However, by 1970, the SLFP were once again the dominant power. In 1964 Bandaranaike formed a coalition government with the LSSP, a Trotskyist party with Dr N.M. Perera as Minister of Finance. Nonetheless, after Sirimavo failed to satisfy the far - left, the Marxist People 's Liberation Front attempted to overthrow the government in 1971. The rebellion was put down with the help of British, Soviet, and Indian aid in 1972, and later in 1972 the current constitution was adopted and the name of the country was changed to Sri Lanka. In 1972, the country officially became a republic within the Commonwealth and William Gopallawa became the first President of Sri Lanka. Government and politics Main articles : Parliament of Ceylon, Constitution of Sri Lanka, and Politics of Sri Lanka See also : Foreign relations of Sri Lanka Don Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of Ceylon The constitution of Ceylon created a parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives, with the popularly elected House indirectly naming the Senate. The head of state was the British monarch, represented by a predominantly ceremonial figure, the Governor General. The head of government was the prime minister, and he and his cabinet consisted of the largest political party in the legislature. Initially, the prominent party was the UNP, the United National Party. In the first parliamentary elections, the UNP gained 42 out of the 95 seats available, and also won the elections in 1952. When the first prime minister, D.S. Senanayake, died of a stroke, his son Dudley Senanayake, the Minister of Agriculture, was appointed as prime minister. In 1956, the radical socialist SLFP ( Sri Lanka Freedom Party ) won the elections, and Solomon Bandaranaike took power. He was assassinated by a Buddhist monk in 1959 and his widow, Sirimavo, succeeded him as leader of the SLFP. She held office until 1977, with two exceptions in 1960 and 1965 -- 1970, when the UNP held power. During her rule, she implemented a radical economic program of nationalisation and land reform, a pro-Sinhalese educational and employment policy, and an independent foreign policy as part of the non-aligned movement. In 1948, when Ceylon achieved independence from the United Kingdom, the Governor was replaced with a Governor - General. The Governor - General was responsible not to London, but to the monarch of Ceylon, the local government, and the local parliament. The Governor - General was a largely ceremonial figure. The monarch had the following styles and titles : 1948 -- 1952 : His Majesty George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith. 1952 -- 1953 : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith. 1953 -- 1972 : Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Ceylon and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. Problems The government of Ceylon had several issues, the main being that the government represented only a small part of the population, mainly wealthy, English - educated elite groups. The Sinhalese and Tamil majority did not share the values and ideas of the upper - class, and this often led to riots. Economy Main article : Economy of Sri Lanka See also : Tea production in Sri Lanka and Tourism in Sri Lanka The economy of Ceylon was mainly agriculture - based, with key exports consisting of tea, rubber, and coconuts. These did well in the foreign markets, accounting for 90 % of the export share by value. In 1965, Ceylon became the world 's leading exporter of tea, with 200,000 tonnes of tea being shipped internationally annually. The exports sold well initially, but falling tea and rubber prices decreased the earnings, with a rapidly increasing population cutting further into those profits. In the early 1970s, the Ceylon government nationalised many privately held assets as part of the newly elected government 's socialist policies. The Land Reform Law of 1972 imposed a maximum of twenty hectares of land that can be owned privately, and sought to reallocate excess land for the benefit of the landless workers. Because land owned by public companies under that was less than ten hectares in size was exempted from the law, a considerable amount of land that would otherwise have been available for redistribution was not subject to the legislation. Between 1972 and 1974, the Land Reform Commission set up by the new laws took over nearly 228,000 hectares, one - third of which was forest and most of the rest planted with tea, rubber, or coconut. Few rice paddies were affected because nearly 95 percent of them were below the ceiling limit. Very little of the land acquired by the government was transferred to individuals. Most was turned over to various government agencies or to cooperative organisations, such as the Up - Country Co-operative Estates Development Board. The Land Reform Law of 1972 applied only to holdings of individuals. It left untouched the plantations owned by joint - stock companies, many of them British. In 1975 the Land Reform ( Amendment ) Law brought these estates under state control. Over 169,000 hectares comprising 395 estates were taken over under this legislation. Most of this land was planted with tea and rubber. As a result, about two - thirds of land cultivated with tea was placed in the state sector. The respective proportions for rubber and coconut were 32 and 10 percent. The government