Ceylon is the famous tea island of the Indian Ocean. Where is sri lanka sri lanka what

Hello dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

Sri Lanka is an unusual country for a European, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. It can surprise you with picturesque beaches, high hills with an unforgettable view, as well as warm climate, unique monuments, centuries-old culture.

Sri Lanka - where is this country and what is it like? You will learn about its geography, climate, nature, people, culture, religion. If you are thinking about a trip to Sri Lanka, then in this article you will find brief information about the flight, the main attractions and values ​​of the country.

What country is it

Sri Lanka is a state in the south of Asia, which is located on the island of the same name. It dates back to the 5th century BC, when the first kingdoms appeared here. Since ancient times, local residents have established trade with China, Rome, and Arab countries.

In the 16th century, the island was colonized by England, Portugal and Holland. Their interference in the life of the islanders continued until the middle of the last century. Until 1972, Sri Lanka was called Ceylon.

Now her official name- "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka", headed by the president. Today, numerous tourists flock here, making the former Ceylon a unique resort.

President of Sri Lanka Maitripala Sirisena

Such a tourist flow is not surprising, because here are connected:

• tea plantations;
• rice fields;
• ancient traditions dating back 2.5 thousand years;
• temples of Buddhism;
• rich flora and fauna;
• precious and semi-precious stones;
• herb plantations;
• mountain slopes;
• idyllic beaches;
• warm sea;
• historical monuments, among which eight are included in the list World heritage UNESCO.

One fourth of the world's tea plantations are Ceylon.

Geography

On the world map, the island is quite easy to find - it is located about a hundred kilometers south of India, southeast of the southern edge of Hindustan, separated from it by the western Gulf of Mannar, the Strait of Polk, as well as the eastern Bay of Bengal.

The shape of the island resembles a teardrop or a pearl, for which it is called "sapphire".

In the area of ​​the Strait of Polk there is an isthmus that used to connect Sri Lanka with Hindustan. However, in the 15th century, several earthquakes occurred, due to which the sandbank went under water. Now this place is called "Adam's Bridge".

Geography of Sri Lanka in numbers:

• length - 450 kilometers;
• the widest point - 230 kilometers;
• the length of the coastline - 1.3 thousand kilometers;
• area - 66 thousand square kilometers.

The island ends in the north with Cape Pedro, in the south with Cape Dondra, and in the west with Cape Dutch Bay. At the same time, one percent of the state is made up of small islands near the "sapphire".

The main waterways are:

• Kalu;
• Mahaveli Ganga;
• Aruvi-Aru;
• Kelani.

Kalu river

From Sanskrit "sri" is translated as "saint", "Lanka" - "earth".

The present republic consists of nine provinces and twenty-five districts. Since 1982, the capital has been the city with the difficult to pronounce name of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte - now it houses the Parliament and the Supreme Court.

However, the most popular city is the former capital city, the largest city in the state - Colombo, founded in ancient times. The residence of the president is also located here.

Climate

The weather pleases residents and visitors all year round - average temperature is about 27 degrees. In the high season - from October to March, when cold rages in Russia, the air here warms up to 32 degrees, and sometimes even higher.

Slightly cooler in mountainous areas. For example, in winter, at the coldest point of the island, the temperature can drop to 12 degrees Celsius, but even here there is never any snow.

Due to the monsoon climate, it often rains: west coast- in May-October, on the east - in December-May. However, they do not interfere with enjoying your vacation, because they are short and run mainly at night.

Relief and landscape

The landscape and relief areas of Ceylon can be conditionally divided into three groups:

• Mountains and hills

Mostly they are located in the central part, where most of the tea plantations are concentrated. Mountains can reach 2-2.5 thousand meters.

The highest mountain - Pidurutalagala - exceeds 2520 meters.

• Rainforests
• Coast with lowlands and beautiful beach areas.

Nature

They are striking in diversity. A large number of species of different representatives of the animal and plant world live here:

• birds - almost 500 (this is where many Siberian and European migratory birds fly);
• butterflies - 240;
• animals - 86;
• fish - 50;
• reptiles - 70;
• snakes - more than 80 (and only five of them are dangerous to humans);
• plants - 3 thousand.

The symbol of Sri Lanka is, perhaps, an elephant. They are found everywhere here. However, their population is declining compared to earlier times. So, for example, 2 centuries ago there were about thirty thousand of them, while now there are only six thousand.

People

Today, the island is home to approximately 20.5 million people, with a gradual decline in population. On average, males live up to 73 years, females - up to 77.

Several nationalities are collected in the country:

• Sinhala - 75%;
• Tamils ​​- every tenth, live mainly in the north and east;
• Moors, Arabs - slightly more than 9%;
• burghers, they are descendants of the colonialists - less than 1%;
• Veddas, whose ancestors were ancient natives - about a thousand people.

In this regard, Sinhalese and Tamil are considered the state languages. You can often hear English speech, with the help of which representatives of different ethnic groups communicate.

Sri Lanka is a developing country and most of the people are employed in agriculture. The main activity is the cultivation of tea plantations, extraction precious stones, rubber, picking coconuts, spices, fishing, textile industry.

