Sri Lanka

Question 1

Sri Lanka (Ceylon) the blessed land

Question 2

Land and People

Question 3

Sri lanka (formerly known as ceylon until 1972) is an island Off the southeast tip of the Indian Subcontinent The countries ineterior is mountainous but The coastal areas are flatlands The total land area is only 25

Answer 3

332 sq. miles. Colombo is the capital of the City

Question 4

? Colombo City

Question 5

? Sri Lanka mean “blessed island” In sinhala

Answer 5

the official languange. Tamil and english are also spoken. In it’s history European invaders has exploited Ceylon for it’s deep forts

Question 6

? The name Sri lanka Came from Aryan in the Epic Ramayana. The medieval arab merchants who came to the island called it “serendip” Inspiring the word “serendipity” It became Ceylon After indepemdence in 1948. And took the name Sri lanka again As provided by the 1972 constituition.

Question 7

? Sri lanka has a population of 18 million

Answer 7

13.5 million Of these are sinhalese the descendants of the indo-aryans From north India . The sinhalese embrace the Theravada buddhism. The 3 million tamils A dravidian people Make up the country’s largest minority grouops. Hindu

Question 8

1.3 percent is very low. Caste discrimination is very minimal and Sri lankan women seem fully Engaged in the life of the nation

Question 9

? Today Sri Lanka Is a nation still struggling to achieve unity for the past 16 years

Answer 9

it has been Rocked with ethnic violence And insurgency in which more than 100

Question 10

Early History

Question 11

? The Indo Aryan Sinhalese Arrived from Northern India Around 500 B.C. According to tradition

Answer 11

an Indian Prince Vijaya Landed in north Sri Lanka In 543 B.C He established his kingdom called singhala (lion race) In honor of his father singha the lion Buddhism was introduced in the island in 3rd century The shrines and temples were erected throughout the kingdom.

Question 12

? The tamils who descended from the Dravidians of south india came into the island from a series of invasions About 500 years ago. Until today the sinhalese Majority still has that 2000 year old nightmare Bacause of the ever constant threat of the tamil minority to dribe them into the sea during the 12th century Parakamrama the great (1153-86)United the ethnic groups under his rule but his united kingdom disintegrated after his death.

Question 13

? In 1505

Answer 13

Lorenzo de Almeida

Question 14

Kandy

Question 15

Kotte

Question 16

Jaffna

Question 17

British Rule

Question 18

? For 133 years

Answer 18

the British colanized Sri Lanka The colonial masters were Successful in uniting the various ethnic groups under one colonial admnistration. English was the common language and a uniform judicial system was instituited Roads and railways were built to facilitate the development of the

Question 19

export-oriented economy. Tea

Answer 19

coffee and rubber plantations were established but controlled by the BrtiSh To meet the demand for workers in these plantations

Question 20

? when Independence riOts were brutally suppressed by the Btish

Answer 20

the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka set aside their differences and organized the Ceylon National Congress. the country’s first political party. But again

Question 21

Independence

Question 22

Stephen Senayake

Answer 22

“Father of Sri Lenkan Indipendence” led his people in the Struggle for independence. He was a charismatic leader and was supported by every ethnic group in his country. On February 4

Question 23

The ethnic rift continued to be a problem even after independence The economy suffers as the tea and rubber exports diminished Social discontent swept the ruling United national Party out of power in 1956. Elected into office was an opposition coalition led by the Freedom Party of Solomon Bandaranaike

Question 24

Stephen Senayake

Question 25

Solomon Bandaranaike

Question 26

? Prime Minister Bandaranaike and the Sinhalese-controlled parliament instituited and re-organized the government However. The Sri Lankan legslature enacted reforms to ensure the support of the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and one of which was the Making of Sinhala as the only official language. This "Sinhala" only policy Affectively Out off the tamils Who were forced to learned sinhala Or lose jobs or status

Answer 26

eventually this Prompted the tamil minority to ruse in violent riots.

Question 27

? On september 25

Answer 27

1959 a buddhist zealot killed prime minister Bandaranaike. His widow Sirimavo succeded Him. During the Four yearS of her term She continued her late husband's pro-sinhalese policies

Question 28

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Question 29

? Like Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines Sirimavo Became unpopular due to the Human rights Violations Of her administration and the economic Crisis in the country. in 1977 Election

Answer 29

Junius Jayewardene' UNP led Opposition parties In defeating sirimavo's ruling party.

Question 30

? Prime minister Jayewardene Promulgated a new constituition That provided for a change from parliamentary to presidentiaL system Government. Under Jayewardene

Answer 30

both sinhala and tamil Became national language Although sinhala remained as Official language

Question 31

? Jayewardene's attempt at ethnic unity Was too late

Answer 31

the tamils demanded a seprate state

Question 32

Prime minister Jayewardene

Question 33

TLLE

Question 34

Civil war

Question 35

? The tigers included banks and Business in Jaffna in their attacks They also stringed chain of political Assassinations

Answer 35

including the killing of the mayor of Jaffna In 1975 Anti terror law did not deter Tamil insurgents From increasing their ranks To 10

Question 36

? In July 1983

Answer 36

hostilities rached it's peak When tigers attacked a Sri Lankan army patrol

Question 37

? In 1987

Answer 37

the Sri Lankan government asked India to send troops to help enforce truce

Question 38

? The agreement gave limited autonomy to the Tamils. The northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka were merged into a new administrative unit. The agreement also brought a Ceasefire between the Tamil Liberation Front and the government troops commenced on August 1 1987 By February 1988

Answer 38

four Tamil guerilla organizations had accepted the truce. But the Tigers rejected it and began to fight the Indian troops who were sent to enforce the ceasefire

Question 39

? On August 18

Answer 39

1987

Question 40

Period of political Violence

Question 41

? On December 19

Answer 41

1988

Question 42

? On May 1

Answer 42

1993

Question 43

Prime Minister Ranasinghe

Question 44

Chandrika bandaranaike

Question 45

? Peace might have been achieved in March 1995

Answer 45

After President Kumaratunga proposed to divide Sri Lanka into several regions

Question 46

? Jaffna fell to government troops in December 1995

Answer 46

but the Tigers maintained their campaign of terror in other areas. In July 1996

Question 47

? Tamils have migrated all over the world to avoid the ethnic violence

Answer 47

and the Tigers mantain fund-raising offices in European cities like Paris and London

Question 48

Thank You! Humayo kayo at mag pakarami