Sri Lanka owns a legendary and documented history that
spans over 3000 years. Its geographic location and deep harbors made it of
great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through
Second World War Sri Lanka is a diverse country, home to many religions, ethnicity and languages. It is the land of the Sinhalese, Sri Lanka Tamils,
Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Kaffirs and the aboriginal Vedda. Sri
Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings were
composed on the island. The country's recent history has been marred by a
thirty-year civil war which decisively but controversially ended in a military
victory in 2009.
Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed
by a presidential system. Is an important producer of tea, coffee, gemstones,
coconuts, rubber, and the native cinnamon, Sri Lanka is known as "the
Pearl of the Indian Ocean" because of its natural beauty. Sri Lanka has
also been called "the teardrop of India" because of its shape and location,
and "the nation of smiling people". The island contains
tropical forests and diverse landscapes with high biodiversity.
The country has had a long history of international
engagement, being a founding member of SAARC and a member of the United Nations,
the Commonwealth of Nations, the G77 and the Non-Aligned Movement. It is also
the only country in South Asia that is currently rated 'high' on the Human
Development Index.
