Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, historically known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest.
Some of the key events about Sri Lanka
- 1948Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) gained independence from British rule
- 1948Disenfranchisement of Indian Tamil plantation workers, leaving many stateless
- 1956Sinhala Only Act passed, marginalizing Tamil speakers and increasing ethnic tensions
- 1971Violent insurrection by Marxist group JVP resulted in thousands of deaths
- 1972The country officially became the Republic of Sri Lanka
- 1978A new constitution was adopted, establishing a presidential system of government
- 1982The ancient city of Polonnaruwa was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- 1983Anti-Tamil pogrom known as "Black July" sparked decades-long civil war
- 1987Devastating suicide attack on army camp marked escalation of LTTE tactics
- 1988The Sacred City of Kandy was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
- 1990Expulsion of Muslims from Northern Province by LTTE, displacing thousands
- 1991The Ancient City of Sigiriya was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- 1996Central Bank bombing in Colombo killed over 90 people and injured 1,400
- 2004Sri Lanka successfully contained a major dengue fever outbreak through innovative public health measures
- 2004Devastating tsunami killed over 30,000 people and displaced 500,000 more
- 2009The 26-year long civil war in Sri Lanka came to an end
- 2009Final months of civil war saw heavy civilian casualties in "No Fire Zones"
- 2013Sri Lanka hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
- 2019Sri Lanka was named the world's top travel destination by Lonely Planet
- 2019Easter Sunday bombings targeted churches and hotels, killing 269 people
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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