Sri Lanka (from the Sanskrit “Venerable Island”^{[citation needed]}), officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (pronounced /ˌʃriːˈlɑːŋkɑː/, Sinhala: , Tamil: இலங்கை; known as Ceylon (/sɪˈlɒn/) before 1972 and as Taprobane (/təˈprɒbəniː/) in ancient times), is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India. It is home to around twenty million people.

As a result of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia.^{[citation needed]} It has also been a center of the Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times as well as being a bastion of Hinduism.^[8] The Sinhalese community forms the majority of the population; Tamils, who are concentrated in the north and east of the island, form the largest ethnic minority. Other communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the indigenous Wanniyala-Aetto people.

The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon - which is native to the country.^[9] The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination.^{[citation needed]} The island also boasts the first female Prime Minister in the world, Sirimavo Bandaranaike.^[10]

After over two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, parts of Sri Lanka were colonized by Portugal and the Netherlands beginning in the 16th century, before control of the entire country was ceded to the British Empire in 1815.^{[citation needed]} During World War II, Sri Lanka served as an important base for Allied forces in the fight against the Japanese Empire.^[11] A nationalist political movement arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948.

In ancient times, Sri Lanka was known by a variety of names: ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane^[12] and Arabs referred to it as Serendib (the origin of the word "serendipity").^[13] Ceilão was the name given to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese when they arrived in 1505,^[14] which was transliterated into English as Ceylon.^[15] As a British colony, the island was known as Ceylon, and achieved independence under the name Ceylon in 1948. In 1972, the official name of the country was changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka" (in Sinhala: śrī laṃkā, IPA: [ˌʃɾiːˈlaŋkaː]; whereas the island itself is referred to as ලංකාව laṃkāva, IPA: [laŋˈkaːʋə], in Tamil இலங்கை ilaṅkai, iˈlaŋɡai). In 1978 it was changed to "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka".^[16] The current name is derived from the Sanskrit word lanka, meaning "island",^[17] which was also the name of the island as described in the ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The word "Sri" is a Sanskrit title meaning sacred

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L8sd4kqQmA&feature=related

The Sri Lankan cricket team is a national cricket team representing Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test playing nation. The Sri Lankan team transformed themselves from underdog status to a major cricketing nation during the 1990s. The team went on to win the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating Australia in the finals, and becoming World Champions. Since then, the team has continued to be a major force in international cricket. Sri Lankan team currently holds several word records including world records for highest team totals in all three forms of the game, Test, ODI and, Twenty20. The Sri Lanka team did well to reach the finals of the 2007 Cricket World Cup in a rain-affected match. The batting of Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva (retired), backed up by the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, among many other talented cricketers, has underpinned the successes of Sri Lankan cricket during the last 15 years. The team is administered by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Sri Lanka have won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 co champions with India since the final was a wash out and have been runners up in the Under 19 Cricket World Cup in 2000 and have been runners up in the ICC World

Mahinda Rajapaksa has become the fifth President of Sri Lanka.
The lawyer, human rights activist, former government minister and proud son of Sri Lanka previously served as the Honourable Prime Minister of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka.
The nation's new President dedicates himself to bringing peace and economic prosperity to all communities in Sri Lanka, ushering in the future while upholding the traditions of the past. Rajapaksa was born in Weerakatiya in the southern rural district of Hambantota.[2] He hails from a well known political family in Sri Lanka. His father, D. A. Rajapaksa, was a prominent politician, independence agitator, Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Land in Wijeyananda Dahanayake's government. D.M. Rajapaksa, his uncle, was a State Counselor for Hambantota in the 1930s who started wearing the earthy brown shawl to represent kurakkan (finger millet) cultivated by the people of his area, whose cause he championed throughout his life. It is from his example that Rajapaksa wears his characteristic shawl.[2]
Rajapaksa was educated at Richmond College, Galle before moving to Nalanda College Colombo and later Thurstan College, Colombo.[2] He also had a few cameo roles as a movie actor in Sinhalese movies and worked as a library assistant at Vidyodaya University.[3]
Following the death of his father in 1967, Rajapaksa took over as the SLFP candidate for Beliatta constituency and was elected to Parliament in 1970 as the youngest Member of Parliament at the age of 24.[3] Later he studied law at the Sri Lanka Law College and took oaths as an attorney-at-law in November 1977.[4] Throughout his parliamentary career, except for the period from 1994-2001 when he was a minister, he continued his law practice in Tangalle.[2]
He lost his parliamentary seat in the landslide defeat of the SLFP in 1977.[2] During the 1985 by-election campaign in the Mulkirigala electorate in Hambantota district, for which his brother Chamal Rajapaksa contested representing the SLFP, during this time Mahinda was remanded for allegations of possession of unauthorized fire arms, but he was cleared of charges due to lack of evidence.
In Opposition
In 1989 he was re-elected to Parliament to represent Hambantota District under Proportional Representation. He came into prominence as a leader, together with Manorani Saravanamuttu, of the Mothers Front, which organised the mothers of the "disappeared" in the white terror of 1988-90 instigated by a rebel group that called themselves Deshapremi Jathika Vyaparaya or 'Patriotic National Movement'.[2]
Political career
Appointment as Cabinet Minister
In 1994, following the election victory of the People's Alliance a political front led by Sri Lanka Freedom Party and headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga, Rajapaksa was appointed Minister of Labour. He held this post until 1997 when, following a cab

inet reshuffle, his portfolio was changed to Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.[2]

Leader of the Opposition
When the United National Party (UNP) defeated the People's Alliance in the 2001 elections, Rajapaksa lost his position in the Government. He was however appointed as Leader of the Opposition in March 2002.[2]
Premiership
Rajapaksa was chosen by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party for the Presidential Election held on November 17, 2005. Rajapaksa prime opponent was former Prime Minister and Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the United National Party in this election. Rajapaksa defeated Wickremasinghe narrowly by 190,000 votes and took office as President of Sri Lanka on November 19, 2005. This has often been cited as being a result of the LTTE calling for a bo

ycott of the polls in the North and East from tamil voters in areas within their control. Most voter

s in these areas were forcibly restrained from voting, and it is common knowledge that they would have favored Ranil Wickremasignhe and his UNP party in the said election..[5] Rajapaksa received 50.3% of the vote.
After becoming President of Sri Lanka, Rajapaksa reshuffled the cabinet and took the portfolios of Defence and Finance in the new cabinet, which was sworn on November 23, 2005.
Mahinda Rajapaksa has become the fifth President of Sri Lanka. The lawyer, human rights activist, former government minister and proud son of Sri Lanka previously served as the Honourable Prime Minister of the 13th Parliament of Sri Lanka. The nation's new President dedicates himself to bringing peace and economic prosperity to all communities in Sri Lanka, ushering in the future while upholding the traditions of the past.