Basic Facts
The country known to have many names, Lanka or Ilankai to the Sinhalese and the Tamils, Taprobane to the ancient Romans, Serendib to the Muslim traders of past centuries, Ceilão as christened by the Portuguese, Ceylan by the Dutch followed by Ceylon as it was called under the British, and finally Sri (meaning 'auspicious') Lanka, as what it is known today.
Sun bronzed beaches, green paddy fields, breathtaking mountains, tropical forests, ancient ruins, an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, near desert regions and a fascinating tapestry of culture, customs and religion - all of this in a packed of teardrop shaped bundle below the Indian subcontinent in the Indian Ocean.
Ayubowan, as they say in Sri Lanka with a gentle bow of the head and hands folded together - 'greetings', 'hello', 'good morning', 'welcome', 'how are you', 'may you have a long life', and even 'goodbye' - a small word with so many meanings, describing perfectly the atoll which Marco Polo procrlaimed as the finest island of in this side of the world.
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