Sri Lanka is the island of Sun and Sand. More than one thousand kilometers of sandy beaches with palm trees surround Sri Lanka. Until 1972, this country was called Ceylon. And although its name has changed, the best black tea in the world, Ceylon, is still grown there. In addition to beautiful beaches and tea, Sri Lanka has a large number of historical attractions, ranging from Buddhist and Hindu monasteries and temples to orchid gardens and colorful festivals.
Geography of Sri Lanka
The island nation of Sri Lanka is located in the northern Indian Ocean off the southern coast of the Hindustan Peninsula in South Asia. Sri Lanka is washed on all sides by the Pacific Ocean. In the northwest it has a maritime border with India, and in the southwest with the Maldives. The total area of this country is 65,610 square meters. km
In the center and south of Sri Lanka there are foothills and mountains, and the rest of the territory is plains and coastal lowlands. The largest local peak is Mount Pidurutalagala, whose height reaches 2,524 meters.
The longest river in Sri Lanka is the Mahaweli, its length is 335 km. The Mahaweli flows through the central, northern and eastern regions of this country, and flows into the Bay of Bengal.
Capital
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the capital of Sri Lanka. More than 120 thousand people now live in this city.
Official language of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has two official languages - Sinhala and Tamil.
Religion
More than 70% of the population professes Buddhism (specifically Theravada Buddhism), more than 12% Hinduism, almost 10% Islam, and about 7% Christianity.
State structure
According to the current Constitution, Sri Lanka is a presidential-parliamentary republic. Its head is the President, elected for 6 years by universal suffrage. The President is the Supreme Commander and appoints ministers.
Sri Lanka's unicameral parliament has 225 members elected by popular vote every six years. The President of the country has the right to dissolve Parliament.
Administratively, Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces and 25 districts.
Climate and weather
Due to its proximity to the equator, the climate in Sri Lanka is tropical and warm. The average annual air temperature is +28-31C. In hilly areas and foothills - +20C, and in flat and coastal areas - +27C.
The monsoon (rainy) season continues from May to July in the central, western and southern regions of the island. In the northern and eastern regions, the rainy season occurs in December and January.
The best time to visit Sri Lanka is from November to April (southwest coast and mountains) and from May to September (east coast). Thus, you can visit Sri Lanka all year round, because... there is always a dry season on some part of this island.
Sea in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is washed on all sides by the Pacific Ocean. The length of the coast is 1,585 kilometers. Local beaches are surrounded by palm groves. The average sea temperature in January is +28C, and in July - +27C.
Rivers and lakes
There are more than 100 rivers in Sri Lanka. The longest of them is Mahaveli, its length is 335 km. The Mahaweli flows through the central, northern and eastern regions of this country, and flows into the Bay of Bengal.
Story
The history of civilization in Sri Lanka goes back more than 2.5 thousand years. In former times this country was called Ceylon. The first settlers were the Veddas. Around the 6th century BC. The Sinhalese arrived on this island and founded their kingdoms there. From the 3rd century BC. Buddhism begins to spread there. Until the 11th century, the capital of the most powerful Sinhala kingdom was Anuradhapura, and then it was moved to Polonnaruwe.
In 1505, the Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka and monopolized the spice trade. By 1658, the Sinhalese kings, with the help of the Dutch, were able to expel the Portuguese from the island.
The Dutch were more interested in trade and profit than in governing this country. Therefore, they did not resist the British very much when the British sailed to Sri Lanka in 1796. In 1815, Britain defeated the Sinhalese kingdom of Kandy, thereby establishing control over the entire island.
It was not until 1948 that Sri Lanka achieved independence. In 1972, this country received its modern name - Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan culture
Sri Lanka has a multi-cultural society consisting of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Therefore, the culture there is very interesting and diverse. Travelers will be able to experience colorful and unique festivals and celebrations in Sri Lanka.
In January, Sri Lankans celebrate the New Year, Durutha Perahera (held in memory of Buddha's visit to this island), Pongal (Hindu harvest festival); in February/March - the Buddhist holiday Navam Perehera and Maha Shivarathri Day; in April/May - Sinhala and Tamil New Year, Eid ul-Adha; July/August - Kandy Perahera and Vel Festival; September – kite festival, Hindu festival Navarathri; October/November – Ramadan, Lilavali (“Festival of Lights”); December - Sangamittha Perehera.
All these festivals are colorful processions, they are always accompanied by elephant parades, music and dance performances, fireworks and theatrical performances.
Kitchen
Sri Lanka's cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic composition of the island's population. The main food of the locals is rice and curry made from a mixture of spices, herbs and coconut milk. In general, almost all local dishes are prepared using coconut milk and spices.
Samba is pearl rice and is eaten on special occasions. During festivals, yellow rice is made, cooked in coconut milk and lightly seasoned with spices. Another popular rice dish is Kiribath (milk rice).
In addition, the people of Sri Lanka are real experts in preparing fish and seafood dishes. Fried fish is served with chips and salad, while curry fish is served with rice.
Popular dishes - Mallung Curry (finely chopped dried vegetables, prawns with grated coconut and spices), Sambol (spicy hot dish), Pol Symbol (grated coconut, onion, red pepper, lime and salt), Seeni Sambol (fish with spicy onions ), Lamprais (curry, cutlet, shrimp paste, eggplant curry, rice wrapped in banana leaf and baked), Buriyani (rice in meat broth), and Thalaguli and Wattalapam sweets.