The inhabitants themselves call their homeland simply - Lanka.

In recent decades, the tourism sector has been developing rapidly on the island. People come here not just on vacation, but more and more often - for the winter from Nordic countries... Some foreigners seek to find a permanent residence here at all.

Contrary to popular belief that the former Ceylon is a poor country, the literacy rate is over 90%.

Culture and religion

The cultural component of the Sri Lankans - and this is what the inhabitants of Sri Lanka are called - is inextricably linked with religion. More than 70 percent of the locals are Buddhists, another 12 percent are Hindus, 9 are Muslims, 7 are Christians.

Many holidays and memorable places are connected precisely with religious beliefs, primarily, of course, with Buddhist philosophy, which appeared on the island as early as the 3rd century BC.

Theravada monks in Sri Lanka

Many places of worship date back to Buddhism, for example, the famous Sri Lankan statue of Buddha. There are also many Buddhist holidays. Here are some of them:

• Poya - every full moon is celebrated, and even if it falls on a weekday, it becomes a day off, which should be devoted to meditative practices;
• Navam Perahera - celebrated in February as the first Buddhist gathering of the year; accompanied by dances, music, ceremonial processions, the main thing takes place in the Colombian Gangaramai;
• Esala Perahera - a holiday timed to coincide with the Master's first sermon in Sri Lanka, celebrated for two weeks; the central event is the removal of the tooth of Buddha, the main relic of the island. It is kept in the Kandy temple - the most important Sri Lankan Buddhist center.

The symbol of the island in the 80s of the last century was the starry - the sacred flower of Buddhists.

We fly to Sri Lanka

The answer to the question of how long to fly from Russia to Sri Lanka depends on the flight of the aircraft. Direct flights are carried out only from Moscow, and not every day, the travel time is 8-10 hours. Charters from other cities are possible within the framework of tour packages.

You can often fly to the Sri Lankan coast with a transfer, for example, in Indian Delhi, Qatari Doha, Chinese Beijing or Hong Kong, Korean Seoul, as well as in Dubai, Istanbul or Abu Dhabi. The time difference with Moscow is two and a half hours.

When traveling to Lanka for up to 30 days, Russian citizens can fill out an electronic form on the embassy's website, and receive a visa upon arrival. Such a visa costs 35 dollars.

In Sri Lanka, tourists of different sizes can feel comfortable: there are both expensive hotels and budget hotels and houses - it all depends on the resort and the wallet of the tourist himself.

The main resort areas include:

• Unawatuna;
• Hikaduwa;
• Mirissa;
• Beruwela;
• Kalutara;
• Negombo;
• Bentota;
• Kosgoda;
• Colombo;
• Kalutara
• Galle;
• Hambantota;
• Induruwa;
• Tangale.

Hambantota resort, Sri Lanka

Souvenirs

Lanka is famous for many values, but there are things that you should definitely bring from your trip:

• famous Ceylon tea;
• spices - pepper, vanilla sticks, cardamom;
• jewelry - topaz, opals, emerald, sapphire items;
• plant oil;
• cotton products
• attributes of culture and religion - masks, figurines, etc.

Conclusion

Summing up, I would like to say once again that Sri Lanka is a wonderful island, a country of rice fields, tea plantations, picturesque hills, kind people and beaches that are more like Eden. It is located south of India, separated from the mainland by a strait. It is warm here all year round, and the locals, mostly Buddhists, get along well with tourists.

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The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island nation in South Asia, better known as Ceylon, located at southeast coast the Indian subcontinent. The capital is the city of Colombo.

Location and parameters of the island

Where Sri Lanka is located on the world map, perhaps not everyone knows. The country is located in the Indian Ocean on the island of Ceylon with coordinates: 79 degrees east longitude and 6 degrees north latitude. Discovered by Portuguese sailors in 1506.

Like some other states in South Asia, the country was a colony. The island was owned by Portugal, Holland and England. The state received its independence in 1948 under the name Ceylon, and in 1972 the country became known as Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is separated from the Asian continent by the Gulf of Manara, about 50 kilometers wide.

The island has the following parameters:

• the area is 65,600 square kilometers;
• length from south to north 445 kilometers;
• length from east to west 220 kilometers;
• the length of the coastline is 1,350 kilometers.

The most north point Sri Lanka is Cape Pedro, the southernmost is the lighthouse in the village of Dondra.

In ancient times, the island of Ceylon was connected to Hindustan by a land bridge, but at the end of the 15th century, as a result of an earthquake, it lost land connections with the Asian mainland. The very same island, which has the shape of an egg, was called a pearl, a tear, "the island of Sapphire."

Flora and fauna

The island of Sri Lanka has a varied vegetation and animal world... More than 250 species of birds are permanent inhabitants of the island, about 200 species of birds - migratory from Europe, Siberia, Scandinavian countries, wintering here. In spring, about 250 species of butterflies migrate here.

The fauna of Ceylon is also diverse, the representatives of which are:

• buffalo;
• wild boars;
• deer;
• jackals;
• the Bears;
• foxes;
• porcupines;
• elephants;
• monkeys.

More than 70 species of reptiles thrive on the island, including crocodiles, snakes and turtles.

