Colombo

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Colomboෙකාළඹ

ெகாெகா

Metropolis

Clockwise from top left: BOC Tower, Colombo Skyline,Colombo Skyline (Gangaramaya Temple), Colombo

Skyline (Galle Face), Old Parliament, Colombo Skyline(Gangaramaya Temple), BOC Tower and WTC Twin

Tower, Independence Square, WTC Twin Tower

Seal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Columbo.

For other uses, see Colombo (disambiguation).

Colombo (Sinhala: ෙකාළඹ, pronounced [ˈkolombo]; Tamil: ெகா ) is thelargest city of Sri Lanka, with a population of 4,575,000 metropolitanarea,[2][dubious – discuss] and 555,031[1] in the city limits. It is located on thewest coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (which isthe official capital of Sri Lanka) suburb or the parliament capital of Sri Lanka.Colombo is also the administrative capital of Western Province, Sri Lanka andthe district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is often referred to as thecapital since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo.Colombo is a busy and vibrant place with a mixture of modern life and colonialbuildings and ruins[3] It was the political capital of Sri Lanka, before SriJayawardenepura Kotte.

Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West seatrade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. It wasmade the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empirein 1815,[4] and its status as capital was retained when the nation becameindependent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved toSri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercialcapital of Sri Lanka.

Like many cities, Colombo's urban area extends well beyond the boundariesof a single local authority, encompassing other municipal and urban councilssuch as Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council, Dehiwala MountLavinia Municipal Council, Kolonnawa Urban Council and KotikawatteMulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha. The main city is home to a majority of SriLanka's corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues.[5] Famouslandmarks in Colombo include the Galle Face Green, the ViharamahadeviPark, Mount Lavinia beach as well as the National Museum.

Contents1 Etymology2 History

2.1 Ancient Era2.2 Portuguese Era2.3 Dutch Era2.4 British era2.5 After independence

3 Geography and climate4 Attractions5 Demographics6 Government and politics

Coordinates: 6°56′04″N 79°50′34″E

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Location in Sri LankaCoordinates: 6°56′04″N 79°50′34″E

Country Sri LankaProvince Western ProvinceDistrict Colombo DistrictGovernment • MunicipalCouncil

Colombo MunicipalCouncil

• Headquarters Town Hall • Mayor Mohommad Muzammil

(UNP)Area • Metropolis 37.31 km2 (14.4 sq mi)Elevation 1 m (3 ft)

Population (2011[1]) • Metropolis 555,031 • Density 17,344/km2

(44,920/sq mi) • Metro 4,575,000 (2,014

estimate)Time zone SLST (UTC+05:30)Postal code 0xxxxArea code(s) 011Website www.cmc.lkCoat of arms of

Colombo from the DutchCeylon era, depicting amango tree.

6.1 Local government6.2 National capital

7 City limits8 Suburbs9 Economy10 Law enforcement and crime11 Infrastructure

11.1 Harbour11.2 Transport11.3 Landmarks

12 Education13 Architecture

13.1 Colombo Fort13.2 Dutch-era buildings13.3 British-era buildings

14 Culture14.1 Annual cultural events and fairs14.2 Performing arts14.3 Museums and art collections14.4 Sports14.5 Media

15 Twin towns – Sister cities16 Gallery17 See also18 Notes and references19 Further reading

Etymology [edit]

The name "Colombo", first introduced by thePortuguese in 1505, is believed to be derivedfrom the classical Sinhalese name ෙකාෙලාෙතාට Kolon thota, meaning "port on the riverKelani".[6]

Another belief is that the name is derived fromthe Sinhalese name ෙකාල-අඹ-ෙතාට Kola-amba-thota which means "Harbour with leafy mangotrees".[5]

The author of the oldest Sinhalese grammar,Sidatsangarava, written in the 13th century wroteabout a category of words that exclusively belonged to early Sinhalese. It lists naramba (to see)and kolamba (ford or habor) as belonging to an indigenous source. Kolamba may also be thesource of the name of the commercial capital Colombo.[7][8]

History [edit]

As Colombo possesses a natural harbour, it was known to Indian, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Arabs, and Chinese tradersover 2,000 years ago. Traveller Ibn Batuta who visited the island in the 14th century, referred to it as Kalanpu.[9] MuslimMoors whose prime interests were trade began to settle in Colombo around the 8th century AD mostly because the porthelped their business and controlled much of the trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. Theirdescendants now comprise the local Sri Lankan Moor community.[4][10]

Ancient Era [edit]

The first ever mention of Sri Lanka is seen in the great Indian epic Ramayana and also Mahabharat,The fortress was situatedon a plateau between three mountain peaks known as the Trikuta Mountains. The ancient City of Lankapura is thought tohave been burnt down by Lord Hanuman. After the King Ravana was killed by Lord Rama with the help of the former's brotherVibhishana, Vibhishana was crowned King of Lankapura by Lord Rama after which he ruled the kingdom. The mythologicalLankapuri or lanka is identified today as Sri Lanka.Lanka was originally ruled by a Rakshasa named Sumali (as perRamayana). Later it was taken by Visarvana (Kubera) who was a Yaksha. From him, Rakshasa Ravana, took the rulership ofLanka. Rama killed Ravana and installed his brother Vibhishana on the throne of Lanka. According to both the Ramayanaand the Mahabharata, the Yaksha king Vaisravana alias Kubera was the ruler of Lanka. His capital was guarded byRakshasas. His half-brother Ravana (son of the sage Vishravaya and Sumali's daughter) fought with Kubera in battle andobtained the sovereignty of Lanka from him. Ravana ruled Lanka as the king of Rakshasas. Having slain the king of the

Colombo

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Dutch engraving of Colombo inabout 1680

Colombo street scene in theearly 20th century with a tramcar

obtained the sovereignty of Lanka from him. Ravana ruled Lanka as the king of Rakshasas. Having slain the king of theRakshasas, viz Ravana, with his brother Kumbhakarna, and sons and kindred, Rama installed in the kingdom of Lanka theRakshasa chief, Vibhishana, pious, and reverent, and kind to devoted dependents. The battle in Lanka is depicted in afamous bas-relief in the 12th century Khmer temple of Angkor Wat.

