Sri Lanka

The **Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka**  (commonly kent as * *'Sri Lanka** '' (, , or ); , ) is a [[sovereign state|kintra]] aff the soothren coast o the [[Indian subcontinent]]. An [[island naition]] in [[Sooth Asie]], it wis till 1972 kent as **Ceylon** (, , or ). Sri Lanka is surroondit bi the [[Indian Ocean]], the [[Gulf o Mannar]], the [[Palk Strait]] an lies in the vicinity o [[Indie]] an [[Maldives]].

Sri Lanka is a [[republic]] an a [[unitary state]] which is governed bi a [[semi-presidential seestem]] wi its offeecial [[seat o government]] in [[Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte]], the [[Caipital ceety|caipital]].

As a result o its location in the path o major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link atween [[Wast Asie]] an [[Sootheast Asie]]. It haes an aa been a centre o the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] releegion an cultur frae auncient times an is ane o the few remainin abodes o [[Buddhism]] in [[Sooth Asie]] alang wi [[Ladakh]], [[Bhutan]] an the [[Chittagong Hill Tracts|Chittagong hill tracts]] The [[Sinhalese fowk|Sinhalese]] community forms the majority o the population; [[Tamils]], who are concentratit in the north an east o the island, form the lairgest [[minority group|ethnic minority]]. Ither communities include [[Sri Lankan Moors|Moors]], [[Burgher fowk|Burghers]], [[Sri Lanka Kaffir fowk|Kaffirs]], [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malays]] an the aboreeginal [[Vedda fowk]].

The kintra is famous for the production an export o [[tea]], [[coffee]], [[coconut]]s, [[rubber]] an [[cinnamon]], the latter which is native tae the kintra. The naitural beauty Sri Lanka haes led tae the title ''The Pearl o the Indian Ocean'', it is full o lush tropical forests, white beaches an diverse landscape throughoot alang wi a rich [[biodiversity]]. The kintra lays claim tae a lang an colorful history o ower three thoosan years, haein ane o the langest documentit histories in the warld. Sri Lanka's rich cultur can be attributit tae the mony different communities in the island. Sri Lanka is a foondin member state o [[Sooth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|SAARC]] an a member o the [[Unitit Nations]], [[Commonweel o Naitions]], [[Group o 77|G77]] an [[Non-Aligned Movement]].

== Name ==



In auncient times, Sri Lanka wis kent bi a variety o names: auncient Greek geographers cawed it ''Taprobane'' () an [[Arabs]] referred tae it as **' (the oreegin o the wird "serendipity"). **' wis the name gien tae Sri Lanka bi the [[Portuguese Ceylon|Portuguese]] when thay arrived in 1505, which wis transliteratit intae Inglis as ''Ceylon''. As a [[Unitit Kinrick|Breetish]] [[croun colony]], the island wis kent as [[Breetish Ceylon|Ceylon]], an achieved unthirldom unner the name [[Dominion o Ceylon]] in 1948.

In [[Sinhala leid|Sinhala]] the kintra is kent as ශ්‍රී ලංකා **', , an the island itsel as ලංකාව *laṃkāva*, . In Tamil thay are baith இலங்கை *ilaṅkai*, . The name derives frae the Sanskrit श्री लंका *[[sri|śrī]]* (venerable) an  *[[lanka|lankā]]* (island), the name o the island in the auncient Indian epics Mahabharata an the Ramayana.

In 1972, the offeecial name o the kintra wis chynged tae "Free, Sovereign an Independent Republic o Sri Lanka". In 1978 it wis chynged tae the "Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka".

The name Ceylon is still in uise in the names o a nummer o organisations; in 2011, the Sri Lankan government annoonced a plan tae rename aw o those for which it is responsible.

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