Sri Lanka - General Knowledge

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

The National Flag of Sri Lanka

The National Flag of Sri Lanka has been designed with great care and purpose. It not only represents the country and her heritage, but is a rallying device that integrates the minority races with the majority race.

The present day National Flag is an improvisation of the civil standard of the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Wickrama Rajasingha. The civil standard had a passant royal lion with a sword in it's right fore paw at the center, and a bo-leaf on each of the four corners on a plain border.

The lion flag lost it's significance after the British conquered Sri Lanka in 1815. It was the Union Jack which was hoisted in its place.

When Sri Lanka gained her independence from Great Britain on February 04, 1948, it was the lion flag (the same as the standard of the last king of Sri Lanka) which was hoisted once again.

The first Prime Minister of independent Sri Lanka, D.S.Senanayake, appointed a committee to advice the government on the design of a new national flag. The design approved by the committee in February 1950 retained the symbol of the lion with the sword and the bo-leaves from the civil standard of the last king of Sri Lanka, with the inclusion of two verticle stripes green and orange in color. the significance of each symbol of the national flag is as follows:

• The lion in the flag represents the Sinhala race.
• The sword of the lion represents the sovereignty of the country.
• The noble eight fold path of Buddhism is signified by the lion's tail.
• Curly hair on the lion's head indicates religious observance, wisdom and meditation.
• The beard denotes purity of words.
• The handle of the sword highlights the elements of water, fire, air and earth.
• The nose indicates intelligence.
• The two front paws purport to purity in handling wealth.
• The verticle stripe of orange represent the minority Tamil race and the green verticle stripe the minority Muslim race.
• The four virtues of kindness: KINDNESS, FRIENDLINESS, HAPPINESS, EQUANIMITY are also represented in the flag.
• The border round the flag, which is yellow in color, represents other minor races.
• The bo-leaves at the four corners of the flag represent Buddhism and it's influence on the nation. They also stand for the four virtues - Kindness, Friendliness, Happiness and Equanimity.
• The maroon colored portion of the flag manifests the other minor religions.

The national flag was hoisted for the first time on March 3, 1950.

Coat of arms

 

.Capital:    Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte - 6°54′N 79°54′E

• Largest city:    Colombo
• National Tree:  Na Tree (Ironwood) "Mesua Nagassarium”

The Ironwood (Na Tree), botanically known as ”Mesua Nagassarium” was declared the National Tree on 26th February 1986. It was chosen as the National Tree for several reasons

·         It is a tree which originated in Sri Lanka

·         Its utility

·         Historic and cultural importance

·         Exterior posture

·         Wide distribution

·         Colour and nature

·         Ability to draw and sketch it easily

This rain forest tree grows to about 30 m high and indigenous to the lower wet Zone of Sri Lanka. Remarkable Features of NA is beautiful bright Red Leaves and finally matured in to a deep green. Timber has a very hardness and durability and used to make bridges in the early times. Now it is not allowed to use for timber due to its religious value. The flower of NA is also used in herbal medicine and preparation of perfumes, cosmetics and soaps.

It is believed that the first visit of Buddha was to grove of a NA Tree at Miyanganaya and also the next Buddha (Mithriya) will attain enlightenment under a NA tree.

• National Flower:  Nil Mahanel flower “Nymphaea nouchali”
• National Bird: Jungle Fowl
• National Anthem: "Sri Lanka Matha" composed by late Mr. Ananda Samarakoon.
• Ethnic groups (2001):

o    ≈73.9% Sinhalese

o    ≈12.6% Tamil

o    ≈7.4% Moors

o    ≈5.2% Indian Tamil

o    ≈0.5% Others

• Demonym: Sri Lankan

·         Government: Democratic Socialist Republic

o    President  Mahinda Rajapaksa

o    Prime Minister    D. M. Jayaratne

• Independence:  from the United Kingdom
• Dominion (Self rule) February 4, 1948
• Republic May 22, 1972
• Area:

o    Total:  65,610 km² (122nd)

25,332 sq mi

Water (%):  4.4           

• Population:
• 2009 estimate 20,238,000[4] (53rd)
• July 2008 census 21,324,791
• Density 308.4/km2 (35th)

798.9/sq mi

• Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
• Time zone: Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30)
• Internet top-level domain (TLD): .lk
• Calling code: 0094

First Sri Lanka President:
Name:	William Gopallawa
Political party	None
Birth Date:	17 September 1897
Death Date:	31 January 1981
Birth Place:	Matale
Took President Office:	22 May 1972
Left President Office:	February 1978
* 1st President of Sri Lanka
Second Sri Lanka President:
Name:	Junius Richard Jayewardene
Political party	United National Party
Birth Date:	September 17, 1906
Death Date:	November 1, 1996
Birth Place:	Colombo
Took President Office:	February 4, 1978
Left President Office:	January 2, 1989
* Jayewardene introduced the Executive Presidency in 1978, and assumed the position of President of Sri Lanka
Third Sri Lanka President:
Name:	Ranasinghe Premadasa
Political party	United National Party
Birth Date:	June 23, 1924
Death Date:	May 1, 1993
Birth Place:	Colombo
Took President Office:	January 2, 1989
Left President Office:	May 1, 1993
* He was assassinated in Colombo in a suicide bombing, by the LTTE
Forth Sri Lanka President:
Name:	Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
Political party	United National Party
Birth Date:	February 15, 1916
Death Date:	September 21, 2008
Birth Place:	Udunuwara
Took President Office:	May 1, 1993
Left President Office:	November 12, 1994
Fifth Sri Lanka President:
Name:	Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
Political party	People's Alliance
Birth Date:	29 June 1945
Birth Place:	Colombo
Took President Office:	November 12, 1994
Left President Office:	November 19, 2005
* She is the first women president of Sri Lanka
Sixth Sri Lanka President:
Name:	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Political party	United People's Freedom Alliance
Birth Date:	18 November 1945
Birth Place:	Weerakatiya
Took President Office:	19 November 2005
Left President Office:	08 January 2015
* Mahinda Rajapaksha ended 25 year long civil war and LTTE terrorism in the country
Seventh Sri Lanka President:
Name:	Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena
Political party	common opposition candidate
Birth Date:	September 3, 1951 (
Birth Place:	Yagoda, Gampaha District,
Took President Office:	January 9, 2015

Longest Sri Lanaka

• Upper Kotmale Tunnel: 13 Km long tunnel of the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project. It takes water to the hydro power plant at Niyamgamdora from Talawakele, was incidentally the longest tunnel ever excavated in the country.

• Longest Railway Tunnel in Sri Lanka: Singimale Tunnel   559.75 m. In between Hatton and Kotagala at Colombo - Badulla railway Tunnel No: 14.
• Longest Highway Tunnel in Sri Lanka: Ramboda Tunnel 225 m. at Ramboda – Nuwara Eliya road.
• Longest River in Sri Lanka: Mahaweli River. Length 335 km (208 mi) Source-Adam's Peak, Destination-Trincomalee (Bay of Bengal).
• Longest Bridge in Sri Lanka (Now 2nd Longest): Kinniya Bridge. It links Horoi-Adi and Kinniya in Trincomalee.
• New Longest Bridge in Sri Lanka: Southern Expressway across the Benthara river. The bridge 695 m in length, 17 m in width is located at the 128 km of Southern expressway from Kottawa to Matara in the Aviththawa area of the Galle district.