Diverse world and flora in Sri Lanka. More than 3000 species of all kinds of plants grow here, including ferns, orchids, and medicinal herbs.

There are nature reserves, national parks and reservations on the island that preserve the unique nature.

A country's economy

Sri Lanka is a multinational country. The population reaches 20 million. The main nationalities living on the island are Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and burgers. All of them create the country's economy by their labor.

The island of Ceylon, where Sri Lanka is located, accounts for 10% of all tea produced in the world. According to this indicator, the country ranks third in the world after India and China. The production of precious stones, cinnamon, and rubber is also very developed here. And although the main industry the island is textile, due to the abolition of import quotas for clothing, local products have been replaced by Chinese ones.

The main economic center is the port of Colombo.

The main export goods of Sri Lanka are:

• clothes;
• precious stones: sapphires, emeralds, rubies;
• rubber;
• coconuts;
• a fish;
• textile.

The country imports food, oil, transport, industrial equipment.

Leisure and tourism

Recreation and tourism play an increasing role in the country's economy. The whole world knows the place where Sri Lanka is located, because the island is known as a seaside resort resort. There are also religious and historical Buddhist monuments. Vacationers can visit the Tooth Relic Temple in the ancient capital of Sri Lanka - the city of Kandy.

Where Sri Lanka is located, there is no hustle and bustle of the city. There is only nature and the sea. The main entertainments for vacationers are:

• underwater diving;
• picnic in nature;
• fishing;
• cricket.

Sri Lanka Resorts

People who are going to spend their current vacation on the island of Sri Lanka should know the positive aspects of choosing resorts in the country. These include:

• convenient and acceptable location of resorts to the airport;
• exotic nature;
• the compactness of the location of the resorts along the coastline, which makes it possible to visit them by public transport;
• climatic favorable.

The list of resorts in Sri Lanka is quite large. Let's list those that are in greatest demand among tourists:

• Beruwela;
• Mount Lavigna;
• Tangale;
• Kalutara;
• Bentota;
• Hikaduwa;
• Kosgoda;
• Mirissa;
• Unavantuna;
• Hambantota;
• Dikwela.

Resorts of Sri Lanka. How to get there? Each of the above resorts of the island has the ability to get from the airport by shuttle by public transport in two to three hours. When choosing, be sure to take into account: the presence of underwater currents and the height of the waves. The place where Sri Lanka is located is the subequatorial monsoon, with the most intense rains from May to October. Therefore, it is important to decide on a temporary rest period. It is also recommended to have both a map of the country of Sri Lanka itself and a tourist map of the island, which indicates the main attractions.

- an island state in the Indian Ocean not far from the southern coast of India, from which it is separated by the Gulf of Manara and the Strait of Polk.

The name of the country comes from the Sanskrit "sri" - "glorious" and "Lanka" - "land".

Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (part of the capital functions is performed by Colombo)

The area of ​​the land: 65.6 thousand sq. km

Total population: 20.3 million people

Administrative division: Subdivided into 9 provinces, 25 districts.

Form of government: Republic.

Head of State: President elected for 6 years.

Population composition: 73% are Sinhalese, 19% are Tamils.

Official language: Sinhalese are also equated to state English and Tamil.

Religion: 69% are Buddhists, 15% are Hindus.

Internet domain: .lk

Mains voltage: ~ 230 V, 50 Hz

Country dialing code:

Country barcode: 479

Climate

Sri Lanka is located only a few degrees of latitude north of the equator. Therefore, the average monthly air temperatures in the lowlands are high and differ little throughout the year. In winter, they are somewhat lower: for example, in Colombo, the average temperature of the coldest month, December, is 25 ° C, and the hottest month, May, 28 ° C. The daily temperature ranges are small and rarely exceed 11 ° C. However, in the mountains, in one of the the highest located cities of the country Nuwara Eliya (1881 m), the average air temperature in January is 14 ° С, and in May 17 ° С.

Sri Lanka's climate is shaped not only by its proximity to the equator, but also by its proximity to the Indian subcontinent. As a result, there is a seasonal change in winds and contrast in the mode atmospheric precipitation, which allows us to speak about a specific variant of the Indian monsoon.

As in other mountainous islands in the monsoon regions, in Sri Lanka, geographic diversity is clearly expressed in the intra-annual course of precipitation. Thus, the southwestern monsoon, which blows from late May to late September - early October, is associated with heavy showers in the southwest of the country, especially on the windward slopes of the Massif Central. He also determines dry weather in the northern and eastern lowlands, which are in the rain shadow of the mountains.

From around November to January, Sri Lanka is affected by the northeast monsoon, which causes rainfall throughout the island. In the inter-monsoon period, when Atmosphere pressure relatively stable, local convective air currents and daytime sea breezes bring sporadic precipitation.

This seasonal rhythm, combined with the influence of the orographic factor, predetermines the presence of sharp regional differences in the climate of Sri Lanka. Thus, the southwestern lowlands, enclosed between the mountains and the sea, enter the humid zone, where precipitation is confined to both monsoon periods, and in the intermediate time there is less rainfall. Therefore, the air humidity is constantly high, only February is relatively dry in most areas.