The traditional soft drink in Sri Lanka is black tea, which is most often drunk with sugar and milk. Sometimes crushed ginger is added to tea. In addition, the inhabitants of this island love coffee, fruit juices and coconut milk.
Alcoholic drinks are also made in Sri Lanka - low-alcohol toddy (from coconut palm sap) and arrack (30-40%, from coconut palm sap).
Sights of Sri Lanka
According to official data, there are several hundred Buddhist and Hindu monasteries in Sri Lanka. And if we add to this temples, palaces, mosques, cave complexes, then the number of local attractions will reach several thousand. In our opinion, the top ten best attractions in Sri Lanka may include the following:
- Dalada Maligawa Buddhist Temple (Housing Buddha's Tooth)
- Fort in Colombo
- Sigiriya Fortress
- Dawatagaha Mosque in Colombo
- Cave Buddhist temple in Aluvihara
- Kochchikade Hindu Monastery in Colombo
- Ruins of the city of Anuradhapura
- Palace of King Kassiapa on Lion Mountain
- Buddhist cave temples of Dambulla
- Buddha's footprints on Sri Pada mountain
Cities and resorts
The largest cities in Sri Lanka are Kandy, Tricomalee, Kurunegala, Galle, Ratnapura, Kurunegala and Colombo.
Sri Lanka has many kilometers of beautiful beaches. Many of these beaches are located in picturesque bays surrounded by palm groves.
The best beach areas are Colombo, Trincomalee, Bentota, Arugam Bay, Hikkaduwa, Kogalla, Negombo and Kalutara. Many tourists believe that the best beach in Sri Lanka is Mount Lavinia near Colombo. All local beach resorts have good recreational infrastructure. There are also excellent opportunities for surfing, kitesurfing, wakeboarding, swimming, diving, fishing, spearfishing and scuba diving.
Near some beach resorts (for example, Trincomalee) there are hot springs, and therefore tourists can take medicinal baths there.
Souvenirs/shopping
From Sri Lanka, tourists usually bring handicrafts, ceramics, jewelry, masks, leather goods (for example, bags), batik fabric, souvenirs made from coconut shells, spices, and, of course, local (“Ceylonese” ) Black tea.
Office hours
Mira, it’s worth starting with the search for India. This state is located in Asia, the peninsula where it is located has the outline of an isosceles triangle, one of the vertices of which points strictly to the south. Sri Lanka is located in close proximity to India at a distance of approximately 100 km to the southeast. It is not difficult to find; it is the only large island in the Indian Ocean. On a larger scale, you can see that there is a sandbank between Sri Lanka and the Hindustan Peninsula - until the 15th century, these two geographical objects were connected, but after a series of earthquakes the isthmus was destroyed and went under water. The name of the state is derived from two words in Hindi: “shri” - glorious and “” - earth. However, the older generation knows the island as Ceylon - that’s how it was until 1972.
The sandbar in the Palk Strait, which previously connected Hindustan with the island of Sri Lanka, is called Adam's Bridge.
State of Sri Lanka
The entire area of Sri Lanka is occupied by the state of the same name, although many mistakenly classify the island as an Indian state. The official capital is a city with the difficult to pronounce name of Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, however, the unofficial economic and cultural center of the country is Colombo. The development of Sri Lanka was significantly influenced by the Portuguese, who were the first to colonize the island, and the British, because it was under the protectorate of Britain for about a century and a half. Most of the residents are employed in agriculture - world-famous tea is grown here. Tourism is also an important industry; in recent years people have come here not just on vacation, but for the entire winter season; among vacationers there are many open professions that allow them to work remotely.It is interesting that tea grown on the island is still called Ceylon; the name “Sri Lankan” has not taken root.
How to get to Sri Lanka
There are direct flights from Moscow to Colombo, but they do not operate every day. If you need to get to Sri Lanka at a different time, you will have to plan a transfer to Abu Dhabi (Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE), Koch (Qatar) or Istanbul (Turkey). Travel time ranges from eight hours depending on the duration of the connection. Before traveling to Sri Lanka, you must obtain an entry visa.Full name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
Area: 65,610 sq. km.
Population: 21,675,648 people.
Official languages: Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Official currency: Sri Lankan rupee.
In the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, not far from the coast of India, there is a small island shaped like a drop.
Everyone has heard about it at least once, and every day they probably enjoy its gifts - delicious black or green tea. His real name is rarely spoken, but his “nickname” Ceylon is heard by many. This is Sri Lanka!
Sri Lanka is separated from the Hindustan Peninsula by the narrow Palk Strait.
The people of Sri Lanka are called Sri Lankans.
At the beginning of the 19th century. the island was a colony (dependent territory) of Great Britain and was called Ceylon, and in 1972 it became independent and received a new name - Sri Lanka, which means “blessed land” in Sinhala.
Due to former British rule, almost everyone speaks English in Sri Lanka today. Only he is not quite familiar. Often, a resident of the British Isles or the USA will not fully understand a Sri Lankan, although both will communicate in the same language. This is because local residents add a lot of “their” words to their speech.
