Ancient cities such as Polonnaruwa provide glimpses of Sri Lankan history dating back to 500 B.C.E.

The People of the Island

The largest group, the Sinhalese, speak the Sinhala language. Almost three quarters of the population is Sinhalese, and they dominate the government and hold a majority of the political power.

The second-largest group, the Tamils, speak the Tamil language. Since Sri Lankan independence in 1948, Tamils and Sinhalese have frequently come into conflict — and this conflict has all too frequently been bloody. Tamils who live in Sinhalese-dominated regions are frequently the victims of ethnically motivated violence. They have responded with terrorist attacks.

This situation escalated to the point of war in 1983.

This currency was issued in 1998 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence.

In the 1970s, the Tamils demanded the right to form a separate country on the island. This demand met with objections not only from the Sinhalese, but from other ethnic groups. Among these groups, the Muslim population is the largest, representing almost a tenth of the total population of Sri Lanka.

One of the root causes of conflict between the Tamil and Sinhalese citizens of Sri Lanka is religious difference. The Sinhalese are overwhelmingly Buddhist, practicing a form of Buddhism that exists in only a few other places in Southeast Asia. The Tamil people are mostly Hindu.

Sri Lanka suffers the same population crisis that is currently afflicting much of South Asia. The vast numbers of people crammed onto the small island struggle for resources and a share of the economy.

This struggle only exacerbates the long-standing ethnic tensions. Together, these problems have made Sri Lanka a very poor and dangerous country.

Government and Economy

Located off the coast of India, Sri Lanka is home to 18.2 million people. This geographically small country is full of internal strife between the Sinhalese and the Tamils.

Although some citizens object that the majority Sinhalese population holds too much power, most agree that the government works. No military coups or uprisings have toppled the government during its existence.

Most Sri Lankans depend on agriculture for their existence, rice and tea being the most important crops. But agriculture and the few minor industries aren't enough to provide jobs for everyone, and unemployment is a major problem.

Since independence, the government has put programs in place meant to encourage people to produce locally things that they previously could get only from other countries. These programs have met with only limited success, and the country has continued to be very poor.

From Ancient Times …

Veddas is the name used to categorize all of the indigenous people of Sri Lanka, although individual tribes such as the pictured Wanniya-laeto (meaning "forest dwellers") use other terms for themselves.

Situated on many ocean trade routes, Sri Lanka became an important stopping place for ships. It profited from this trade, and other countries eyed it enviously. The island had many names. The ancient Greeks named it Taprobane, and Arabs called it Serendib. Europeans called the island Ceylon, and the country kept that name until its independence.

As Portuguese power waned in South Asia, the colony fell to the Dutch and later to the British. But it wasn't until 1948 — when the British finally left South Asia — that the Sri Lankans again ran their own government

Devil Dancing

Devil dancing in Sri Lanka isn't complete without an elaborate and colorful mask.

Dance is a very important art form in Sri Lanka. Kandyan dancing is the Sri Lankan national dance. Its roots lie in mystical and occult Hindu religious practices, and different forms of the dance take the movements of animals such as the monkey, the elephant, and the peacock as their inspiration. Graceful and beautiful, the dance almost always tells a story. Many stories come from the Hindu epics, the story of Hanuman being a particular favorite.

Many of Sri Lanka's frogs are tree dwellers. Sri Lanka teems with unique animal life ranging from amphibians to small mammals to marine life.

Devil dancing is more than just a religious practice. It, along with Kandyan dancing, are two important art forms that make up the cultural tapestry of Sri Lanka.

Despite the influence of many foreign cultures — especially India and the West — Sri Lankans work hard to distinguish themselves as an independent country and culture. Through such media as traditional dance, architecture, and music, they demonstrate time again that their culture is unique and beautiful.