On the slopes of the western exposure of the Massif Central within wet zone temperatures decrease with height, and the annual precipitation in some points exceeds 5100 m.

The lowlands of the dry zone located in the north and east of the island, including the Jaffna Peninsula, have an obvious but indistinct maximum precipitation in the period from October to January, when the influence of the northeast monsoon manifests itself. June to September lasts dry season... Rare precipitation is recorded in the intermonsoon time. In general, in the dry zone, precipitation is less abundant than in the humid zone, and on average per year their amount does not exceed 1900 mm on the northwest coast and 1300 mm on the southeast coast. Nevertheless, the very value of this indicator in the dry zone does not give grounds for attributing it to arid territories, and the dryness of the climate is felt only in summer.

V eastern mountains and the intermontane basin of the Uva, also attributed to the dry zone, the seasonal variation of precipitation is approximately the same as in the lowlands, but less pronounced. Moreover, downpours there reach such an intensity that is rarely observed in the lowlands of this zone.

Geography

An island state in the Indian Ocean, located north of the equator and not far from the southern coast of India, from which the island is separated by the Manar and Polk straits.

Most of the island is occupied by a low-lying plain, "torn" by outcrops of crystalline basement in the form of rocks and mesas. All southern part The islands are occupied by a medium-high stepped mountainous country of the Massif Central, with a strong division of the relief and leveled mountain peaks. The slopes are abundantly overgrown with forests and cut by short but turbulent rivers.

The most high point Islands - Mount Pidurutalagala (2524 m.). The total area of ​​the country is 65.6 thousand square meters. km.

In fact, the capital is Colombo (the seat of the government and the main institutions of the country are located here), while the official suburb of Colombo is Sri Jaya Vardenapura (Jayawardenapura Kotte), where the country's legislative bodies and a number of administrative organizations are located.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

The natural vegetation of the lowlands of the humid zone and the adjacent mountains is largely reduced economic activities person. These areas were once covered with dense, humid tropical forests, which were replaced higher on the slopes by mountainous evergreen forests; however, such communities have survived only in protected natural areas.

In the lowlands of the dry zone, forests suffered damage as a result of human activities, but in some places they are still preserved in the form of mixed evergreen communities of the xerophytic type. The arid hills in the Uva province are partly occupied by secondary grasses. In the northwest and southeast of the lowlands of the dry zone, the surviving forests have degenerated into species-poor thickets of thorny bushes. Large areas in the southwest of the country are covered with dense jungle. Forests also occupy the slopes of the mountains.

The coastal areas are home to palms and mangroves. In the humid zone, mahogany, as well as rubber and fruit trees, grow in large numbers. In drier areas, ebony and satin wood are found. Orchids, acacias, cypresses, eucalyptus trees are widespread throughout the country.

Animal world

The fauna of Sri Lanka is very diverse. Of the 451 bird species, 251 are permanent inhabitants of the island, of which 24 are found only in Sri Lanka. Starting from mid-August, the first flocks of migratory birds arrive for wintering from Siberia, Scandinavia and Western Europe... The reservoirs of the arid zone attract a large number of ducks, while larger waterfowl such as flamingos, pelicans, storks prefer the reservoirs of national parks and reserves.

Bundala National Park is especially famous for the flamingo colonies. The variety of shapes and colors of 242 species of butterflies can be observed in March-April, when seasonal migration begins. Among 86 species of animals, elephants occupy the main place. At the beginning of the 19th century, when the British arrived, there were over 30,000 elephants on the island. Now there are only 6,000 left.

The destruction of the habitat has led to a decrease in the population, but all the same, large herds of elephants can still be found in such national parks like Yala, Gall Oya, Udawalawe. Sri Lanka's wild cat, the leopard, is also on the verge of extinction, although Vilpatu Park can rightfully be proud of the number of inhabitants.

Sri Lanka is home to such animals as wild boars, jackals, wild buffaloes, several species of deer, bears, porcupines, foxes and of course monkeys. 54 species of freshwater fish, of which 17 were imported by the British. Of the 38 amphibians, 16 are unique.

The island is teeming with reptiles, 75 species, including two species of crocodiles, the water monitor and the monitor lizard are the largest. The star turtle is the island's only land turtle. 5 types sea ​​turtles protected by law. Of the 83 species of snakes, only 5 are venomous.

sights

Sri Lanka is one of the most ancient countries in the world. Somewhere in these parts, according to legend, Adam and Eve descended to Earth, many ancient authors even correlated the location of the Garden of Eden with Taproban or Ceylon (this is how Sri Lanka was called until 1972). This amazing island is home to many historical values ​​protected by UNESCO, as well as a large number of places associated with the name of Buddha. Hundreds of kilometers of beaches and a unique underwater world put Sri Lanka among the world's largest seaside resorts.

Banks and currency

Lankan rupee (LKR), equal to 100 cents. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees, as well as coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents and 1, 2, 5 rupees.

Banks are open Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 13: 00-15: 00. Banks are usually closed on Saturday and Sunday and most holidays.

It is recommended to exchange money only in official institutions and exchange offices located usually in banks, airports and large international hotels. When exchanging currency in official institutions, a special check is issued, according to which, when departing from Colombo at the airport bank, you can exchange rupees at the official purchase rate.