Portuguese Era [edit]

Portuguese explorers led by Dom Lourenço de Almeida first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505. During their initial visit they made atreaty with the King of Kotte Parakramabahu VIII (1484–1508) enabling them to trade in the islands' crop of cinnamon, whichlay along the coastal areas of the island, including in Colombo.[11] As part of the treaty, the Portuguese were given fullauthority over the coastline in exchange for the promise of guarding the coast against invaders. They were allowed toestablish a trading post in Colombo.[11] Within a short time, however, they then expelled the Muslim inhabitants of Colomboand began to build a fort there in 1517.

The Portuguese soon realized that control of Sri Lanka was necessary for protection of their coastal establishments in Indiaand they began to manipulate the rulers of the Kotte kingdom to gain control of the area. After skilfully exploiting rivalrieswithin the royal family, they took control of a large area of the kingdom and the Sinhalese King Mayadunne established a newkingdom at Sitawaka, a domain in the Kotte kingdom.[11] Before long he annexed much of the Kotte kingdom and forced thePortuguese to retreat to Colombo, which was repeatedly besieged by Mayadunne and the later kings of Sitawaka, forcingthem to seek reinforcement from their major base in Goa, India. Following the fall of the kingdom in 1593, the Portuguesewere able to establish complete control over the coastal area, with Colombo as their capital.[11][12] This part of Colombo is stillknown as Fort and houses the presidential palace and the majority of Colombo's five star hotels. The area immediatelyoutside Fort is known as Pettah (Sinhala ට ෙකා ව piṭa koṭuva, "outer fort") and is a commercial hub.

Dutch Era [edit]

In 1638 the Dutch signed a treaty with King Rajasinha II of Kandy which assured theking assistance in his war against the Portuguese in exchange for a monopoly of theisland's major trade goods. The Portuguese resisted the Dutch and the Kandyans butwere gradually defeated in their strongholds beginning in 1639.[13] The Dutchcaptured Colombo in 1656 after an epic siege, at the end of which a mere 93Portuguese survivors were given safe conduct out of the fort. Although the Dutch(e.g., Rijcklof van Goens) initially restored the captured area back to the Sinhalesekings, they later refused to turn them over and gained control over the island's richestcinnamon lands including Colombo which then served as the capital of the Dutchmaritime provinces under the control of the Dutch East India Company until1796.[13][14]

British era [edit]

Although the British captured Colombo in 1796, it remained a British military outpost untilthe Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to them in 1815 and they made Colombo the capital oftheir newly created crown colony of British Ceylon. Unlike the Portuguese and Dutchbefore them, whose primary use of Colombo was as a military fort, the British beganconstructing houses and other civilian structures around the fort, giving rise to thecurrent City of Colombo.[4]

Initially, they placed the administration of the city under a "Collector", and John Macdowellof the Madras Service was the first to hold the office. Then, in 1833, the GovernmentAgent of the Western Province was charged with the administration of the city. Centuriesof colonial rule had meant a decline of indigenous administration of Colombo, and in1865 the British conceived a Municipal Council as a means of training the local population in self-governance. The LegislativeCouncil of Ceylon constituted the Colombo Municipal Council in 1865 and the Council met for the first time on the January 16,1866. At the time, the population of the region was around 80,000.[4]

During the time they were in control of the Colombo, the British were responsible for much of the planning of the present city.In some parts of the city tram car tracks and granite flooring laid during the era are still visible today.[14][15]

After independence [edit]

This era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948 when Ceylon gained independencefrom Britain.[16] Due to the tremendous impact this caused on the city's inhabitantsand on the country as a whole, the changes that resulted at the end of the colonialperiod were drastic. An entire new culture took root. Changes in laws and customs,clothing styles, religions and proper names were a significant result of the colonialera.[16] These cultural changes were followed by the strengthening of the island'seconomy. Even today, the influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British isclearly visible in Colombo's architecture, names, clothing, food, language and

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The formal ceremony marking thestart of self-rule at IndependenceSquare.

The Beira Lake at night

clearly visible in Colombo's architecture, names, clothing, food, language andattitudes. Buildings from all three eras stand as reminders of the turbulent past ofColombo. The city and its people show an interesting mix of European clothing andlifestyles together with local customs.[16]

Historically, Colombo referred to the area around the Fort and Pettah Market which is famous for the variety of productsavailable as well as the Khan Clock Tower, a local landmark. At present, it refers to the city limits of the Colombo MunicipalCouncil.[17] More often, the name is used for the Conurbation known as Greater Colombo, which encompasses severalMunicipal councils including Kotte, Dehiwela and Colombo.

