Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist island nation in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (18½ mi) off the southern coast of India. It is often popularly referred to as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It is home to more than 18 million people.
A strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia, Sri Lanka has been an ancient centre of Buddhist and Hindu religion and culture. Significant numbers of people also adhere to Christianity, Islam and indigenous religions. Sinhalese people form a majority of the population, which also composes of a large Tamil population and smaller communities of Burghers, Muslims and indigenous peoples. Famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts, Sri Lanka also boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape and rich cultural heritage make it a famous destination for tourists worldwide.
After over a thousand years of rule by independent kingdoms, Sri Lanka was colonised by Portugal and the Dutch before passing to the control of the British Empire. A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century to obtain political independence, which was granted in 1948. Although it enjoyed a stable period of democracy and economic progress, the nation has been torn by a bloody civil war between the Sinhalese-dominated government and Tamil separatists led by the LTTE who demand an independent Tamil state in northeastern Sri Lanka. Tsunamis caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake devastated the southern and north-eastern part of the nation, causing the deaths and displacement of a large segment of the population.