You can exchange money in the markets or in private shops - currency will be accepted almost everywhere, but at the same time there is a great risk of facing fraud, since prices in terms of dollars are quite low and change may simply not be returned or converted at an unfavorable rate.

Major hotels and shops accept international payments credit cards leading payment systems. ATMs are also common in large cities. Large banks and hotels accept international traveller's checks for payment (often the exchange rate is even more profitable than cash currency). It is almost impossible to pay by non-cash settlement outside the resort areas.

Useful information for tourists

When going to Sri Lanka, take with you light cotton clothes and a hat. Be sure to stock up sunscreen and lotion from sunburn... There are no strict requirements for clothing in the country, however, you should not visit temples in shorts, in clothes with an open back and shoulders, and you should also take off your shoes when entering the temple.

Sri Lanka is known all over the world for its precious stones: sapphires, rubies, topaz, etc. We recommend purchasing jewelry in specialized stores, requiring a corresponding receipt or certificate. Also known all over the world are Ceylon tea, spices, handicrafts: masks, batik, leather goods. In cities, inexpensive textiles can be bought. In markets, private shops, shops, we advise you to bargain about the price. You can reduce the cost of goods by 30% compared to the initial one.

Tipping is optional. However, the hotel receptionist or the restaurant waiter will be happy with a few extra cents.

It will be useful to know that taxi drivers in the capital never give change.

Sri Lanka island

(Sri Lanka)

Blue sky, dark turquoise sea and green fringe of coconut trees over the yellow strip of the beach - this is how the coast of the island of Sri Lanka opens up to the eye of the traveler. For Europeans, this island has always seemed like an earthly paradise. It is no coincidence that the chain of islands crossing the Polk Strait and connecting Sri Lanka with India was named the Adam's Bridge. It was according to him, as the legend says, that the forefather of mankind, expelled from paradise, came to earth. By the way, one of the highest mountain peaks in Sri Lanka is also called Adam's Peak.It even has a rock with a dent that looks like a human foot - as they say, Adam's footprint. On religious holidays, thousands of pilgrims climb a narrow path to the top of the peak, eager to touch the shrine.

The island of Sri Lanka was known as early as the 1st millennium BC. In the ancient Indian legend about Rama and Sita, better known to us as "Ramayana", there is an episode when the wife of Prince Rama - Sita is kidnapped by the evil king of Sri Lanka Ravana. But, although the Sri Lankan ruler took refuge on his island under the protection of a huge army, the brave Rama, with the help of the mighty monkey king Hanuman, who helped him, managed to defeat the army of Ravana and regain Sita for himself. They also say that, having returned home over the Adam's bridge. Rama asked Hanuman how he could repay him. And the far-sighted monkey king replied that he would like to live as long as people remember the exploits of the prince. This is how Hanuman became immortal, for the memory of the divine Rama and his victories is passed on in India from generation to generation.

During its long history, the island has changed many names, but all of them invariably expressed admiration. The Arabs called it Serendib ("Blessed Island"). The ancient Greeks called it Taprobana (which means "Coast of Bronze Palm Trees"). The British gave the island the name Ceylon. This word comes from the distorted "Singala-Dvina" - "Lion Island" - this is how the Sinhalese Indians who moved here in ancient times called this country. The current name of the island and country, translated from Sanskrit, means "Blessed Land".

The great poet of India, Rabindranath Tagore, once called Sri Lanka "the pearl in the Indian Ocean." Since then, the island has been visited by many wonderful writers - from Zweig and Kipling to the classic of modern fiction Arthur Clark, and each admired him in his own way. There were also Russian writers here: Goncharov and Chekhov, Garin and Bunin. Do not list the enthusiastic epithets that they bestowed on Sri Lanka "Emerald Drop in the Warm Sea", "Treasure Island", "Paradise", "Pearl Treasury of the East", "Land of Eternal Summer", etc.

I must say that there is no exaggeration in the last name: the country's climate is, indeed, even and warm throughout the year. In both summer and winter, the temperature here is about plus 27 degrees, and in the mountains - 20-25 degrees. From May to August, humid sea winds - monsoons bring abundant rains to the island. At this time, the clouds over the ground are gathering so much that everything plunges into darkness, as if a solar eclipse has come, and whole streams of water fall from the sky, so dense that you cannot see anything at twenty paces. Rivers overflow their banks, and stormy floods sometimes destroy entire villages. So, in 1957, due to floods caused by monsoon rains, almost three hundred thousand inhabitants of the country were left homeless. But the rest of the time the sun shines brightly over Sri Lanka.

The island's forests are striking in their strength and diversity. Here you can find giant trees, reaching 50 meters in height, and small, but beautiful flowering plants, and numerous vines entwining the trunks and branches of other trees. Among them there are many valuable, unique species: sandalwood with delicately fragrant branches, ebony, also called "black" for the color of the wood, rosewood - teak, breadfruit with edible fruits, tree ferns, papaya, mango and many others. But most of all in the forests of various palms, of which, of course, coconut trees are in the first place. Their slender silhouettes, sometimes rising to 30–35 meters, are found everywhere on the island.

