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SRI LANKA
-Sri Lanka is famous for its unique Buddhism culture. Buddhism is
the main religion of Sri Lanka where it was officially introduced in
the third century B.C. during the reign of King Devanam Piyatissa by
Venerable Mahinda who was son of Emperor Asoka of India.
The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a free,
independent and sovereign nation. Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian
Ocean is located to the south of the Indian subcontinent. encompasse
beautiful tropical beaches, verdant vegetation, ancient monuments
and a thousand delights to please all tastes. The relief features of
the island consist of a mountainous mass somewhat south of the
centre, with height exceeding 2,500 metres, surrounded by broad
plains. Palm fringed beaches surround the island and the sea
temperature rarely falls below 27OC. Climate & Seasons In the
lowlands the climate is typically tropical with an average
temperature of 27OC in Colombo. In the higher elevations it can be
quite cool with temperatures going down to 16OC at an altitude of
nearly 2,000 metres.
Bright, sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the
height of the monsoon - climatically Sri Lanka has no off season.
The south west monsoon brings rain mainly from May to July to the
western, southern and central regions of the island, while the
north-east monsoon rains occur in the northern and eastern regions
in December and January. Economy Sri Lanka is mainly an agricultural
country. The chief crop is rice with which the country is almost
self sufficient. Tea, rubber and coconut are also important
agricultural crops, with tea being a major foreign exchange earner.
In addition, other crops of importance are cocoa and spices such as
cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper and cloves.
In the last three decades tourism industry is emerge as an important
industry in Sri Lanka. There has also been a rapid growth in
manufacturing industries which offer a wide range of export goods
such as petroleum products, leather goods, ready made garments and
electronic equipment.
Colombo
Sri
Lanka's capital upto recent times, Colombo, is a fascinating city,
not only for a comfortable blend of east and west, but also for a
cosy mixture of the past and present. It is still the commercial
centre of the country. Situated 34 km. from the International
Airport, Colombo has been a flourishing seaport for centuries. Today
the bustle of the harbour mingles with the activity of its busy
commercial, banking and shopping areas. The original trading
settlers - the Portuguese, Dutch and the British have all left in
their wake churches and monuments, names and religions, costumes and
food and smatterings of their languages which have been absorbed
into the speech of the Sri Lankans. Colombo, with its population of
over half a million is divided into fifteen zones.
While in
Colombo attractions worth seeing are:- Buddhists temples, Hindu
temples, Mosques, Christian churches, Parliament building, Parks,
Zoo, Museums and Art Galleries. A half day tour covering 40 km. and
including visits to a Buddhist Temple, Hindu Temple, the Zoo and the
residential areas will cost around US $ 18 for a car with a
chauffeur guide
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