Although Colombo lost its status as the capital of Sri Lanka in the 1980s, it continues to be the island's commercial centre.Despite the official capital of Sri Lanka moving to the adjacent Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte, most countries still maintain theirdiplomatic missions in Colombo.[18]

Geography and climate [edit]

Colombo's geography is a mix of land and water. The city has manycanals and, in the heart of the city, the 65-hectare (160-acre) BeiraLake.[19] The lake is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Colombo,and was used for centuries by colonists to defend the city.[19] It remains apopular attraction, hosting regattas,[20] and theatrical events on itsshores. The Northern and North-Eastern border of the city of Colombo isformed by the Kelani River, which meets the sea in a part of the cityknown as the Modera (mōdara in Sinhala) which means river delta.

Colombo features a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climateclassification, falling just short of a tropical rainforest climate. Colombo's climate is fairly temperate all throughout the year.From March to April the temperature averages around 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) maximum.[21] The onlymajor change in the Colombo weather occurs during the monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January. Thisis the time of year where heavy rains can be expected. Colombo sees little relative diurnal range of temperature, although thisis more marked in the drier winter months, where minimum temperatures average 22 degrees Celsius (72 degreesFahrenheit). Rainfall in the city averages around 2,400 millimetres (94 in) a year.[22]

Climate data for Colombo, Sri LankaMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record high °C (°F) 35.2(95.4)

35.6(96.1)

36.0(96.8)

35.2(95.4)

32.8(91)

33.5(92.3)

32.2(90)

32.2(90)

32.2(90)

33.6(92.5)

34.0(93.2)

34.2(93.6)

36.0(96.8)

Average high °C (°F) 30.9(87.6)

31.2(88.2)

31.7(89.1)

31.8(89.2)

31.1(88)

30.4(86.7)

30.0(86)

30.0(86)

30.2(86.4)

30.0(86)

30.1(86.2)

30.3(86.5)

30.64(87.16)

Daily mean °C (°F) 26.6(79.9)

26.9(80.4)

27.7(81.9)

28.2(82.8)

28.3(82.9)

27.9(82.2)

27.6(81.7)

27.6(81.7)

27.5(81.5)

27.0(80.6)

26.7(80.1)

26.6(79.9)

27.38(81.3)

Average low °C (°F) 22.3(72.1)

22.6(72.7)

23.7(74.7)

24.6(76.3)

25.5(77.9)

25.5(77.9)

25.2(77.4)

25.1(77.2)

24.8(76.6)

24.0(75.2)

23.2(73.8)

22.8(73)

24.11(75.4)

Record low °C (°F) 16.4(61.5)

18.9(66)

17.7(63.9)

21.2(70.2)

20.7(69.3)

21.4(70.5)

21.4(70.5)

21.6(70.9)

21.2(70.2)

21.0(69.8)

18.6(65.5)

18.1(64.6)

16.4(61.5)

Precipitation mm (inches) 58.2(2.291)

72.7(2.862)

128.0(5.039)

245.6(9.669)

392.4(15.449)

184.9(7.28)

121.9(4.799)

119.5(4.705)

245.4(9.661)

365.4(14.386)

414.4(16.315)

175.3(6.902)

2,523.7(99.358)

Avg. precipitation days 5 5 9 14 16 16 12 11 15 17 15 10 145

% humidity 69 69 71 75 78 79 78 77 78 78 76 73 75

Mean monthly sunshinehours 248.0 248.6 275.9 234.0 201.5 195.0 201.5 201.5 189.0 201.5 210.0 217.0 2,623.5

Source #1: World Meteorological Organization,[23] Hong Kong Observatory[24]

Source #2: NOAA[25]

Attractions [edit]

Galle Face Green is a ribbon of green space located in the heart of the city along the Indian Ocean coast, and is a populardestination for tourists and residents alike. The Galle Face Hotel is a historic landmark on the southern edge of thispromenade.

Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo. The temple's architecture demonstrates an eclecticmix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architecture.

The Viharamahadevi Park (formerly Victoria Park) is an urban park located next to the National Museum of Colombo and theTown Hall. It is the oldest and largest park in Colombo and features a large Buddha statue.

Demographics [edit]

Colombo is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. The population of Colombo is a mix ofnumerous ethnic groups, mainly Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Moors, and Tamils. There arealso small communities of people with Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Malay, and Indianorigins living in the city, as well as numerous European expatriates. Colombo is the

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The Seema Malakaya of theGangarama Temple in the Beira Lakein the Slave Island area, is one of manyreligious structures in Colombo

most populous city in Sri Lanka, with 642,163 people living within the city limits.[26] In1866 the city had a population of around 80,000.[27] According to the census of 2001the demographics of urban Colombo by ethnicity is as follows.[26]

No Ethnicity Population % Of Total

1 Sinhalese 265,657 41.36

2 Sri Lankan Tamils 185,672 28.91

3 Sri Lankan Moors 153,299 23.87

4 Indian Tamils 13,968 2.17

5 Sri Lankan Malays 11,149 1.73

6 Burghers 5,273 0.82

7 Sri Lankan Chetty 740 0.11

8 Bharatha 471 0.07

9 Other 5,934 0.96

10 Total 642,163 100

Government and politics [edit]

Local government [edit]

Colombo is a charter city, with a Mayor Council form of government. Colombo's mayor and the council members are electedthrough local government elections held once in five years. For the past 50 years the city had been ruled by the UnitedNational Party (UNP), a right leaning party, whose business friendly policies resonate with the population of Colombo. Howeverthe UNP nomination list for the 2006 Municipal elections was rejected,[28] and an Independent Group supported by the UNPwon the elections.[29] Uvais Mohamed Imitiyas was subsequently appointed Mayor of Colombo.[30]

The city government provides sewer, road management and waste management services, in case of water, electricity andtelephone utility services the council liaises with the water supply and drainage board, the Ceylon electricity board andtelephone service providers.