paid some compensation to the owners of land taken over under both the 1972 and 1975 laws. In early 1988, the state - owned plantations were managed by one of two types of entities, the Janatha Estates Development Board, or the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation. Additionally, a revamped system of education created a glut of skilled workers that could not find employment. Currency Main article : Sri Lankan rupee The official currency of Ceylon was the Ceylon Rupee. The Rupee evolved from the Indian Rupee, when in 1929 a new Ceylon Rupee was formed when it was separated from the Indian Rupee. In 1950, the Currency Board, set up in 1872 as a part of the Indian monetary system, was replaced by the Central Bank of Ceylon, granting the country greater control over the currency. In 1951, the Central Bank of Ceylon took over the issuance of paper money, introducing 1 and 10 rupees notes. These were followed in 1952 by 2, 5, 50 and 100 rupees notes. The 1 rupee notes were replaced by coins in 1963. In 1963, a new coinage was introduced which omitted the monarch 's portrait. Coins issued were aluminium 1 and 2 cents, nickel brass 5 and 10 cents and cupro - nickel 25 and 50 cents and 1 rupee. The obverse of the coins issued since 1963 carry the coat of arms. However, until 1966, the Ceylon Rupee remained pegged to the Indian Rupee at a value of 1 : 1. In 1966, the Ceylon Rupee was pegged to the US Dollar at 4.76 rupees per US Dollar. Military See also : Participation of Ceylon in World War II Army The Earl of Caithness inspecting a guard unit. Main article : Ceylon Army At the end of World War II, the Ceylon Defence Force, the predecessor to the Ceylon Army, began demobilisation. After Independence, Ceylon entered the bi-lateral Anglo - Ceylonese Defence Agreement of 1947. This was followed by Army Act No. 17 of which was passed by Parliament on 11 April 1949, and formalised in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of 10 October 1949. It marked the creation of the Ceylon Army, consisting of a regular and volunteer force, the latter being the successor of the disbanded Ceylon Defence Force. The Defence Agreement of 1947 provided assurance that British would come to the aid of Ceylon in the event it was attacked by a foreign power and provided British military advisers to build the country 's military. Brigadier James Sinclair, The Earl of Caithness, was appointed as general officer commanding Ceylon Army, as such becoming the first commander of the Ceylon Army. Due to a lack of any major external threats the growth of the army was slow, and the primary duties of the army quickly moved towards internal security by the mid-1950s. The first internal security operation of the Ceylon Army, code named Operation Monty, began in 1952 to counter the influx of illegal South Indian immigrants brought in by smugglers, in support of Royal Ceylon Navy coastal patrols and police operations. This was expanded and renamed as Task Force Anti-Illicit Immigration ( TaFII ) in 1963 and continued up to 1981. The Army was mobilised to help the police to restore peace under provincial emergency regulations during the 1953 hartal, the 1956 Gal Oya Valley riots and in 1958 it was deployed for the first time under emergency regulations throughout the island during the 1958 riots In 1962 several volunteer officers attempted a military coup, which was stopped hours before it was launched. This attempted coup affected the military to a great extent ; since the government mistrusted the military, it reduced the size and growth of the army, especially the volunteer force, with several units being disbanded. In May 1972, Ceylon was proclaimed a republic and changed its name from Ceylon to the `` Republic of Sri Lanka '', and in 1978 to `` Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ''. All Army units were renamed accordingly. Navy Main article : Royal Ceylon Navy After gaining independence, strategists believed that the navy should be built up and reorganized. The previous navy consisted of the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force and the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. On 9 December 1950 the Royal Ceylon Navy was created with the main force consisting of the former Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The first ship that was commissioned was the HMCyS Vijaya, an Algerine - class minesweeper. During this time the navy took part in several joint naval exercises and a goodwill tour visiting the far east. However, the expansion of the navy was dramatically halted in 1962 when the captain of the navy who was relieved of his duty at the time of the attempted military coup. The navy suffered a great deal as result of the governments retribution that followed, with several of its ships sold off, reduced its size by stoppage of recruitment of officers cadets and sailors for over seven years, the loss of important Bases and Barracks and the stoppage of training in England. As a result, the navy was poorly prepared when in 1971 the 1971 JVP Insurrection began, the navy had to send its sailors for ground combat operations against the insurgents. In 1972 `` Ceylon '' became the `` Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka '' and the Royal Ceylon Navy became the Sri Lanka Navy. The Naval ensign along with the Flag Officers ' flags were redesigned. The