Since ancient times, this plant has served people in tropical countries. Its nuts are used for food and provide the oil used in the manufacture of soaps and candles. Huts are covered with palm leaves, baskets, mats and brushes are made from them, wood is used for buildings, and dishes are made from walnut shells. Palm fiber is used for twisting ropes and making fabrics.

From other types of palms, sweet juice is obtained, after fermentation becomes a intoxicating drink, starch, sugar, wax and other substances. In the old days, parchment-like paper was made from the leaves of the talipot palm. The ancient manuscripts written on it have survived to this day - more than a thousand years! And the fruits of the cabbage palm are now included in the menu of the inhabitants of the island.

Banyan groves, the sacred tree of India and Sri Lanka, always grow near Buddhist monasteries. After all, it was under the banyan tree two and a half thousand years ago that he experienced "enlightenment", that is, he understood the cause of human suffering and the way to get rid of them, the founder of Buddhism, Prince Gautama. It happened in one of the cities of North India. From then on, Gautama took the name Buddha ("The Enlightened One"). To the tree, which has survived to this day, millions of pilgrims come to worship every year.

And in 245 BC, the envoys of Sri Lanka turned to the priests who guarded the sacred Indian tree, with a request to allow them to take one branch of a banyan tree to their island so that they also grow a symbol of true faith. Permission was given, and the cutting of a tree in a golden vessel went down the Ganges River, and then by sea to Sri Lanka, where it was planted on a hill in the ancient capital of the country - Anuradhapura and poured with sacred water from the Ganges. And the tree has taken root in a new place and has been blooming and bearing fruit for more than two thousand years. The monks spread its fruits all over the island, and now there is no Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka, near which banyan trees would not grow.

By the way, this tree is a close relative of the well-known indoor ficus. By the way, the fig tree, which is widespread in the Mediterranean, or the fig tree, as the Bible calls it, belongs to the ficus family. Amazing feature banyan tree is its property to form numerous aerial roots hanging from branches to the ground. Once rooted in the soil, these roots begin to plump, turning into powerful additional trunks, reaching a meter in diameter. (The main trunk is sometimes up to ten meters in diameter.) Gradually, the tree turns into a real forest, sometimes occupying a whole hectare and consisting of 600-800 trunks! The largest banyan tree is considered to be a five-hundred-year-old tree in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, resembling a huge green hill with an area of ​​two hectares. It is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. True, such giants have not been recorded in Sri Lanka.

In the forests of the island there is a real abundance of animals: wild elephants and buffaloes, black sloth bears and leopards, jackals and meter-sized bats - flying foxes, as well as many monkeys, flocks of which regularly devastate fields and gardens local residents... There are five species of deer in Sri Lanka, including the largest axis deer with a spotted skin and a mouse deer the size of a hare.

The jungle of Sri Lanka is also teeming with birds, many of which arrive here in winter from the north. But there are also permanent residents among them - these are peacocks, weavers, clawed partridges and amazingly beautiful Ceylon kingfishers, whose feathers on their backs shimmer with all shades of blue.

Dangerous animals are also found here, such as poisonous snakes (including cobra), crocodiles, sometimes growing up to five meters in length, and in coastal sea ​​waters- sharks. The rivers are inhabited by a rare fisherman, similar to a huge, up to a meter long, eel. In the dry season, it is able to crawl over land from one reservoir to another, which is not yet dry.

And the gecko lizards, which are widespread in Sri Lanka, are tamed and kept in houses to fight flies, mosquitoes and mosquitoes.

In the fertile climate of the island, there are excellent conditions for the cultivation of many crops, and therefore most of the plains of Sri Lanka (and they occupy four-fifths of the country) have been turned into plantations. They grow a rubber tree-hevea and cocoa, coconut trees and coffee trees, bananas and citrus fruits. But the main asset of Sri Lanka is its famous tea, which we call Ceylon tea from old memory. A third of all tea harvested in the world is grown here, and it gives the lion's share income to the state treasury.

But the nature of the island is famous not only for the richness of flora. In its mountains On the roads of Sri Lanka, the richest reserves of the world's best graphite have been found; along the coast, "black sands" - the most valuable ore of titanium and zirconium - are mined. However, first of all, Sri Lanka is known throughout the world for its precious stones. More than forty different types of gems hide its bowels: rubies and topaz, amethysts and garnets, tourmalines and alexandrites. The deposits of the latter are known, by the way, only in two places in the world: in Sri Lanka and here in the Urals. The "cat's eye" is also mined here - a stone that, according to legend, protects from assassination and poisoning. They say that in the Middle Ages there was a ring with this stone; seven times he saved the life of the crown prince - the son of the ruler of the Sinhalese, whom the enemies tried to take his life with a dagger, then with poison, then sawing a bridge over an abyss in his path. But the magic talisman protected its owner every time, and the prince eventually became the ruler of the island.

The sapphire is rightly considered the most valuable gem of Sri Lanka. This blue stone is highly regarded by connoisseurs. For one carat of it (0.2 grams) they pay up to two thousand dollars!