Official vision and mission

Vision:

“ Colombo being a model city in Asia, a caring organization looking after interests of citizens and users with anefficient quality service for creation of safe, healthy and wealthy life.[31] ”

Mission

“ Organization achieving excellence in providing citizen centred services to the public / customer, optimizing theuse of available resources through a competent, motivated and dedicated team.[31] ”

National capital [edit]

Colombo was the capital of the coastal areas controlled by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British from the 1700s to the 1815when the British gained control of the entire island following the Kandian convention. From then until the 1980s the nationalcapital of the island was Colombo. During the 1980s plans were made to move the administrative capital to SriJayawardenepura Kotte and thus move all governmental institutions out of Colombo to make way for commercial activities. Asa primary step the Parliament was moved to a new complex in Kotte and several ministries and departments were also moved.However the move was never completed. Today many governmental institutions still remain in Colombo. These include thePresident's House, Presidential Secretariat, Prime Minister's House (Temple Trees), Prime Minister's Office, the SupremeCourt of Sri Lanka, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, important government ministries and departments; such as Finance (Treasury),Defence, Public Administration & Home affairs, Foreign affairs, Justice and the Military headquarters, Naval headquarters(SLNS Parakrama), Air Force headquarters (SLAF Colombo) and Police national and field force headquarters.[32][33]

City limits [edit]

Colombo is divided into 15 numbered areas for the purposes of postal services. Within these areas are the suburbs with theircorresponding post office.

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Map of Colombo showing its administrative districts.

Colombo is the hub of Sri Lanka'seconomic activity, with many majorevents taking place around the GalleFace Green

Postal number Zone

Colombo 1 Fort

Colombo 2 Slave Island, Union Place

Colombo 3 Kollupitiya

Colombo 4 Bambalapitiya

Colombo 5 Havelock Town, Kirilapone

Colombo 6 Wellawatte, Pamankada, Narahenpita

Colombo 7 Cinnamon Gardens

Colombo 8 Borella

Colombo 9 Dematagoda

Colombo 10 Maradana, Panchikawatte

Colombo 11 Pettah

Colombo 12 Hultsdorf

Colombo 13 Kotahena, Bloemendhal

Colombo 14 Grandpass

Colombo 15 Mutwal, Modera, Mattakkuliya, Madampitiya

Suburbs [edit]

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia-Ratmalana areaMoratuwa areaRajagiriya-Nawala-Nugegoda-Ethulkotte-Pitakotte-Battaramulla areaMaharagama-Kottawa areaBoralesgamuwa-Piliyandala areaThalawathugoda-Malabe-Hokandara-Kaduwela areaKolonnawa-Kotikawatta areaWattala-Peliyagoda-Kandana-Ja-Ela areaKiribathgoda-Kelaniya-Ragama-Kadawatha area

Economy [edit]

The great majority of Sri Lankan corporations have their head offices in Colomboincluding Aitken Spence,Ceylinco Corporation, Stassen group of companies, JohnKeells Holdings, Hemas Holdings and Akbar Brothers. Some of the industries includechemicals, textiles, glass, cement, leather goods, furniture, and jewellery. In the citycentre is located The World Trade Centre. The 40 story Twin Tower complex is thecentre of important commercial establishments, situated in the Fort district, the city'snerve center. Right outside the Fort area is Pettah which is derived from the Sinhaleseword pita which means out or outside as it is outside the Fort.[34]

The Colombo Metropolitan area has a GDP of $35 Billion dollars making it the core ofthe Sri Lankan economy. The per capita income of Colombo Metro area stood at USD$5358 and purchasing power per capita of $10,000, making it one of the mostprosperous regions in South Asia.[35]

The Colombo Metropolitan (CM) area is the most important industrial, commercial and administrative centre in Sri Lanka. Amajor share of the country’s export oriented manufacturing takes place in the Colombo Metropolitan area which is the engineof growth for Sri Lanka. The Western province contributes more than 50% to the GDP and about 80% of industrial valueadditions although it accounts for only 5.7% of the country’s geographic area. Given its importance as the primaryinternational gateway for Sri Lanka and as the main economic driver of the country, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) haslaunched an ambitious program to transform Colombo and its metropolitan area into a metropolis of international standards. Anumber of bottlenecks are preventing the Colombo metropolitan area from realizing its full economic potential. In order tofacilitate the transformation of Colombo, the government has to address these bottlenecks which have for long beenobstructing economic and physical urban regeneration of the city.[36]

Pettah is more crowded than the fort area. Pettah's roads are always packed and pavements are full of small stalls sellingfrom delicious Sharbat to Shirts. Main Street consists mostly of clothes shops and the cross roads, which are literally knownas Cross Streets where each of the five streets specializes in a specific business. For example the First Cross Street is mostlyelectronic goods shops, the Second, cellular phones and fancy goods. Most of these businesses in Pettah are dominated byMuslim traders. At the end of the main street further away from Fort is the Sea Street, Sri Lanka's Gold market – dominated byTamil interests. This mile-long street is full of jewellery shops.[34]

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The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka islocated in Colombo

Container handling at ColomboPort.

City buses in Colombo

Commuter Rail within the city

At one time Air Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) had its head office in Colombo.[37]

Law enforcement and crime [edit]

The Sri Lanka Police the main law enforcement agency of the island liaise with themunicipal council, but is under the control of the Ministry of Defence of the centralgovernment.[38] Policing in Colombo and its suburbs falls within the MetropolitanRange headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Metropolitan), this alsoincludes the Colombo Crime Division.[39] As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistratecourt handles felony crimes, the district court handles civil cases.