term `` Captain of the Navy '', introduced in the Navy Act, was changed to `` Commander of the Navy '', in keeping with the terminology adopted by the other two services. Finally, `` Her Majesty 's Ceylon Ships '' ( HMCyS ) became `` Sri Lankan Naval Ships '' ( SLNS ). During the 1970s the navy began rebuilding its strength with the acquisition of Shanghai class gunboats from China to carry out effective coastal patrolling and carried out several cruises to regional ports. Air force Main article : Royal Ceylon Air Force Early administration and training was carried out by RAF officers and other personnel, who were seconded to the new Royal Ceylon Air Force or RCyAF. The first aircraft of the RCyAF were de Havilland Canada DHC - 1 Chipmunks, used as basic trainers. These were followed by Boulton Paul Balliol T. Mk. 2s and Airspeed Oxford Mk. 1s for advanced training of pilots and aircrew along with de Havilland Doves and de Havilland Herons for transport use, all provided by the British. The closure of British bases in Ceylon in 1956 saw the air force take over former RAF bases ; Katunayake and China Bay became RCyAF operational stations while auxiliary functions were carried out at Diyatalawa and Ekala. In 1959 de Havilland Vampire jet aircraft were acquired. However, the RCyAF did not put them into operational use and soon replaced them with five Hunting Jet Provosts obtained from the British, which were formed into the Jet Squadron. The Royal Ceylon Air Force first went into combat in 1971 when the Marxist JVP launched an island - wide coup on 5 April. The Ceylon Armed Forces could not respond immediately and efficiently ; police stations island - wide and the RCyAF base at Ekala were struck in the initial attacks. Later, the Air Force acquired additional aircraft from the US and the USSR. Because of a shortage of funds for military expenditure in the wake of the 1971 uprising, the No. 4 Helicopter Squadron began operating commercial transport services for foreign tourists under the name of Helitours. In 1987 the air force had a total strength of 3,700 personnel, including active reserves. The force had grown gradually during its early years, reaching a little over 1,000 officers and recruits in the 1960s. On 31 March 1976, the SLAF was awarded the President 's Colour. That same year SLAF detachments, which later became SLAF stations, were established at Wirawila, Vavuniya and Minneriya. See also Sri Lankan independence movement References ^ Jump up to : The Sri Lanka Independence Act 1947 uses the name `` Ceylon '' for the new dominion ; nowhere does that Act use the term `` Dominion of Ceylon '', which although sometimes used was not the official name. Jump up ^ International treaties also referred to the state as `` Ceylon '', not the `` Dominion of Ceylon '' ; `` Ceylon '' was also the name used by the UN for the state. Jump up ^ Jennings, W. Ivor. Ceylon. JSTOR 2752358. ^ Jump up to : Dr. Jane Russell, Communal Politics under the Donoughmore constitution. Tsiisara Prakasakyo, Dehivala, 1982 Jump up ^ `` Welcome to UTHR, Sri Lanka ''. Jump up ^ `` Sri Lanka -- United National Party `` Majority '' Rule, 1948 -- 56 ``. Countrystudies.us. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Commonwealth visits since 1952 ''. Official website of the British monarchy. Retrieved 29 November 2015. Jump up ^ Kelegama, Saman ( 2004 ). Economic policy in Sri Lanka : Issues and Debates. SAGE. pp. 207, 208. ^ Jump up to : `` Dominion of Ceylon definition of Dominion of Ceylon in the Free Online Encyclopedia ''. Encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Ceylon Independent, 1948 -- 1956 ''. World History at KMLA. Retrieved 30 March 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Sri Lanka : Independent Ceylon ( 1948 -- 71 ) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia ''. Britannica.com. 4 February 1948. Retrieved 17 August 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` WHKMLA : History of Ceylon, 1956 -- 1972 ''. Zum.de. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Ceylon 's Democracy Faces New Test in Wake of Strife ; Ceylon 's Democracy Confronts New Challenge in Wake of Strife ''. The New York Times. 13 July 1958. Retrieved 1 May 2010. Jump up ^ http://www.eswaran.com/History.pdf Jump up ^ `` Features ''. Priu.gov.lk. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Jump up ^ `` Sri Lanka -- Land Tenure ''. Country-data.com. Retrieved 17 August 2012. Jump up ^ http://www.bearscoinshop.com/html/ceylon__coins_.html Jump up ^ `` No Ceylon Devaluation ''. The New York Times. 