In the East there is ancient legend about the origin of this wonderful gem. It is said that the supreme deity of the Hindus, Brahma, was asked by people to show them the most precious of the seven wonders of the universe. Brahma climbed the sacred mountain Kailash, filled the cup with the magic drink of immortality - amrita and threw it out on a grand scale on the surroundings. Amrita spray scattered all over the world and, falling to the ground, turned into precious stones. These were the sapphires.

The mountains of Sri Lanka, as already mentioned, occupy only a fifth of the island's area. But these are steep, rocky ridges and plateaus, sometimes towering two and a half kilometers above the plain. Rivers flowing from the mountains are teeming with waterfalls. By their number, Sri Lanka can be compared with the most "waterfall" country in the world - the South African kingdom of Lesotho. There are more than a hundred large waterfalls, of which a dozen are over a hundred meters high. In the central part of the island, south of the ancient capital of the country - Kandy, on an area of ​​fifty by fifty kilometers, there are seven such waterfalls and cascades at once, including 210-meter Kurundu and 190-meter Diyaluma.

The city of Kandy itself, known since the 16th century, is located at an altitude of 700 meters at the foot of the Piduru ridge and is distinguished temperate climate... It is considered the coolest city in the country. The city buildings are surrounded by the longest river in Sri Lanka, the Mahaveli, in a semicircle. The main attraction of Kandy is ancient temple, where one of the main Buddhist shrines is kept - the Tooth of the Buddha. This sacred relic was initially kept in one of the temples of India, but when the Muslims prevailed over the Buddhists in the principality where the temple was located, the daughter of the ruler, hiding the Tooth in her high hairdo, managed to get out of the city and reached Sri Lanka by ship. Here, the Buddhist shrine was presented to the king of the island, who built a special temple for it in 1592, which became a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world. The most important holiday of Sri Lanka - Perahera is dedicated to the sacred tooth of Buddha. On this day, a solemn procession is organized in Kandy, in which 200 festively dressed elephants take part, one of which carries on his back a gold copy of the casket - the storage of the Tooth.

And not far from the ancient capital is another pearl of Sri Lanka - the Sigiriya Rock ("Lion Mountain"). With its outlines, it really looks like a mighty predator preparing to jump. On an unusual rock, in the 5th century, a city-palace was built, which at that time served as the residence of the king, and later served as the dwelling place of Buddhist monks.

A huge rock mass, towering over the green wall of the forest, was visible from afar. To further highlight it, the sheer walls of the mountain were whitewashed and polished to a mirror finish. A marble palace with a magnificent garden and fountains was erected on the flat top of Sigiriya. Only one difficult-to-reach path led to it from the foot of the cliff, ending at the walls of the residence. The gates in them were arranged in the form of a giant lion's head. To get to the palace, you had to go through the fierce grinning mouth of the beast.

According to legend, a fabulous building on an impregnable peak was built by the evil and treacherous prince Kasiyapa. To seize power in the country, he killed his father and sent his younger brother into exile. After that, fearing revenge, he ordered to build a palace on a rock and took refuge there. But after eighteen years, the villain still suffered a well-deserved retribution. His brother, Moggolana, gathered an army, took Sigiriya by storm and executed the criminal. A Buddhist monastery was established in the empty palace. Several centuries later, the monastery was deserted, and soon the green wall of the jungle hid this unique masterpiece of architecture from people. And only at the beginning of the 19th century, using fragmentary information preserved in ancient manuscripts, archaeologists were able to find and clear the ancient ruins. Now Sigiriya is included in the list of the most valuable historical monuments peace and is under the auspices of UNESCO.

This is this amazing island, endowing the traveler with a precious bouquet of the most exquisite and varied experiences: amazing trees and unique animals, beaches warm sea and shady groves of coconut trees, placers of precious stones and foamy streams of waterfalls, white marble palaces and mysterious ancient rituals, fruits worthy of gourmets, and legends that have survived millennia ... And it is no coincidence that one of the wise and seen many thinkers of our time, American science fiction writer Arthur Clarke, having visited Sri Lanka, he was so captivated by it that he stayed here to live forever. And when asked about the reasons for such an act, he answered briefly and simply: “I don’t know better place on our planet!"

This text is an introductory fragment. From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (CO) of the author TSB

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (LA) of the author TSB

Kos (island) Kos (Greek Kos), an island in the Aegean Sea, in the archipelago of South Sporades, near the peninsula of Asia Minor. Belongs to Greece. The length is about 40 km, the width is up to 10 km, the area is 267 km2. Hilly plains and plateaus predominate, while in the east there are low mountains with heights of up to 846 m (Mount Dikeos).