As in other large cities around the world, Colombo experiences certain levels of streetcrime and bribery. Indeed the corruption extends to the very top, US reports show. Inaddition, in the period from the 1980s to 2009 there have been a number of majorterrorist attacks.[40][41] The LTTE has been linked to most of the bombings andassassinations in the city.[42] Welikada Prison is situated in Colombo and it is one of the largest maximum-security prisons inthe country.[43]

Infrastructure [edit]

Colombo has most of the amenities that a modern city has. Compared to other parts of the country, Colombo has the highestdegree of infrastructure. Electricity, water and transport to street lamps, phone booths and etc. have a considerably goodstandard. The majority of the major shopping malls in Sri Lanka are in the city, of which all are wi-fi enabled. Apart from that,many luxurious hotels, clubs and restaurants are in the city. In recent times there's been an outpour of high risecondominiums, mainly due to the very high land prices.[44]

Harbour [edit]

Colombo Harbour is the largest and one of the busiest ports in Sri Lanka. Colombo wasestablished primarily as a port city during the colonial era, with an artificial harbour thathas been expanded over the years. The Sri Lanka Navy maintains a naval base, SLNSRangalla, within the harbour.

The Port of Colombo handled 3.75 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2008, 10.6% upon 2007 (which itself was 9.7% up on 2006), bucking the global economic trend. Ofthose, 817,000 were local shipments with the rest transshipments. Currently with acapacity of 4.1 million TEUs and a dredged depth of over 15 m (49 ft),[2] the ColomboHarbour is one of the busiest ports in the world, and ranks among the top 35 ports.

Transport [edit]

Bus

Main article: Colombo Bus Routes

Colombo has an extensive public transport system based on buses operated both byprivate operators and the government owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). Thethree primary bus terminals — Bastian Mawatha, Central, and the Gunasinghapura BusTerminals — are in Pettah. Bastian Mawatha handles long distance services whereasGunasinghapura and Central handle local services.

Rail

Train transport in the city is limited since most trainsare meant for transport to and from the city rather than within it and are oftenovercrowded. However, the Central Bus Stand and Fort Railway Station function as theisland's primary hub for bus and rail transport respectively. Up until the 1970s the cityhad tram services, which were discontinued. Other means of transport includes autorickshaws (commonly called "three wheelers") and taxicabs. Three wheelers are entirelyoperated by individuals and hardly regulated whilst cab services are run by privatecompanies and are metered.

Main Line – Colombo Fort to Veyangoda; onwards to Kandy, Badulla, Matale,Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Kankesanturai (presently just pallai),[45] Trincomalee,

Batticaloa, Talaimannar (presently just Madhu Road).Coastal Line – Colombo to Panadura; onwards to Galle and Matara.Puttalam Line – Colombo to Ja Ela; onwards to Negombo and PuttalamKelani Valley Line – Colombo to Avissawella

Advanced stages of feasibility investigations into the Colombo Metro Rail, a Mass Rapid Transit railway system has begun.

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The historical Cargills & Millersbuilding

The World Trade Centre towers

The project was established to control the excessive traffic. The project is carried out by NEB Rapid Infrastructure ProjectsPvt. Ltd., an Indian and Singaporean collaboration.[46][47]

Roads

Post-war development in the Colombo area also involves the construction of numerous expressway grade arterial roadroutes. The first of these constructed is the Southern Expressway, which goes from Kottawa, a southern suburb of Colombo,to Matara in the south of the country. Expressways under construction in the Colombo metropolitan area include the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway which was opened in October 2013 and the Colombo orbital bypass Outer Circular Highway (ArthurC. Clarke Expressway) which is due to be opened in 2014.[48][49]

A1 highway connects Colombo with Kandy.A2 highway connects Colombo with Galle.A3 highway connects Colombo with Negombo.A4 highway connects Colombo with Ratnapura.

Ferry

An international ferry liner, the Scotia Prince, is conducting a ferry service to Tuticorin, India. Ferry services between the twocountries have been revived after more than 20 years.[50]

Air

Bandaranaike International Airport and Ratmalana Airport are the city's airports. Bandaranaike Airport serves the city for mostinternational flights, while the Ratmalana Airport primarily serves local flights.

Landmarks [edit]

The two World Trade Centre towers used to be the most recognized landmarks of thecity. Before they were completed in 1997, the adjacent Bank of Ceylon tower was thetallest structure and the most prominent city landmark. Before the skyscrapers were builtit was the Old Parliament Building that stood majestically in the Fort district with the OldColombo Lighthouse close to it. Another important landmark is the Independence Hall atIndependence Square in Cinnamon Gardens.

Even before the parliament was built some claim that the Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque wasrecognized as the landmark of Colombo by sailors approaching the port. The mosque isstill one of the most visited tourist sites in Colombo.

Another landmark is St.Paul's Church Milagiriya, one of the oldest churches in Sri Lanka,first built by the Portuguese and re-built by the British in 1848.

The Fort district has the famous Cargills & Millers complex that is protected by a specialgovernment law from demolition. This is done mainly to preserve the historic beauty ofthe Fort area.