The flag of Sri Lanka is one of the oldest. It features a Sinhalese lion and two multi-colored stripes. The lion is the symbol of the ancestors of modern Sri Lankans, the green and orange stripes mean the few Muslims and Hindus, and the red part of the flag symbolizes the predominant Buddhists on the island. In the corners of the flag there are 4 leaves of paipula, a tree sacred to Buddhists.
Sri Lanka is an island of precious stones. In its depths are rubies, garnets, moonstone, and amethysts. But the “king” of stones is sapphire - blue, pink, yellow, white and very rare star. A Lankan sapphire even adorns the English crown!
As in other Asian countries, motorized pedicabs are popular in Sri Lanka. Here they are called "knock-knock". This is the only safe means of transportation, since it can easily go around any obstacle. Chaos is happening on the streets of Sri Lankan cities! Local residents do not follow traffic rules. They can stop their vehicle whenever and wherever they want just to let a cow pass or go out to say hello to an acquaintance whom they suddenly saw on the street...
This is interesting!
Taking Sri Lankan rupees abroad, even as a souvenir, is prohibited by law.
An umbrella in Sri Lanka is not a means of keeping out the rain, but the main protection from the sun. It won’t save you from the downpours that happen here, but it won’t save you from the hot sun without an umbrella. That's why umbrellas are sold even in grocery stores.
In a cafe, before putting a dish on a plate, they put a plastic bag on it. In this way, Sri Lankans maintain hygiene, and there is no need to wash dishes after eating.
One state - two capitals
The small state of Sri Lanka can boast that it has not one capital, but two! This is the large metropolis of Colombo and the little-known town with the complex name of Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte. The first houses the residence of the President of Sri Lanka, and the second houses the country's parliament and the Supreme Court.
Colombo means “mangrove harbour” in Sinhala. The city is indeed located in an area with many mangroves. But there is another version of the name. It is believed that the Portuguese, who conquered Sri Lanka in the past, could have named the city this way in honor of the navigator Christopher Columbus.
Colombo is the largest city on the island and the largest port in Sri Lanka. It's noisy and crowded here all the time, the streets are filled with cars and tuk-tuks. Colombo is the only city in Sri Lanka where there are high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. And only here temples belonging to representatives of three religions at once coexist safely - churches (Christianity), mosques (Islam) and Buddhist temples.
Colombo is home to one of the best botanical gardens in Asia. Its highlights are the Orchid House and the Spice Garden. The world's rarest species of these plants grow in the Orchid House. And in the Spice Garden all the aromatic plants and herbs of the island of Sri Lanka are collected. The king of the garden is pepper, and the queen is cinnamon. It is thanks to the huge amount of spices that the island was interesting for many European countries. Their rulers always dreamed of capturing plantations of allspice, vanilla, cloves, and ginger, which had no equal in the world.
Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte is a town in the suburbs of Colombo. When at the beginning of the 16th century. Envoys of the Portuguese king arrived on the island, the guides managed to stretch the five-kilometer route between Colombo and Kotte into a three-day hike around the entire island! This was done to confuse uninvited guests and hide the exact location of the capital from them. The expression “to go to Kotte” for modern Sri Lankans means “to take a roundabout route.”
The city of Colombo was the capital during the domination of Ceylon by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. When the state became independent, the city of Kotte received the capital function.
Today Kotte is a beautiful, quiet town with many universities and colleges. The Sri Lankan Parliament sits here. A luxurious building was specially built for him in the center of the city lake. Various festivals and fun carnivals are often held on the streets, in which brightly and beautifully dressed elephants - the symbol and pride of Sri Lanka - always take part.
Elephant City
In the past, elephants were the main transport in Sri Lanka. They transported people and cargo in the mountains and jungles. Today this is done by tractors and trucks, but the elephant is still the main animal and symbol of the island. 
The Sri Lankan elephant is different from its African brother. The inhabitants of the hot continent are larger, their ears are of a different shape and they always have powerful tusks. Among Sri Lankan elephants, tusks can be seen on about one in 20 animals.
An elephant lives as long as a person - 70-80 years. An adult animal weighs about 5 tons. He needs 250 kg of reed or coconut palm leaves and 200 liters of water per day.
For us, elephants are a symbol of wisdom and tranquility. But Sri Lankans think differently. They consider giants a natural disaster and fight them. Most animals are not killed by poachers. They are shot... by farmers. Elephants wander into fields, destroy crops and even destroy houses. A herd of angry elephants can destroy an entire village! The giants are not stopped by either fences or traps, and it is useless to try to “negotiate” with them. Lankan elephants are considered more aggressive and “clueless” than their African relatives.
There are fewer and fewer elephants in Sri Lanka every year. To protect the animals from extinction, the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was built on the island. This is a huge nursery where elephants left without parents, disabled elephants and retired elephants live. By the way, the oldest animal here is more than 60 years old, and the youngest is only two months old. He is given warm milk from the nipple to make him stronger and feel good.
Elephants are the main participants in all holidays and festivals in Sri Lanka. They are dressed in special mask costumes and decorated with jewelry.
