Sri Lanka

[ sree lahng-kuh, lang-kuh, shree ]

noun

1. an island republic in the Indian Ocean, south of India: a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 25,332 sq. mi. (65,610 sq. km). : Colombo.

Sri Lanka

/ ˌsriː ˈlæŋkə /

noun

1. a republic in S Asia, occupying the island of Ceylon: settled by the Sinhalese from S India in about 550 bc ; became a British colony 1802; gained independence in 1948, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth in 1972. Exports include tea, cocoa, cinnamon, and copra. Official languages: Sinhalese and Tamil; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Hinayana Buddhist majority. Currency: Sri Lanka rupee. Capital: Colombo (administrative), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative). Parts of the coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop: 21 675 648 (2013 est). Area: 65 610 sq km (25 332 sq miles) Official name (since 1978)Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Former name (until 1972)Ceylon

Sri Lanka

1. Formerly Ceylon , now an island republic in the Indian Ocean just southeast of India .

Notes

Marked by hostility between its Buddhist Sinhalese majority and Hindu Tamil minority ( see Buddhism and Hinduism ).

A British colony since 1796, the island became independent in 1948.

Other Words From

• Sri Lankan adjective noun

Example Sentences

The study uncovered regions already known to be high-risk areas for ship strikes: North America's Pacific coast, Panama, the Arabian Sea, Sri Lanka, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean Sea.

From Science Daily

Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are all negotiating with the company and often the Indian government at the same time.

From New York Times

In the past two years she has visited Dubai, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

From BBC

The alliance of Sri Lanka's new leader is headed for victory in the country's snap parliamentary elections, according to partial official results.

From BBC

Dissanayake made history as Sri Lanka's first president to be elected with less than 50% of the vote.

From BBC