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (RO) of the author TSB

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (TY) of the author TSB

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (SR) of the author TSB

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Isle of Cité, Notre Dame, Isle of Saint-Louis Entrance to the Louvre

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ISLAND RAB (RAB) FERRY: Baska (Krk) -Lopar, interval 1.5 hours, Jablanac - Mishnjak (Rab), interval 15 minutes Schedule of the ferry Rapska plovidba , Stjepana Radica 3, tel. 724122, fax 724108 Rab Port Authority, Trg Municipium Arba, tel. 724023. YACHT STORES: ACI Supetarska

From the book Memo to Citizens of the USSR Traveling Abroad the author author unknown

Sri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Date of creation of an independent state: February 4, 1948 (gaining independence), May 22, 1972 (proclamation of the Republic of Sri Lanka) Area: 65.6 thousand square meters. kmAdministrative divisions: 8

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SRI LANKA (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) Ceylon. Sri Lanka State in the Indian Ocean on the island. Sri Lanka (b. Ceylon) in the south. extremity of the Indian subcontinent. Terr. 65.5 thousand sq. km of us. ca 14, 9 million (1981): Sinhalese - 70%, Tamils ​​- 22% and others Capital - Colombo. State language -

Inexperienced tourists, who are not very well versed in geography, sometimes not only wonder where Sri Lanka is located on the world map, but also ask such stupid questions as, for example, "What country is this?" I remember after returning from the first trip to Sri Lanka, many of my friends and acquaintances said: " Sri Lanka? Where is it?". It is not surprising that many people do not know where Sri Lanka is located on the world map.
To begin with, we note that Sri Lanka is an island country. Previously, this island was called Ceylon. In general, it is foolish to ask about which country it is, Sri Lanka, since Sri Lanka is an independent country within the boundaries of a large island.
Now let's answer the question of where exactly is Sri Lanka. The former Ceylon is located in the Indian Ocean, between 5 and 10 degrees north latitude. The distance to India at the narrowest point of the strait separating the countries is about 50 kilometers. The long but narrow island of Sri Lanka is home to 21 million people. Of these, Sinhalese make up the largest proportion, while Tamils ​​are the second largest population group.
Due to its advantageous location in South-East Asia and in the northern Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has always been considered an important destination on many trade routes. The population of the island knew this and was able to correctly take advantage of this advantage, having established the export of coconuts, spices and the world-famous Ceylon tea and rubber.
Where is Sri Lanka on the world map? The island can be found pretty quickly at a glance at the map. To do this, you first need to find the Indian Ocean, and at the very top of this ocean, to the right of India, you will see the island of Sri Lanka. Usually this island is labeled on all general maps.
Where is the capital of Sri Lanka located? Colombo, the capital and economic center, is located on the west coast and has coordinates 7 degrees north latitude and 80 degrees east longitude. About 700,000 people live and work in Colombo. It is an important political and cultural center of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka area, length, width and geographic coordinates

Sri Lanka, a continent of Asia, covers an area of ​​64,630 square kilometers and 980 square kilometers of water area. This makes Sri Lanka the 123rd largest country in the world with a total area of ​​65,610 square kilometers.
Since Sri Lanka is a large island, it is not correct to name any specific geographical coordinates. The northernmost major city, Jaffna, has the following coordinates: 9 degrees 40 minutes north and 79 degrees 51 minutes east. The southernmost major city, Halle, has coordinates: 6 degrees 2 minutes north latitude and 80 degrees and 13 minutes east longitude.
Sri Lanka is 452 km long and 227 km wide at its widest point.

Map of Sri Lanka with resorts in Russian

If you want to study in more detail the location of cities, resorts and other objects on the island, then you will need detailed map Sri Lanka with resorts in Russian. There are many maps of this island, but these days it is best to use interactive maps, one of which you will see below. This map allows you to find any object and zoom in to such a value that will allow you to see any house on the streets of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has a warm climate. From May to October, there are often unpredictable storms here, while the rest of the time you can enjoy the gentle sea breeze. Sri Lanka rarely gets very hot, but the high humidity on this island worries many Russian travelers. Climate-sensitive travelers usually need several days to acclimatize. Depending on the region of the island, the air temperature during the day can fluctuate between 16 and 35 degrees. While very high rainfall can be expected in the more humid southwestern region of the island, especially from May to October, the northeastern region remains relatively dry. The sunniest weather in Sri Lanka usually lasts from January to April.
Most of Sri Lanka is covered with tropical rainforest, which is typical of a region with a predominantly humid and warm climate. The tremendous wealth of plants and trees is the result of these climatic conditions... The Bodhi tree, the oldest tree in the world, defies all the irregularities of nature today and is truly attractive. In the north and east of the island, due to the drier climate, there are noticeably more bushes and shrubs.
Another gift of nature in Sri Lanka is the beautiful, which are appreciated by many tourists.
The diverse fauna in Sri Lanka has adapted to the warm, humid climate. Animal lovers will be delighted to see monkeys jumping from tree to tree, Asian elephants and a beautiful palm squirrel that looks like the chipmunks we know. Even thousands of crawling animals feel very comfortable here.

Sri Lanka mountains

Sri Lanka can be divided into three landscape zones. One of them is the mountainous area, where you can climb mountains up to 2500 meters high. It is also the region of the world famous Ceylon tea. In the highlands of Sri Lanka, you will find many attractions and very beautiful places for example, the giant Bambarakanda waterfall. This waterfall is famous for the fact that the water here falls from a height of 240 meters.
The mountains cover a fairly large area of ​​Sri Lanka, but still the largest part of the island is covered by tropical regions.
The third zone, which is the most popular among vacationers, is the coastal zone with beautiful beaches and lots of coconut trees.