Settlement on the island of Sri Lanka dates back to prehistoric times, and various kingdoms were established by the 4th century BC. Buddhism was introduced in the 3rd century BC and it became the dominant religion.
About Sri Lanka
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In 1505 the Portuguese established control over the valuable spice trade, they were dislodged with help from the Dutch, then the British moved in. By 1815 the whole island, then called Ceylon, was under British control and English was introduced as the national language.
In 1948, Ceylon became an independent member of the British Commonwealth, but tensions arose between the majority Sinhalese population and the Tamil minority. Ethnic and religious conflicts persisted for decades, marked by civil unrest, terrorism, social dislocation and slow economic development.
After numerous attempts to negotiate a peaceful settlement, interspersed with broken truces and violence, a Norwegian delegation brokered one-month cease-fire in December 2001. The ceasefire was extended in early 2002, and has more-or-less held ever since. Despite occasional outbreaks of violence in the north and the 2004 tsunami, the Sri Lankan economy is recovering, most security restrictions have been lifted, roads re-opened, and tourism is growing.
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