r i ˈ l ɑː ŋ k ə / ; [ 8 ] [ 9 ] local pronunciation:  [ˌɕriːˈlaŋkaː] ; Sinhala : ශ්‍රී ලංකා , Tamil : இலங்கை ), officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and known as Ceylon ( / s ɪ ˈ l ɒ n / ,