Sri Lanka country profile
Share this with Email Lying off the southern tip of India, the tropical island of Sri Lanka has attracted visitors for centuries with its natural beauty. But it has been scarred by a long and bitter civil war arising out of ethnic tensions between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamil minority in the northeast. After more than 25 years of violence the conflict ended in May 2009, when government forces seized the last area controlled by Tamil Tiger rebels. But recriminations over abuses by both sides continue. The island fell under Portuguese and Dutch influence after the 16th century. It gained independence in 1948, after nearly 150 years of British rule. Read more country profiles - Profiles by BBC Monitoring See slideshow FACTS Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Commercial capital: Colombo Population 21.2 million Area 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq miles) Major languages Sinhala, T...