The history of Sri Lanka

When Marco Polo returned from his first trip through Asia, and having sailed for days by the sea of Bengal, our mysterious island shaped like a tear came to meet them, leaving the legendary traveler fascinated by the profound beauty of its coastline and the extraordinary hospitality of its people. He gave the name of Ceylon to this magical land, and since then an enclave in the strategically vital route of spices and play a role of bridge for the future European presence in Asia. So much so was the case, which was colonized successively by the most powerful and influential metropolis. Portuguese, Dutch and English, always sigh for possessing this small pearl shaped island so as to extend their empires until farther east.

This much-desired island, is an independent country since, in February 1948, its citizens decide to start a new journey without the protection and influence of a British empire that included how their power was melting steel in which the many liberation movements in Asia which raised the political temperature to a degree difficult to control in so-distant territories.

The country that our old textbooks known as Ceylon, was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972, by creating this great confusion. It was the original name with which the Sinhalese and Tamil was referring to their land, being "Lanka" an ancient warrior king and "Sri" described as radiant.

Its history is linked to the most legendary epics and gets lost in the mist of the dawn of time, not in vain the second highest mountain and spectacular of the island, is called the peak of Adam, and is known for being the place where the first man took refuge after being expelled from paradise, or where Buddha was stopped once in his long pilgrimage in search of nirvana, and you Rama, aided by his ally Hanuman (the monkey god), fought to rescue his ara consort Sita from the clutches of the evil king Lanka, using in their escape, as a bridge, thousands of tiny islands that bind India and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka was spiritual leader of the Theravada religion, which was expanded to all Asian countries, while talks were initiated with the powerful northern neighbour, to allow it to accept the descendants of those who once migrated toward fertile island. The contacts followed for years without apparent results until early in the 60's, made an agreement that 600,000 Tamils were distributed to India, giving the government at the same time the long-awaited citizenship to other 375,000 of them. There were tensions and attempted conflict and had to cede power Sinhalese finally allowed to remain with full rights to other 92,000 Tamils from the mountains, which always considered this as their land.

Currently, the Tamils constitute the second largest ethnic group, but that they represent 20% is not reflected in political life then Sinhalese. They live around the Jaffna peninsula and are mostly Hindu religion. Some 70% of the population is Sinhalese and follower of Buddhism, with a group of Kandianos (4 million) belonging to higher castes and influential. The remaining 10% is divided between Arabs, Malays and white descendants of Europeans.