Elephants have been trained for performances for many years. When elephants grow up, they “work off” their care and maintenance by giving tourists rides on their backs. This is the most popular attraction among visitors and the main business of local residents. Before riding, the elephant is saddled. This is done only for the sake of tourists. Sri Lankans ride bareback. Maintaining balance while riding is very difficult, but an excellent view opens from the back of the animal. Traveling on horseback, you become convinced that the elephant seems clumsy only from the outside. Despite its impressive weight, it moves almost silently. Usually an elephant walks at walking speed, but if necessary, giants can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h.
An elephant that has worked up an appetite during the trip must be thanked. The best way to do this is to feed him bananas, the elephant's favorite dessert.
The fauna of Sri Lanka is very diverse. Animals and birds on the island feel free, they are not afraid of humans and live next to him.
Based on materials
Sri Lanka Island
(Sri Lanka)
Blue sky, dark turquoise sea and green fringe of coconut palms over a yellow strip of beach - this is how the coast of the island of Sri Lanka opens to the traveler's eye. To Europeans, this island always seemed like an earthly paradise. It is no coincidence that the chain of islands crossing the Palk Strait and connecting Sri Lanka with India was called Adam's Bridge. It was according to him, as legend says, that the forefather of mankind, expelled from paradise, came to earth. By the way, one of the highest mountain peaks in Sri Lanka is also called Adam's Peak. It even has a rock with a dent similar to a human foot - as they say, the imprint of Adam's foot. On religious holidays, thousands of pilgrims climb along a narrow path to the top of the peak, eager to touch the shrine.
The island of Sri Lanka was known back in the 1st millennium BC. In the ancient Indian tale of Rama and Sita, better known to us as the Ramayana, there is an episode when the wife of Prince Rama, Sita, is kidnapped by the evil king of Sri Lanka, Ravana. But, although the Sri Lankan ruler took refuge on his island under the protection of a huge army, the brave Rama, with the help of the mighty monkey king Hanuman, who helped him, managed to defeat the army of Ravana and regain Sita. They also say that after returning home across Adam’s Bridge. Rama asked Hanuman how he could thank him. And the far-sighted monkey king replied that he would like to live as long as people remember the prince’s exploits. This is how Hanuman became immortal, for the memory of the divine Rama and his victories is passed on in India from generation to generation.
Over its long history, the island has changed many names, but all of them have always expressed admiration. The Arabs called it Serendib ("Blessed Island"). The ancient Greeks called it Taprobana (meaning "Coast of Bronze Palms"). The British gave the island the name Ceylon. This word comes from the distorted “Singala-dvina” - “Lion Island” - this is what the Sinhalese Indians who moved here in ancient times called this country. The current name of the island and country translated from Sanskrit means “Fertile Land”.
The great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore once called Sri Lanka “the pearl in the Indian Ocean.” Since then, many wonderful writers have visited the island - from Zweig and Kipling to the classic of modern science fiction Arthur C. Clarke, and everyone admired him in their own way. Russian writers also visited here: Goncharov and Chekhov, Garin and Bunin. It is impossible to list the enthusiastic epithets that they bestowed on Sri Lanka: “Emerald drop in the warm sea”, “Treasure Island”, “Paradise”, “Pearl Treasury of the East”, “Land of Eternal Summer”, etc.
It must be said that there is no exaggeration in the last name: the climate of the country is, indeed, even and warm throughout the year. In both summer and winter, the temperature here is about plus 27, and in the mountains - 20–25 degrees. From May to August, humid sea winds - monsoons bring heavy rains to the island. At this time, the clouds above the ground thicken so much that everything is plunged into darkness, as if a solar eclipse had occurred, and whole streams of water fall from the sky, so dense that nothing can be seen twenty steps away. Rivers overflow their banks, and violent floods sometimes destroy entire villages. Thus, in 1957, due to floods caused by monsoon rains, almost three hundred thousand residents of the country were left homeless. But the rest of the time the sun shines brightly over Sri Lanka.
The island's forests amaze with their power and diversity. Here you can find giant trees reaching 50 meters in height, small but beautiful flowering plants, and numerous vines entwining the trunks and branches of other trees. Among them are many valuable, unique species: sandalwood with delicately fragrant branches, ebony, also called “black” for the color of the wood, rosewood - teak, breadfruit with edible fruits, tree ferns, papaya, mango and many others. But most of all in the forests there are various palm trees, of which in the first place, of course, are coconut trees. Their slender silhouettes, sometimes rising 30–35 meters, are found everywhere on the island.
This plant has long served man in tropical countries. Its nuts are used as food and provide oil used in soap and candle making. Palm leaves are used to cover huts, baskets, mats and brushes are made from them, the wood is used for buildings, and dishes are made from nut shells. Palm fiber is used for weaving ropes and making fabrics.
From other types of palm trees, sweet juice is obtained, which after fermentation becomes an intoxicating drink, starch, sugar, wax and other substances. In ancient times, the leaves of the talipot palm were used to make paper similar to parchment. Ancient manuscripts written on it have survived to this day - more than a thousand years! And the fruits of the cabbage palm are still included in the menu of the island’s residents.
