Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, also known as the pearl of Indian Ocean, is a beautiful island. It lies about 32 kilometers off the southeast coast of India.

Some links...

Some web sites which have information about Sri Lanka...

Some important aspects...

Plenty of tourist attractions including sandy beaches, wild life parks, hill country and cultural festivals.
Free health care services by state owned hospitals through out the country.
Free education system, up to undergraduate degree.

Dark periods in history...

Starting in 1505, the Portuguese, Dutch and British invaded the country in that order. For 310 years, none of them were able to gain full control of the entire island using military force. They were restricted to certain coastal areas. It was an internal rift between the king and the ministers (Nilames), which the British successfully exploited in 1815 that enabled them to oust the king with the help of those ministers. The kingdom was handed over to the British under a treaty called "Udarata Givisuma" where they primarily pledged to protect Buddhism and all its Viharas, devalas and other monuments. However, after gaining control, the British did not abide by any of the conditions they had agreed upon.

Sri Lanka got independence from Britain in 1948, but only after the British had successfully managed to create a set of political leaders who would rule the country in the same manner as they did!

"And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime." -- George W. Bush, September 20, 2001

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Last updated on August 28, 2005.