The Galle Face Green is the city's largest and most elegant promenade. Lined with palmtrees and adjacent to the coast, this mile-long stretch in the heart of the city is a constantbeehive of activity. The green is especially busy on Fridays and Saturdays. In theevenings it plays host to families and children playing sports and flying kites, lovers embracing under umbrellas and healthenthusiasts taking their evening walks. There are numerous small food stalls and a small stretch of beach. The green wasrecently[when?] given a makeover and since then has been even more popular with the local community. The Green frequentlyhosts international and local concerts and performances, such as the recently concluded World Drum Festival.

Cannons that were once mounted on the rampart of the old fort of Colombo laid out for observance and prestige at theGreen, giving a colonial touch to the city. The famous colonial styled Galle Face Hotel, known as Asia's Emerald on the Greensince 1864, is adjacent to Galle Face Green. The hotel has played host to distinguished guests including the British RoyalFamily and other royal guests and celebrities. After a stayed at the hotel, Princess Alexandra of Denmark commented that"the peacefulness and generosity encountered at the Galle Face Hotel cannot be matched."[51] Also facing Galle Face Greenis the Ceylon Inter-Continental Hotel, Sri Lanka's first five-star hotel. Around the corner from Galle Face are prominent coffeebars, chic bars and boutiques.

Education [edit]

Education institutions in Colombo have a long history. Colombo has many of theprominent public schools in the country, some of them government-owned and othersprivate. Most of the prominent schools in the city date back to the 1800s when theywere established during the British colonial rule,[52] such as the Royal CollegeColombo established in 1835. Certain urban schools of Sri Lanka have some religiousalignment; this is partly due to the influence of British who established Christianmissionary schools.[53][54] These include the Anglican, Bishop's College(1875); the

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Royal College Colombo, the oldestpublic school in the city.

The Murugan Hindutemple in slave islandarea

The VOC (Verenigde OostindischeCompagnie) logo of Dutch East IndiaCompany on the gates of WolvendaalChurch

The Sirimathipaya Mansion of SirErnest de Silva which is now the PrimeMinister's Office is an example ofarchitecture of the British era.

Methodist, Wesley College Colombo (1874); the Buddhist, Ananda College (1886);the Muslim, Zahira College (1892); the Catholic, St. Joseph's College (1896). Thereligious alignments do not affect the curriculum of the school except for thedemographics of the student population.[53] Colombo has many International Schools that have come up in the recent years.

Higher education in the city has a long history, beginning with the establishment of the Colombo Medical School (1870), theColombo Law College (1875), School of Agriculture (1884) and the Government Technical College (1893). The first step inthe creation of a University in Colombo was taken in 1913 with the establishment of the University College Colombo whichprepared students for the external examinations of the University of London. This was followed by the establishment of theUniversity of Ceylon in Colombo.[55] Today the University of Colombo and the University of the Visual & Performing Arts arestate universities in the city. The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology has a metropolitan campus in the city centre.There are several private higher education institutions in the city.

See also: Education in Sri Lanka

Architecture [edit]

Colombo has wildly varying architecture that span centuries and depict many styles. Colonialbuildings influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch and British exist alongside structures built inBuddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Indian and Contemporary architectural styles. No other place is thismore evident in the Fort area. Here one may find new towering skyscrapers as well as historicbuildings dating far back as the 1700s.[56][57]

Colombo Fort [edit]

The Portuguese were the first colonists to settle in Colombo; establishing a small trading post,they had laid the foundations for a small fort which in time became the largest colonial fort in theisland. The Dutch expanded the fort thus creating a well old fortified harbour. This came into thepossession of the British in the late 1700s and by the late 19th century the seeing no threat tothe Colombo Harbour, began demolishing the ramparts to make way for the development of thecity. Although now there is nothing left of the fortifications, the area which was once the fort is stillreferred to as Fort. The area outside is Pettah or ටෙකා ව in Sinhalese which means outerfort.[56][57]

Dutch-era buildings [edit]

There are none of the buildings of the Portuguese era and only a few from the Dutchperiod. These include the oldest building in the fort area, the former Dutch Hospital,the Dutch House which is now the Colombo Dutch Museum and several churches. ThePresident's House (formerly the Queen's House)was originally the Dutch governor'shouse, and successive British governors made it their office and residence. However,it has undergone much change since the Dutch period. Adjoining the President'sHouse are the Gordon Gardens, now off limits to the public.[56][57][58]

British-era buildings [edit]

Much of the old buildings of the fort area andin other parts of the city date back to theBritish times, these include governmental,

commercial buildings and private houses. Some of the notable government building ofBritish colonial architecture includes; the old Parliament building which is now thePresidential Secretariat, the Republic Building which houses the Ministry of Foreignaffairs, but once housed the Ceylon Legislative council, the General TreasuryBuilding, the old General Post Office an Edwardian style building opposite thePresident's House, the Prime Minister's Office, the Central Telegraph Office, theMathematics department of the University of Colombo (formally the Royal College,Colombo).[59] Notable commercial buildings of the British era include the Galle FaceHotel, Cargills & Millers' complex, and Grand Oriental Hotel.[56][57]

Culture [edit]

Annual cultural events and fairs [edit]

Colombo's most beautiful festival is the celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenmentand death all falling on the same day.[60] In Sinhala this is known as Vesak.[60] Duringthis festival, much of the city is decorated with lanterns, lights and special displays oflight (known as thoran). The festival falls in mid May and lasts a week. Many Sri

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The Neoclassical style ColomboNational Museum

The Nelum Pokuna MahindaRajapaksa Theatre

A match taking place at the RPremadasa Stadium

Lankans visit the city to see the lantern competitions and decorations. During thisweek people distribute, rice, drinks and other food items for free in dunsal whichmeans charity place. These dunsal are popular amongst visitors from the suburbs.

