• Officially known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon
• Located in the Indian Ocean, separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar
• Shares maritime borders with Maldives and India
• Colombo is the executive and judicial capital; Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
• Population of 22 million; majority are Sinhalese (74%); 15% Tamil

• Documented history spans over 3,000 years; human settlement dates back 125,000 years
• Historical trading hub known during Anuradhapura period
• Colonial history includes Portuguese, Dutch, and British control until independence in 1948
• Nationalist movements led to independence; became a republic in 1972

• Civil war from 1983 to 2009 ended with defeat of Tamil separatists
• Emerging as a developing country with significant geopolitical importance
• Highest human development and second-highest GDP per capita in South Asia
• Participates in several international organizations, including SAARC and Commonwealth.

List of newspapers published in Sri Lanka.