homemaking friendsworld infoglobal etiquette
Offical name
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Capital
Colombo
Government type
republic
Language
Sinhala, Tamil
Area
65,610 sq km
Population
20,222,240 ( 2006 est.)
Currency
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Religion
Buddhist, Hindu
Time zone
GMT/UTC +5.5 ()
Country dialing code
94
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Sri Lanka, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, changed its name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka in 1972. Red tea is one of the major export items in the country and “Ceylon Tea,” a synonym for red tea, refers to the Sri Lankan red tea. Though there are diverse religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Roman Catholicism in Sri Lanka, about 70% of its people are Buddhists. Not surprisingly, many Buddhist temples and relics exist all across the nation. In particular, there is the “Cultural Triangle” which encompasses ancient dynastic capitals including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Nuwara (aka Kandy). Many of the world famous Buddhist relics are kept here. Among them, Dalada Maligawa of Nuwara is famous for the sacred Tooth Relic of Sakyamuni. All Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka raise the elephant, the sacred animal. The beloved elephants play an significant role in diverse Buddhist festivals.
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