8 June 1966. Retrieved 1 May 2010. Jump up ^ `` Establishment, Sri Lanka Army ''. Sri Lanka Army. Archived from the original on 26 March 2006. Retrieved 4 February 2006. Jump up ^ Sergei de Silva - Ranasinghe looks back at the early days of the Sri Lanka Army Jump up ^ Sergei de Silva - Ranasinghe ( 2001 ). `` An evolving army and its role through time ''. Plus. Jump up ^ The Night of April 5th Archived 9 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Air Attack Archived 8 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Helitours Archived 18 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Sri Lanka topics Overviews Outline Index Bibliography Timeline Years 2018 History Periods Prehistory Early kingdoms period Anuradhapura period Polonnaruwa period Transitional period Crisis of the Sixteenth Century Kandyan period History of British Ceylon History of Sri Lanka ( 1948 -- present ) Epochs Mahavamsa Vijaya Tambapanni Upatissa Nuwara Anuradhapura Polonnaruwa Jaffna Dambadeniya Gampola Kotte Sitawaka Kandy Portuguese Ceylon Dutch Ceylon British Ceylon Kandyan Wars Uva Rebellion Matale rebellion Independence movement Dominion of Ceylon Civil War Topics Chronicles Ancient capitals Monarchs Demographic Economic Education Military Government Law Constitution Constitutional Council Executive President Executive Office Cabinet / Ministries Administrative Service National Security Council Law enforcement Judiciary Supreme Court Court of appeal High Courts District courts Magistrate 's Courts Primary Courts Labour Tribunal Legislature Parliament Prime Minister Office Speaker Deputy speaker and chairman of committees Deputy Chairman of Committees Leader of the House Leader of the Opposition Chief Government Whip Chief Opposition Whip Secretaries - General 15th Parliament Members National security Armed Forces Air Force Army Navy Coast Guard Intelligence State Intelligence Service Directorate of Military Intelligence Criminal Investigation Department Sri Lanka Police Service Politics Electoral districts Elections Foreign relations Parties Sri Lanka Freedom Party United National Party Scandals Provincial governments Local governments Geography Administrative divisions Provinces Districts Divisional Secretary 's Divisions Municipalities Cities Wards Grama Niladhari divisions Towns Ecoregions Environment Extreme points Islands Mountains Pidurutalagala Central Highlands Hanthana Mountain Range Knuckles Mountain Range National parks Protected areas Rivers Mahaweli Malvathu Kelani Kalu Gin Waterfalls Wildlife Economy Agriculture Banking Central Bank Communications Companies Energy Information Technology Public debt Research Rupee Stock Exchange Taxation Trade Transport Unemployment Industries Apparel Beer Cinnamon Coconut Coffee Gems Rice Rubber Sugar Tea Tourism Society Topics Birth Demographics Education Health Languages Sinhala Tamil Media People Public holidays Religion Social class Sport Culture Architecture Art Cinema Cuisine Dance Fashion Flag Folklore Literature Music National symbols Philosophy Radio Television Theatre World Heritage Sites Issues Capital punishment Crime Gender inequality Human rights Immigration International rankings LGBT history LGBT rights Poverty Terrorism Book Portal WikiProject Former monarchies List of monarchs who lost their thrones in the 20th and 21st centuries List of monarchs who lost their thrones in the 19th century Africa Ethiopia Libya Tunisia Egypt Madagascar South Africa Burundi Central Africa Zanzibar Ghana Nigeria Sierra Leone Tanganyika Uganda Kenya Rhodesia The Gambia Mauritius Wituland Asia China Korea Vietnam Georgia India Manchukuo Iran Iraq Syria Yemen Afghanistan Pakistan Sri Lanka Tibet Nepal Mongolia Europe Germany Bavaria Prussia Saxony Württemberg Austria - Hungary Russia France Portugal Italy Two Sicilies Hungary Bulgaria Romania Yugoslavia Serbia Montenegro Greece Albania Lithuania Hanover Iceland Tuscany Poland - Lithuania Malta Finland Turkey Oceania Bora Bora Fiji Hawaii Rarotonga Tahiti Americas Brazil Mexico Haiti Trinidad and Tobago Guyana Suriname Commonwealth realms and dominions Current Antigua and Barbuda ( monarchy ) Australia ( monarchy ) Bahamas ( monarchy ) Barbados ( monarchy ) Belize ( monarchy ) Canada ( monarchy ) Grenada ( monarchy ) Jamaica ( monarchy ) Realm of New Zealand Cook Islands New Zealand Niue Papua New Guinea ( monarchy ) Saint Kitts and Nevis ( monarchy ) Saint Lucia ( monarchy ) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ( monarchy ) Solomon Islands ( monarchy ) Tuvalu ( monarchy ) United Kingdom ( monarchy ) Former Ceylon Fiji ( monarchy ) The Gambia Ghana Guyana India Ireland ( monarchy ) Kenya Malawi Malta ( monarchy ) Mauritius Newfoundland Nigeria Pakistan Rhodesia Sierra Leone South Africa ( monarchy ) Tanganyika Trinidad and Tobago Uganda Annexed by Canada in 1949 Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965, but this was not recognised internationally. Declared itself a republic in 1970. Commonwealth realms portal Monarchy portal Sri Lanka portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominion_of_Ceylon&oldid=851492557 '' Categories : States and territories established in 1948 Former Commonwealth realms History of Sri Lanka ( 1948 -- present ) Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth of Nations Monarchy in Ceylon 20th century in Ceylon Former polities of the Cold War 1948 establishments in Ceylon 1972 disestablishments in Sri Lanka 1972 disestablishments in the British Empire Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links EngvarB from May 2013 Use dmy dates from March 2016 Pages using infobox country with unknown parameters Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the flag caption or type parameters Sri Lanka articles missing geocoordinate data All articles needing coordinates Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Қазақша Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Português Русский සිංහල Suomi தமிழ் ไทย Українська اردو 7 more Edit links This page was last edited on 22 July 2018, at 17 : 46 ( UTC ). 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Question: when did ceylon change its name to sri lanka
Answer: 1972