Colombo and Sri Lanka: the Pearl of the Indian Ocean

Introduction

Lying off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent like a teardrop fallen from the face of Asia, the island nation of Sri Lanka is one of the most historically rich, geographically beautiful, and culturally complex places on earth. Known to ancient Greek geographers as Taprobane, to Arab traders as Serendib (the origin of the word "serendipity"), to Portuguese colonists as Ceilão, to the British as Ceylon, and to its own people as Lanka, Sri Lanka, or the Resplendent Island, this small country has wielded an influence on the history of Asia and the world that far exceeds what its physical dimensions might suggest.

Sri Lanka is an island of approximately 65,610 square kilometers, roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland, situated in the Indian Ocean between the parallels of 6 and 10 degrees north latitude, separated from the southeastern tip of the Indian subcontinent by the Palk Strait — which at its narrowest point is approximately 30 kilometers wide, shallow enough that legends speak of a land bridge between the two countries. The central highlands of Sri Lanka rise dramatically from the surrounding plains and coastal lowlands, reaching their highest point at Pidurutalagala, which stands at 2,524 meters. This mountainous interior, with its abundant rainfall, cool temperatures, and fertile soils, supports the tea plantations that have made Sri Lanka one of the world's leading producers of tea for more than a century and a half.

The country's geography divides it into what geographers call the "wet zone" and the "dry zone." The southwestern quarter of the island — including the capital Colombo and the hill country of the central highlands — receives heavy monsoon rains from the southwestern monsoon, typically from May to September, creating a lush, green landscape of extraordinary beauty. The rest of the island, and particularly the north and east, lies in the rain shadow of the central mountains and receives its rainfall from the northeastern monsoon, with long dry seasons in between. This geographical division has historically corresponded roughly to cultural and demographic divisions as well — the wet zone has traditionally been the heartland of the Sinhalese Buddhist majority, while the dry zone north and east has been more heavily settled by Tamil Hindu communities.

Colombo, on the southwestern coast, is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka. Its population within the municipal boundaries is approximately 750,000, but the greater metropolitan area of Colombo — including the suburbs and satellite towns that have grown up around the city in recent decades — is home to approximately 5.6 million people, making it by far the largest urban agglomeration in Sri Lanka. Colombo is the economic engine of the country, housing the island's major port, its principal financial institutions, its international airport (situated at Katunayake, approximately 30 kilometers north of the city center), and the headquarters of most of its major corporations. It is a city of remarkable contrasts: gleaming new hotels and high-rise condominiums overlook colonial-era buildings from the British period, Chinese-funded expressways thread through neighborhoods of traditional timber houses, and the meditative calm of ancient Buddhist temples stands a few streets from the clamor of the port and the wholesale markets.

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, a suburb immediately east of central Colombo, is the official legislative capital of Sri Lanka, the seat of the national parliament. But Colombo remains, by every practical measure, the true capital of the country — its commercial, cultural, diplomatic, and administrative center.

The Geography and Natural World of Sri Lanka