Near Buddhist monasteries there are always groves of banyan trees - the sacred tree of India and Sri Lanka. After all, it was under the banyan tree that two and a half thousand years ago, the founder of Buddhism, Prince Gautama, experienced “enlightenment,” that is, he understood the cause of human suffering and the way to get rid of it. This happened in one of the cities of Northern India. Since then, Gautama took the name Buddha ("Enlightened One"). Every year, millions of pilgrims come to bow to the tree, which has survived to this day.
And in 245 BC, envoys from Sri Lanka turned to the priests guarding the sacred Indian tree with a request to allow them to take one branch of banyan tree to their island so that they too would grow a symbol of true faith. Permission was given, and the cutting of the tree in a golden vessel traveled down the Ganges River and then by sea to Sri Lanka, where it was planted on a hill in the ancient capital of the country - Anuradhapura and watered with sacred water from the Ganges. And the tree took root in the new place and has been blooming and bearing fruit for more than two thousand years. The monks spread its fruits throughout the island, and now there is no Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka that does not have a banyan tree growing near it.
By the way, this tree is a close relative of the well-known indoor ficus. By the way, the ficus family, which is widespread in the Mediterranean, also includes the fig tree, or fig tree, as the Bible calls it. An amazing feature of the banyan tree is its ability to form numerous aerial roots hanging from the branches to the ground. Having taken root in the soil, these roots begin to thicken, turning into powerful additional trunks, reaching a meter in diameter. (The main trunk can sometimes be up to ten meters in diameter.) Gradually the tree turns into a real forest, sometimes occupying an entire hectare and consisting of 600–800 trunks! The largest banyan tree is considered to be a five-hundred-year-old tree in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, resembling a huge green hill with an area of two hectares. It is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. True, such giants have not been recorded in Sri Lanka.
In the forests of the island there is a real abundance of animals: there are wild elephants and buffaloes, black sloth bears and leopards, jackals and meter-sized bats - flying foxes, as well as many monkeys, flocks of which regularly devastate the fields and gardens of local residents. There are five species of deer in Sri Lanka, including the largest axis deer with a spotted coat and the mouse deer, which is the size of a hare.
The jungles of Sri Lanka also abound in birds, many of which fly here in winter from the north. But among them there are also permanent residents - these are peacocks, weaver birds, spur partridges and amazingly beautiful Ceylon kingfishers, whose feathers on the back shimmer in all shades of blue.
Dangerous animals are also found here, such as poisonous snakes (including cobras), crocodiles, sometimes growing up to five meters in length, and in coastal sea waters - sharks. The rivers are home to a rare fisherman, similar to a huge eel, up to a meter long. During the dry season, it is able to crawl overland from one body of water to another that has not yet dried up.
And the gecko lizards, common in Sri Lanka, are tamed and kept in houses by residents to combat flies, mosquitoes and mosquitoes.
The island's fertile climate provides excellent conditions for the cultivation of many cultivated plants, and therefore most of the plains of Sri Lanka (and they occupy four-fifths of the country) have been converted into plantations. Rubber trees such as hevea and cocoa, coconut palms and coffee trees, bananas and citrus fruits grow on them. But the main asset of Sri Lanka is its famous tea, which we call Ceylon tea from old memory. A third of all the tea harvested in the world is grown here, and it provides the lion's share of revenue to the state treasury.
But the nature of the island is famous not only for its richness of flora. In its mountains, on the roads of Sri Lanka, the richest reserves of the world's best graphite have been found, and "black sands" - the most valuable ore of titanium and zirconium - are mined off the coast. However, first of all, Sri Lanka is known throughout the world for its precious stones. More than forty different types of gems hide its depths: rubies and topazes, amethysts and garnets, tourmalines and alexandrites. Deposits of the latter are known, by the way, only in two places in the world: in Sri Lanka and here in the Urals. “Cat's eye” is also mined here - a stone that, according to legend, protects against assassination attempts and poisoning. They say that in the Middle Ages there was a ring with this stone; seven times he saved the life of the crown prince, the son of the ruler of the Sinhalese, whose enemies tried to take his life either with a dagger, or poison, or by sawing a bridge across the abyss on his way. But the magic talisman protected its owner every time, and the prince eventually became the ruler of the island.
Sapphire is rightly considered the most valuable gem in Sri Lanka. This blue stone is highly rated among connoisseurs. For one carat of it (0.2 grams) they pay up to two thousand dollars!
In the East there is an ancient legend about the origin of this wonderful gem. They say that people turned to the supreme deity of Hindus, Brahma, to show them the most precious of all seven wonders of the universe. Brahma climbed the sacred Mount Kailash, filled the cup with the magical drink of immortality - amrita, and splashed it out onto the surrounding area. Sprays of amrita scattered all over the world and, falling to the ground, turned into precious stones. These were sapphires.
The mountains of Sri Lanka, as already mentioned, occupy only a fifth of the island's area. But these are steep, rocky ridges and plateaus, sometimes rising two and a half kilometers above the plain. Rivers flowing from the mountains abound with waterfalls. Based on their number, Sri Lanka can be compared with the most “waterfall” country in the world - the South African kingdom of Lesotho. There are more than a hundred large waterfalls here, a good dozen of them are more than a hundred meters high. In the central part of the island, south of the ancient capital of the country - Kandy, in an area measuring fifty by fifty kilometers, there are seven such waterfalls and cascades, including the 210-meter Kurundu and the 190-meter Diyaluma.