Since there is a large number of Muslims in Colombo. Eid Ul Fitr and Eid Ul Adha aretwo Islamic festivals that are celebrated in Colombo. Many businesses flourish duringthe eventual countdown for Eid Ul Fitr which is a major Islamic festival celebrated byMuslims after a month long fasting. Colombo is generally very busy during the eve ofthe festivals as people do their last minute shopping.

Christmas is another major festival. Although Sri Lanka's Christians make up only just over 7% of the population, Christmas isone of the island's biggest festivals. Most streets and commercial buildings light up from the beginning of December andfestive sales begin at all shopping centres and department stores. Caroling and nativity plays are frequent sights during theseason.

The Sinhala and Hindu Aluth Awurudda' is a cultural event that takes place on 13 and 14 April. This is the celebration of theSinhala and Hindu new year. The festivities include many events and traditions that display a great deal of Sri Lankan culture.

Several old clubs of the city gives a glimpse of the British equestrian life style, these include the Colombo Club, Orient Club,the 80 Club, the Colombo Cricket Club.

Performing arts [edit]

Colombo has several performing arts centers which are popular for their musical andtheatrical performances. The most famous performing arts centers are the LionelWendt Theatre, the Elphinstone, and Tower Hall, all of which have a very rich historyand made for western style productions. The Navarangahala found in the city is thecountry's first national theatre designed and build for Asian and local style musicaland theatrical productions.

The Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre is a world-class theatre that openedin December 2011.[61] Designed in the form of the Lotus Pond in Polonnaruwa, thetheatre is a major theatre destination.[62][63]

Museums and art collections [edit]

The National Museum of Colombo, established on 1 January 1877 during the tenureof the British Colonial Governor Sir William Henry Gregory, is in the CinnamonGardens area.[64] The museum houses the crown jewels and throne of the last king ofthe kingdom of Kandy, Sri Vikrama Rajasinha.[64]

There is also the Colombo Dutch Museum detailing the Dutch colonial history of thecountry. Colombo does not boast a very big art gallery. There is a small collection ofSri Lankan masterpieces at the Art Gallery in Green Path; next to it is the NaturalHistory Museum.

Sports [edit]

Undoubtedly the most popular sport in Sri Lanka is cricket. The country emerged aschampions of the 1996 Cricket World Cup and became runners up in 2007 and 2011.In the ICC World Twenty20 they became runners up in 2009 and 2012 and winners in2014. The sport is played in parks, playgrounds, beaches and even in the streets.Colombo is the home for two of the country's most popular international cricketstadiums, Sinhalese Sports Club's cricket stadium and R. Premadasa Stadium (namedafter late president Premadasa).

Colombo has the distinction of being the only city in the world to have four cricket testvenues in the past: Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Sinhalese Sports ClubGround, Colombo Cricket Club Ground and Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium. TheSugathadasa Stadium is an international standard stadium for athletics, swimming and football, also held the South AsianGames in 1991 and 2006. Situated in Colombo the Royal Colombo Golf Club is one of the oldest in Asia. Other sporting clubsin Colombo include Colombo Swimming Club, Colombo Rowing Club and the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka.

Rugby is also a popular sport at the club and school level. Colombo has its own local football team Colombo FC and the sportis being developed as a part of the FIFA Goal program.

The Colombo Port City is to include a new Formula One track, constructed in the vicinity of the Colombo Harbour. Accordingto Dr. Priyath Wickrama, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, says an eight lane F1 track will “definitely” be a part ofthe New Port City.This would host The Sri Lankan Grand Prix.

Media [edit]

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Almost all major media businesses in Sri Lanka operate from Colombo. The state media has its offices in Bullers Road anddoes carry out regional transmission from there. This includes the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), formerlyknown as Radio Ceylon and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. The SLBC is the oldest radio station in South Asia and thesecond oldest in the world. Many of the private broadcasting companies have their offices and transmission stations in oraround Colombo. As with most metro areas, radio bands are highly utilised for radio communications. Some of the prominentradio stations broadcasting in the Colombo area are Sirasa FM, FM Derana, Hiru FM, Shakthi FM, Vettri FM, Sooriyan FM,Kiss FM, Lite FM, Yes FM, Gold FM, and many more.

Television networks operating in the Colombo metro area include the state-owned television broadcasting networks which arebroadcast from the Rupavahini Corporation of Sri Lanka, broadcasting television in the official languages Sinhala and Tamil.English language television is also broadcast, more targeted to the demographics of the English speaking Sri Lankans,expatriate communities and tourists. There are as well several private operators. It is often that many of the privately runtelevision stations networks were based upon operational expansions of pre-existing commercial radio networks andbroadcast infrastructure. Terrestrial broadcasting networks in the Colombo area consist of -

Sinhalese

RupavahiniSwarnavahiniIndependent Television Network (ITN)TNLTV DeranaThe Buddhist TVSirasa TVSiyatha TVHiru TVMax TVCarlton Sports Network (CSN)

Tamil

Vasantham TVShakthi TVNethra TVVettri TVDAN Tamil OliVarnam TV(Formerly Vettri Tv)

English

ETVART TelevisionPrime TV Sri LankaMTV SportsEYE

Religion(Buddhism)

The Buddhist ChannelShraddha TV

In addition to terrestrial television broadcasting, services, such as Dialog TV, Multivision and other providers, output satelliteand pay-TV services throughout.

