Abstract:
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is an island in the Indian Ocean, 25,481 square miles in
area, lying between the parallels 5'55' and 9'51' North latitude and the meridians of
79f43' and 81*53' East Longitude. The island is pearshaped, 270 miles from north to
south and 140 miles from east to west, and is separated from the southern extremity of
the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and Ffclk Straight the width of the intervening
sea at the narrowest point being about twenty two miles" (1)
According to the census of Sri Lanka in 1981, the total population was
148,60,001. Among them, the Buddhists were 102,92,586, the Hindus were 22,95,853,
the Muslims were 11,34,556 and others were 15,263. The Muslims constituted 7.5
percent of the total population.
The country is divided into nine provinces and twenty- five districts. The Muslims
are scattered in all the districts of the island. But, there is a concentration of Muslim
population in the eastern province.
The Buddhists are the Hindus migrated from India, and settled in the island
25,000 years ago. In the same period, the Arabs and the Persians maintained close
trade relations with Southeast Asia. The geographical position of Sri Lanka facilitated
their trade activities with southeastern countries for several centuries.
The Island of Sri Lanka was known among the Greeks, Romans, Persians and
Arabs with several names. The Greeks and the Romans named the island "Taprobane".
The Arabs and Persians called the island , "Jazeerathul yakooth" and "Serendib" , but
"Ceylon" was the well known name before it was changed, as the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
