Transport in Sri Lanka is based on its road network, which is centred on the country's commercial capital Colombo. A rail network handles a portion of Sri Lanka's transport needs. There are navigable waterways, harbours and three international airports: in Katunayake, 35 kilometres (22 mi) north of Colombo, in Hambantota, and in Jaffna.
Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the Central Province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.
SriLankan Airlines is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member airline of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is currently the largest airline in Sri Lanka by number of aircraft and destinations and was launched in 1979 as Air Lanka following the termination of operations of the original Sri Lankan flag carrier Air Ceylon.
Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology is a private university located in Malabe and Colombo, Sri Lanka. It specialises in various fields like technology and management.
Moratuwa is a large municipality in Sri Lanka, on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo main highway, 18 km (11 mi) south of the centre of Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides by water, except in the north of the city, by the Indian Ocean on the west, the Lake Bolgoda on the east and the Moratu river on the south. According to the 2012 census, the suburb had a population of 168,280.
Dialog Axiata PLC, is one of Sri Lanka's largest telecommunications service providers, and the country's largest mobile network operator with over 17 million subscribers which amounts to 57% of the Sri Lankan mobile market. Dialog is a subsidiary of Axiata Group Berhad which owns 83.32% controlling stake of the company, while the rest is held by the public.
The Kallarawa massacre was carried out by the LTTE, an organisation which has been banned in 33 countries including the US, Australia, EU, India and Canada due to its terrorist activities.
The 2000 Sri Lanka cyclone was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Sri Lanka since 1978. The fourth tropical storm and the second severe cyclonic storm of the 2000 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it developed from an area of disturbed weather on December 25, 2000. It moved westward, and quickly strengthened under favorable conditions to reach top wind speeds of 75 mph (121 km/h). The cyclone hit eastern Sri Lanka at peak strength, then weakened slightly while crossing the island before making landfall over southern India on December 28. The storm degenerated into a remnant low later that day, before merging with another trough on the next day.
The Sri Lanka Railway Department is Sri Lanka's railway owner and primary operator. As part of the Sri Lankan government, it is overseen by the Ministry of Transport. Founded in 1858 as the Ceylon Government Railway, it operates the nation's railways and links Colombo with other population centres and tourist destinations.
Kadugannawa is a town in Kandy District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is located along the A1 road west of Peradeniya. The town is served by Kadugannawa Railway Station and the Kadugannawa Central College is located there.
Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, is a controversial Sri Lankan politician, former MP and businessman. He was member of Parliament of Sri Lanka, and was the former CEO of Mihin Lanka government sponsored budget airline. He also served as coordinating secretary on trade and foreign affairs to the President of Sri Lanka. Prior to entering parliament in 2010 he was a member of the southern provincial council. Sajin has been involved in several controversies, and was widely criticised for his role as CEO of Mihin Lanka and for his involvement in the bankruptcy and financial misfortune of the airline.
The Nelum Pokuna Theatre is a performing arts centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The theatre opened on 15 December 2011.
Manampitiya Bridge is the second longest bridge in Sri Lanka with a length of 302 m (991 ft). It comprises two bridges, an early-twentieth-century steel bridge which is used for railway and a newly built bridge carrying two lanes of highway. Before the Kinniya Bridge was declared open in 2009, it was the longest bridge in Sri Lanka. The steel bridge was built in 1922, during the colonial rule. It is 291 m (955 ft) long and less than 5 m (16 ft) in width. The bridge is located 81 km (50 mi) east of Maradankadawala, along the A11 Habarana-Thirikondiyadimadu road in Polonnaruwa District, linking North Central Province with Eastern Province over Mahaweli River. The new bridge in Manampitiya was built with financial assistance of Japan, hence the name Sri Lanka-Japan Friendship Peace Bridge. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided LKR 1.3 billion on behalf of the Japanese government. Bridge was declared open on 25 October 2007 by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The new 50 Sri Lankan Rupee note depicts the Manampitiya Bridge.
The northern line is a railway line in Sri Lanka. Branching off the Main Line at Polgahawela Junction the line heads north through North Western, North Central and Northern provinces before terminating at the northern port of Kankesanthurai. The line is 339 kilometres (211 mi) long and has 55 stations between Polgahawela Junction and Vavuniya. It is the longest railway line in Sri Lanka. The line opened in 1894. Major cities served by the line include Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Jaffna. The popular Yal Devi service operates on the line. The line was severely affected by the civil war and no services operated north of Vavuniya after 1990. Reconstruction of this section of the line commenced following the end of the civil war in 2009 and was fully completed in early 2015.
The Main Line is a major railway line in the rail network of Sri Lanka and considered by many to be one of the most scenic train journeys in all of Asia. The line begins at Colombo Fort and winds through the Sri Lankan hill country to reach Badulla.
Kadugannawa Ambalama is a historic wayside rest that is found – on the left, when traveling from Colombo to Kandy, a few metres before the Kadugannawa Hairpin turn aka Kadugannawa pass. Built in the early 19th century during the British colonial rule in Ceylon, the Ambalama is now more than 200 years old A popular stopover for horsemen and merchants traveling from the lowlands to the ancient hill capital Kandy, this structure resembles the Kandyan Era architecture and is of archaeological value. It was renovated by the Ministry of Tourism under the technical guidance of the Department of Archeology at a cost of Rs. 300,000.00 and now this structure is considered a national heritage item of Sri Lanka.
In May 2003, a tropical cyclone officially called Very Severe Cyclonic Storm BOB 01 produced the worst flooding in Sri Lanka in 56 years. The first storm of the 2003 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it developed over the Bay of Bengal on May 10. Favorable environmental conditions allowed the system to intensify steadily while moving northwestward. The storm reached peak maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) on May 13, making it a very severe cyclonic storm according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which is the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the basin. The cyclone drifted north over the central Bay of Bengal, gradually weakening due to heightened wind shear. Turning eastward, the storm deteriorated to a deep depression on May 16 before it curved northeastward and re-intensified into a cyclonic storm. It came ashore in western Myanmar and dissipated over land the following day.
Beer has been brewed in Sri Lanka from five hundreds of years. In the 19th century, the British introduced British beer to Ceylon. The most popular beers in Sri Lanka are Lager-style beer.
Galboda Gnanissara Thera, one of the most respected Buddhist prelates, is the head priest and the chief incumbent of the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He is also popularly known as Podi Hamuduruwo, which translates to "Little Monk". In 2003, Thera was appointed by Malwatta chapter as the Sanghanayaka of the Western Province in Sri Lanka. He was also the Sanghanayaka of the Sri Lankan Buddhist temples in the United States but renounced that position later. Thera is widely recognized for various community service endeavors undertaken by him.