The city of Kandy itself, known since the 16th century, is located at an altitude of 700 meters at the foot of the Piduru Range and has a temperate climate. It is considered the coolest city in the country. The longest river in Sri Lanka, the Mahaweli, surrounds the city buildings in a semicircle. The main attraction of Kandy is the ancient temple, which houses one of the main Buddhist shrines - the Tooth Relic. This sacred relic was initially kept in one of the temples of India, but when Muslims took over the Buddhists in the principality where the temple was located, the daughter of the ruler, hiding the Tooth in her high hairstyle, managed to get out of the city and reached Sri Lanka by ship. Here the Buddhist shrine was presented to the king of the island, who built a special temple for it in 1592, which became a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world. The most important holiday of Sri Lanka - Perahera - is dedicated to the sacred tooth of Buddha. On this day, a solemn procession is organized in Kandy, in which 200 festively dressed elephants take part, one of which carries on its back a golden copy of the casket - the repository of the Tooth.
And not far from the ancient capital there is another pearl of Sri Lanka - Sigiriya Rock ("Lion Mountain"). With its outlines, it really resembles a mighty predator preparing to jump. A palace city was built on an unusual rock back in the 5th century, which at that time served as the residence of the king, and later served as a home for Buddhist monks.
A huge rock mass, towering above the green wall of the forest, was visible from afar. To further highlight it, the sheer walls of the mountain were whitewashed and polished to a mirror shine. A marble palace with a luxurious garden and fountains was erected on the flat top of Sigiriya. Only one inaccessible path led to it from the foot of the cliff, ending at the walls of the residence. The gates were built in the shape of a giant lion's head. To get into the palace, you had to go through the ferocious, grinning mouth of the beast.
According to legend, a fabulous structure on an impregnable peak was built by the evil and treacherous prince Kasiyapa. To seize power in the country, he killed his father and sent his younger brother into exile. After this, he, fearing revenge, ordered the construction of a palace on the rock and took refuge there. But eighteen years later, the villain still suffered his well-deserved retribution. His brother, Moggolana, gathered an army, stormed Sigiriya and executed the criminal. A Buddhist monastery was established in the empty palace. And after several centuries, the monastery was empty, and soon the green wall of the jungle hid this unique masterpiece of architecture from people. And only at the beginning of the 19th century, using fragmentary information preserved in ancient manuscripts, archaeologists were able to find and clear the ancient ruins. Now Sigiriya is included in the list of the most valuable historical monuments in the world and is under the auspices of UNESCO.
Such is this amazing island, endowing the traveler with a precious bouquet of the most exquisite and varied impressions: amazing trees and unique animals, beaches of the warm sea and shady groves of coconut palms, scatterings of precious stones and foamy streams of waterfalls, white marble palaces and mysterious ancient rituals, fruits worthy of gourmets, and legends that have survived thousands of years... And it is no coincidence that one of the wise and experienced thinkers of our time, the American science fiction writer Arthur Clarke, having visited Sri Lanka, was so captivated by it that he remained to live here forever. And when he was asked about the reasons for such an act, he answered briefly and simply: “I don’t know a better place on our planet!”
This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (KO) by the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (LA) by the author TSBKos (island) Kos (Greek Kos), an island in the Aegean Sea, in the archipelago of the Southern Sporades, near the Asia Minor peninsula. Belongs to Greece. Length about 40 km, width up to 10 km, area 267 km2. Rolling plains and plateaus predominate; in the east there are low mountains with an altitude of up to 846 m (the town of Dikeos).
From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (RO) by the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (TY) by the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (ShR) by the author TSB From the book Paris. Guide by Eckerlin Peter From the book Croatia. Istria and Kvarner. Guide author Schwartz Berthold From the book All Countries of the World author Varlamova Tatyana KonstantinovnaIle de la Cité, Notre Dame, Ile Saint-Louis Entrance to the Louvre
From the book Around Paris with Boris Nosik. Volume 2 author Nosik Boris MikhailovichISLAND OF RAB FERRIES: Baska (Krk) - Lopar, interval 1.5 hours, Jablanac - Mishnjak (Rab), interval 15 min. Operating schedule of the ferry Rapska plovidba , Stjepana Radica 3, tel. 724122, fax 724108. Rab Port Authority, Trg Municipium Arba, tel. 724023.BERTHS FOR YACHT: MKA Supetarska Draga (ACI Supetarska
From the book Memo to USSR citizens traveling abroad author author unknownSri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Date of creation of an independent state: February 4, 1948 (gaining independence), May 22, 1972 (proclamation of the Republic of Sri Lanka) Area: 65.6 thousand square meters. kmAdministrative division: 8
From the book All about Paris author Belochkina Yulia VadimovnaTreasure Island - French Island Why, having given all possible attention to your walks along the left and right banks of Paris, did we bother with walks AROUND PARIS? Yes, because it occurred to us that, dizzy, running around the city on our short-term
From the book I Explore the World. Wonders of the world author Solomko Natalia ZorevnaDemocratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Consular Section of the Embassy: Colombo, Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha, 62, tel. 57-35-55 (24 hours a day), telex
From the book Philatelic Geography. European foreign countries. author Vladinets Nikolai IvanovichIle Saint-Louis Ile Saint-Louis (lie Saint-Louis) - the smaller of the two surviving islands of the Seine in Paris administratively belongs to the IV arrondissement. Unlike the neighboring Ile de la Cité, whose history dates back to antiquity, Saint-Louis remained uninhabited for a long time . He consisted
From the book Philatelic Geography. Asian countries (without the USSR). author Vladinets Nikolai IvanovichKrk Island This strange name goes to a small island in the Adriatic Sea, belonging to Croatia. Once upon a time, the Romans, whose roads passed throughout Europe, including here, called it Curicorum - after the name of the long-vanished Mediterranean people. Apparently, people
From the author's bookIsle of Man Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. Terr. OK. 600 sq. km. Terr. Great Britain, enjoying postal independence. Us. 56.2 thousand Ch. mountains - Douglas.Den. UK system: 1 pound sterling = 100 pence. First post. dept. was opened in 1778, and the first post office - in 1822. In 1833 there was
From the author's bookSRI LANKA (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) Ceylon. Sri Lanka State in the Indian Ocean on the island. Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) in the south. tip of the Hindustan Peninsula. Terr. 65.5 thousand sq. km.Us. approx. 14.9 million (1981): Sinhalese - 70%, Tamils - 22%, etc. Capital - Colombo. State language -
is an island state in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of India, from which it is separated by the Gulf of Manara and the Palk Strait.
