S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike became prime minister in 1956 and championed Sinhalese nationalism, making Sinhala the country's only official language and including state support of Buddhism, further marginalizing the Tamil minority. He was assassinated in 1959 by a Buddhist monk. His widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became the world's first female prime minister in 1960. The name Ceylon was changed to Sri Lanka (“resplendent island”) on May 22, 1972.
The Tamil minority's mounting resentment toward the Sinhalese majority's monopoly on political and economic power, exacerbated by cultural and religious differences, erupted in bloody violence in 1983. Tamil rebel groups, the strongest of which were the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or Tamil Tigers, began a civil war to fight for separate nation.
President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated at a May Day political rally in 1993, when a Tamil rebel detonated explosives strapped to himself. Tamil extremists have frequently resorted to terrorist attacks against civilians. The next president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, vowed to restore peace to the country. In Dec. 1999, she was herself wounded in a terrorist attack. By early 2000, 18 years of war had claimed the lives of more than 64,000, mostly civilians.
Location and Physical Description
Official Name: The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Geographical Location: Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean lying off the southeastern tip of the Indian subcontinent. It lies between latitudes 5° 55' and 9° 55' north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes 79° 42' and 81° 52'. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separate Sri Lanka from India. The Arabian Sea lies to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
The Land: The total land area of Sri Lanka is 65,610 sq. km. and is astonishingly varied. A length of 435 km (270 miles) North to South and breadth of 240 km (150 miles) East to West encompass beautiful tropical beaches, verdant vegetation, ancient monuments and a thousand delights to please all tastes. The land of Sri Lanka can be divided into three geographic zones that correspond to elevation: the central highlands, the lowland plains, and the coastal belt. The central mountainous mass somewhat south of the centre, include numerous mountains, plateaus, and valleys, surrounded by broad plains. Pidurutalagala, the highest point in Sri Lanka, rises 2,524 m (8,281 ft) in the central highlands. In contrast, the elevation of the surrounding plains ranges from 90 m (300 ft) to sea level. The plains are broadest in the north and north central areas. A number of rivers starting from the Central Highlands flow to the sea in a Radial Pattern. The Mahaveli is the longest river (331 kms). Bambarakanda (240 mtrs) is the highest water fall; one of the scenic beauties of Sri Lanka. The coastal belt rises about 30 m (about 100 ft) above sea level. Palm fringed beaches surround the island and the coastline extends a length of about 1,300 km (about 830 mi). The sea temperature rarely falls below 27°C. Lagoons, sand beaches, sand dunes, and marshes predominate along the coast, although steep rocky cliffs are found in the northeast and southwest.
Climate and Seasons
State Emblem: Sri Lanka used the British emblem when it was a British Crown Colony and even after gaining independence in 1948. Only years later a select committee appointed devised a state emblem more suitable for Sri Lanka (Ceylon). It had a Lion with Sword in its right fore paw encircled with a Palapethi open petal design top. Below there was a strip carrying the country's name in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
National Tree: NA (iron wood tree) or (Mesua nagassarium) 
National Flower: The “Nil Mahanel” flower or blue water lily, botanically known as “Nympheae stellata” was declared the National Flower of Sri Lanka on 26th February 1986. It is found in all parts of Sri Lanka and grows in the shallow waters. Petals arranged like a star and the flat round waterproof leaves are bright green. It’s a symbol of purity, truth and descipline. It has a sweet fragrance and used for offering at Buddhist Temples and rituals for god Vishnu. This flower is mentioned in many Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit literary works. The flower which is also referred to as ‘Kuvalaya’, ‘Indheewara’, ‘Niluppala’, ‘Nilothpala’ and ‘Nilupul’ occupies a pre-eminent position in Buddhist literature too. It is believed that damsels painted in Sigiriya frescoes holds these flowers in their hands. In traditional poetry called ‘Sandesa Kavya’ in Sri Lanka, women’s eyes are likened to this flower. Seeds and the tubes of this is used as a vegetable by villagers and also leaves, stem and flowers used in herbal medicine and dried flowers used to make pillows and believes that it produces happy dreams…
