History, Language & Culture Sri Lanka

The Sinhalese and Tamils settled in Sri Lanka approximately 500 years and 300 BC respectively. With both immigrants from India The Sinhalese Empire was established in the plains of northern Sri Lanka. With Anuradhapura as the first capital for about 1,200 years later in the 13th century it declined. Along with the emergence of the Tamil kingdom With Polonnaruwa as the capital for about 200 years, the Tamil people migrated to the Jaffna Empire on the Jaffna Peninsula. North of the country As for the Sinhalese people have retreated to settle in the south. Established as the Kandy Kingdom With Kandy as the capital In addition, there were the Kot and Ruhuna Kingdom. The Kandy empire was the most powerful around the 15th century, and the influence of the West took over Sri Lanka. Beginning with Portugal, Dutch and England, respectively, by trading in the western port of the country, and in 2048 (AD 1505), Portugal occupied the coastal areas and ruled the country before the Dutch entered. It occupied the territory of Sri Lanka in the year 2201 (AD 1658) and later England was able to occupy Sri Lanka as a colony in 1815 (1815) under the Kandyan Convention. Sri Lanka was colonized for almost 500 years and the British used Sri Lanka as an important military base for military operations in the Indian Ocean during World War II. Sri Lanka gained independence from the British on February 4. Fri 1948 (1948)

Official languages Sinhala and Tamil