The name of the country comes from the Sanskrit “shri” - “glorious” and “lanka” - “land”.
Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (part of the capital functions is performed by the city of Colombo)
The area of the land: 65.6 thousand sq. km
Total Population: 20.3 million people
Administrative division: It is divided into 9 provinces and 25 districts.
Form of government: Republic.
Head of State: President, elected for 6 years.
Population composition: 73% are Sinhalese, 19% are Tamil.
Official language: Sinhala is also equal to the official languages of English and Tamil.
Religion: 69% are Buddhists, 15% are Hindus.
Internet domain: .lk
Mains voltage: ~230 V, 50 Hz
Country dialing code:
Country barcode: 479
Climate
Sri Lanka is located only a few degrees of latitude north of the equator. Therefore, average monthly air temperatures in the lowlands are high and vary little throughout the year. In winter they are somewhat lower: for example, in Colombo the average temperature of the coolest month, December, is 25 ° C, and the hottest month, May, is 28 ° C. The daily temperature amplitudes are small and rarely exceed 11 ° C. However, in the mountains, in one of the The highest located cities in the country are Nuwara Eliya (1881 m), the average air temperature in January is 14° C, and in May 17° C.
The climate of Sri Lanka is shaped not only by its proximity to the equator, but also by its proximity to the Indian subcontinent. As a result, seasonal changes in winds and contrast in precipitation are observed, which allows us to talk about a specific version of the Indian monsoon.
Like other mountainous islands in monsoon regions, Sri Lanka has clearly expressed geographic diversity in the intra-annual course of precipitation. Thus, the southwest monsoon, which blows from late May to late September - early October, is associated with rainfall in the southwest of the country, especially on the windward slopes of the Massif Central. It also determines dry weather in the northern and eastern lowlands, which find themselves in the rain shadow of the mountains.
From about November to January, Sri Lanka experiences the influence of the northeast monsoon, which causes rainfall throughout the island. During the inter-monsoon period, when atmospheric pressure is relatively stable, local convective air currents and daytime sea breezes bring sporadic precipitation.
This seasonal rhythm, combined with the influence of the orographic factor, determines the presence of sharp regional differences in the climate of Sri Lanka. Thus, the southwestern lowlands, located between the mountains and the sea, are part of a humid zone, where precipitation is confined to both monsoon periods, and in the intermediate time rain falls in smaller quantities. Therefore, high air humidity is constantly maintained, only February is relatively dry in most areas.
On the slopes of the western exposure of the Massif Central, within the humid zone, temperatures decrease with height, and the annual precipitation in some points exceeds 5100 m.
The lowlands of the dry zone, located in the north and east of the island, including the Jaffna Peninsula, have an obvious but unclear maximum rainfall between October and January, when the influence of the northeast monsoon becomes apparent. The dry season lasts from June to September. Rare rainfall is recorded during the inter-monsoon period. In general, precipitation in the dry zone is less abundant than in the wet zone, and on average per year its amount does not exceed 1900 mm on the northwestern coast and 1300 mm on the southeastern coast. However, the very value of this indicator in the dry zone does not give grounds to classify it as an arid territory, and the dry climate is felt only in the summer.
In the eastern mountains and the intermountain basin of Uva, also classified as a dry zone, the seasonal cycle of precipitation is approximately the same as in the lowlands, but less pronounced. Moreover, the rainfall there reaches such an intensity that is rarely observed in the lowlands of this zone.
Geography
An island nation in the Indian Ocean, located north of the equator and off the southern coast of India, from which the island is separated by the Manara and Palk Straits.
Most of the island is occupied by a low-lying plain, “broken” by outcrops of crystalline basement in the form of rocks and mesas. The entire southern part of the island is occupied by the medium-high stepped mountainous country of the Massif Central, with strongly articulated relief and leveled mountain peaks. The slopes are abundantly overgrown with forests and dissected by short but stormy rivers.
