 |
| 
1505 - Portuguese arrive in Colombo.
1815 - British become first European power to win control over whole island, known as Ceylon. Start bringing in Tamil labourers from southern India to work tea, coffee and coconut plantations.
1833 - English made official language.
1948 - Ceylon gains full independence.
1949 - Indian Tamil plantation workers disenfranchised.
1956 - Solomon Bandaranaike elected on wave of Sinhalese nationalism. Sinhala made sole official language and other measures introduced to bolster Sinhalese and Buddhist feeling. | | | | |
|  | |
|
| | The Sinhalese are predominantly Buddhist, the Tamils mainly Hindus, and there are sizeable Muslim and Christian Burgher (descendants of Dutch colonists) minorities. | | | |
|  | |
|
| | Sri Lanka has in the last 20 years increasingly engaged in privatisation and moved towards market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. | | | |
|  | |
|
| | Presidential and parliamentary elections are held at six-and five-year intervals. Parliamentary elections are due in Oct 2010. | | | |
|  | |
|
| | It shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana. | | | |
|  | |
|
| | Known as a champion of human rights, Rajapaksa believes that power is not an ornament, but a means to serve people. | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| 
As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. | | |
| Country profile | |
|
| |
![](/on/img/0.gif"){kind=small}
-