The highest point of the island is Mount Pidurutalagala (2524 m). The total area of the country is 65.6 thousand square meters. km.
In fact, the capital is Colombo (the seat of government and the main institutions of the country are located here), while the official suburb of Colombo is Sri Jaya-Vardenapura (Jayawardenapura-Kotte), where the country's legislative bodies and a number of administrative organizations are located.
Flora and fauna
Vegetable world
The natural vegetation of the lowlands of the humid zone and the adjacent mountains has been largely reduced by human economic activity. These areas were once covered with dense tropical rainforests, which gave way to montane evergreen forests higher up the slopes; however, such communities have survived only in protected natural areas.
In the lowlands of the dry zone, forests have suffered damage as a result of human activity, but in some places they still survive in the form of mixed evergreen communities of the xerophytic type. The arid uplands in the Uva province are partly occupied by secondary grasslands. In the northwest and southeast lowlands of the dry zone, the surviving forests have degenerated into species-poor thickets of thorny bushes. Large areas of the southwest of the country are covered in dense jungle. Forests also occupy the mountain slopes.
Palm trees and mangroves grow in coastal areas. In the humid zone, mahogany grows in large numbers, as well as rubber and fruit trees. In drier areas, ebony and satinwood are found. Orchids, acacias, cypresses, and eucalyptus trees are common throughout the country.
Animal world
The fauna of Sri Lanka is very diverse. Of the 451 species of birds, 251 species are permanent inhabitants of the island, of which 24 are found only in Sri Lanka. Beginning in mid-August, the first flocks of migratory birds arrive for the winter from Siberia, Scandinavia and Western Europe. The reservoirs of the arid zone attract a large number of ducks, and larger waterfowl such as flamingos, pelicans, and storks prefer the reservoirs of national parks and reserves.
Bundala National Park is especially famous for its flamingo colonies. The variety of shapes and colors of 242 species of butterflies can be observed in March-April, when the seasonal migration begins. Among the 86 species of animals, elephants occupy the main place. At the beginning of the 19th century, when the British arrived, there were more than 30,000 elephants on the island. Now only 6,000 remain.
The destruction of habitat has led to a decline in the number of elephants, but large herds of elephants can still be found in national parks such as Yala, Gall Oya, and Udawalawe. The wild cat of Sri Lanka, the leopard, is also on the verge of extinction, although Vilpatu Park can rightfully be proud of the number of inhabitants.
Sri Lanka is home to such animals as wild boars, jackals, wild buffalos, several species of deer, bears, porcupines, foxes and of course monkeys. 54 species of freshwater fish, of which 17 were introduced by the British. Of the 38 amphibians, 16 are unique.
The island abounds in reptiles, 75 species, of which two species of crocodiles, a water monitor and a monitor lizard are the largest. The star turtle is the only land turtle on the island. 5 species of sea turtles are protected by law. Of the 83 species of snakes, only 5 are poisonous.
Attractions
Sri Lanka is one of the most ancient countries in the world. Somewhere in these parts, according to legend, Adam and Eve descended to Earth; many ancient authors even correlated the location of the Garden of Eden itself with Taprobane or Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was called until 1972). This amazing island is home to many historical treasures protected by UNESCO, as well as a large number of places associated with the name of Buddha. Hundreds of kilometers of beaches and a unique underwater world place Sri Lanka among the world's largest seaside resorts.
Banks and currency
Lankan Rupee (LKR), equal to 100 cents. There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees, as well as coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents and 1, 2, 5 rupees.
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00-15:00. Banks are usually closed on Saturday and Sunday, as well as most holidays.
It is recommended to exchange money only at official institutions and exchange offices, usually located in banks, airports and large international hotels. When exchanging currency at official institutions, a special check is issued, according to which, upon departure from Colombo, at the airport bank you can make a reverse exchange of rupees at the official purchase rate.
You can exchange money in markets or in private shops - currency will be accepted almost everywhere, but there is a high risk of encountering fraud, since prices in dollar terms are quite low and change may simply not be returned or converted at an unfavorable rate.
Large hotels and shops accept international credit cards from leading payment systems. ATMs are also common in large cities. Large banks and hotels accept international travel checks for payment (often the exchange rate is even better than cash). Outside the resort areas, it is almost impossible to pay using non-cash means of payment.
Useful information for tourists
When going to Sri Lanka, take light cotton clothing and a hat with you. Be sure to stock up on sunscreen and sunburn lotion. There are no strict requirements for clothing in the country, but you should not visit temples in shorts or in clothes with open backs and shoulders, and you must take off your shoes when entering the temple.
Sri Lanka is famous all over the world for its precious stones: sapphires, rubies, topazes, etc. We recommend purchasing jewelry in specialized stores, requiring the appropriate receipt or certificate. Ceylon tea, spices, and handicrafts: masks, batik, leather goods are also known throughout the world. In cities you can buy inexpensive textile products. In markets, private stores, and shops, we advise you to bargain on the price. You can reduce the cost of goods by 30% relative to the original price.
Tipping is not required. However, a hotel receptionist or restaurant waiter will appreciate a few extra cents.
It would be useful to know that taxi drivers in the capital never give change.