Twin towns – Sister cities [edit]

Country City State / Region Since

Nepal Biratnagar Morang District 1874

Russia Saint Petersburg Northwestern Federal District 1997

China Shanghai Shanghai Municipality 2003

United Kingdom Leeds West Yorkshire 2008

Mongolia Ulan Bator 2012

Maldives Malé Kaafu Atoll 2013

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Gallery [edit]

Colombo's colonialheritage is visiblethroughout the city, as inthe historical WolvendaalChurch, established bythe Dutch in 1749

British era LegislativeCouncil Building,Colombo fort. Today ithouses the Ministry ofForeign Affairs

The Edwardian style oldGeneral Post Office

The Neo-baroque styleOld Parliament Building,which is now thePresidential Secretariat

A Test match betweenSri Lanka and England atthe SSC Ground,Colombo, March 2001

Beauty of Beira Lake atNight

See also [edit]

Colombo Port CityColombo Town GuardColombo Town HallKandyList of East Asian portsList of tallest buildings and structures in Sri LankaNational War Memorial, ColomboPlace names in Sri LankaSouth Asian capitalsYachting Association of Sri Lanka

Notes and references [edit]

1. ̂a b "A6 : Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012" . Census of Population &Housing, 2011. Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka.

2. ^ Brinkhoff, Thomas. "CITY POPULATION Population Statistics for Countries, Administrative Areas, Cities and Agglomerations" .2014. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 April 2014.

3. ^ Jayewarden+-e, Mr. "How Colombo Derived its Name" . Retrieved 2007-01-18.4. ̂a b c d "History of Colombo" . Retrieved 2007-03-21.5. ̂a b World Executive Colombo Hotels and City Guide6. ^ "Colombo – then and now" . Padma Edirisinghe (The Sunday Observer). 14 February 2004.7. ^ Indrapala 2007, p. 708. ^ Gair 1998, p. 59. ^ John, Still (1996). Index to the Mahawansa:Together with Chronological Table of Wars and Genealogical Trees. AES. p. 85.

ISBN 978-81-206-1203-7.10. ^ Prof. Manawadu, Samitha. "Cultural Routes Of Sri Lanka As Extensions Of International Itineraries : Identification Of Their

Impacts On Tangible & Intangible Heritage pp 3" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-01-17.11. ̂a b c d "European Encroachment and Dominance:The Portuguese" . Sri Lanka: A Country Study. Retrieved 2006-12-02.12. ^ Ross,, Russell R.; Savada, Andrea Matles (1990-08-14). Sri Lanka: A Country Study. Defence Dept., Army. pp. 360p. ISBN 978-

0-16-024055-3.13. ̂a b "European Encroachment and Dominance:The Dutch" . Sri Lanka: A Country study. Retrieved 2006-12-02.14. ̂a b Ross,, Russell R.; Savada, Andrea Matles (1990-08-14). Sri Lanka: A Country Study. Defense Dept., Army. pp. 360p.

ISBN 978-0-16-024055-3.15. ^ "European Encroachment and Dominance:The British Replace the Dutch" . Sri Lanka: A Country study. Retrieved 2006-12-02.

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Find more about Colombo at

16. ̂a b c Adrian, Wijemanne (03/1/96). War and Peace in Post-Colonial Ceylon 1948–1991. Orient Longman. pp. 111p. ISBN 978-81-250-0364-9.

17. ^ "Administrative Districts of the Colombo Municipal Council" . Colombo Municipal Council. Retrieved 11 February 2013.18. ^ GoAbroad.com, Embassies located in Sri Lanka19. ̂a b The lake in the middle of Colombo , Lanka Library20. ^ 35th boat race and 31st Regatta: Oarsmen of Royal and S. Thomas' clash on Beira waters , Daily News, October 10, 200321. ^ "Colombo weather" . Retrieved 2006-12-02.22. ^ Lowest temperature recorded was 15 degrees Celsius.Weatherbase23. ^ "World Weather Information Service - Colombo" . World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved November 6, 2012.24. ^ "Climatological Information for Colombo, Sri Lanka" . Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved November 6, 2012.25. ^ "COLOMBO Climate Normals 1961-1990" . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 6, 2012.26. ̂a b Department of Census and Statistics, Census 2001 , Additional source [1] . The totals are calculated through

enumerations made from Colombo Divisional Secretariat and the Thimbirigasyaya Divisional Secretariat, which is also part ofColombo Municipal Council[dead link]

27. ^ Port of Colombo . World Port Source. Retrieved on 2011-10-17.28. ^ Colombo UNP list rejected , BBC News, February 16, 200629. ^ Independent group wins CMC , BBC News, May 21, 200630. ^ Rotational mayors as Colombo gets trishaw driver as her 1st citizen , Sunday Times, May 28, 200631. ̂a b Colombo Municipal, Council. "Mission & Vision" . Retrieved 2007-01-18.[dead link]

32. ^ The Supreme Court Of Sri Lanka [dead link], Justice Ministry33. ^ Ministries of Sri Lanka Government , Government of Sri Lanka[dead link]

34. ̂a b "Colombo Economy" . Retrieved 29 December 2012.35. ^ "Central Bank of Sri Lanka" CBSL. 10 July 2011 [2] .36. ^ "Executive Summary The Colombo Metropolitan (CM) area" . Ministry of Defence & Urban Development. Retrieved 29

December 2012.37. ^ "World Airline Directory." Also ranked of the best land in the world of WWNEconomy Flight International. 14–20 March 1990

"Airlift International" 57 .38. ^ Organizational Structure , Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka39. ^ The drama behind the arrest of Sepala Eknayake, by Edward Gunawardena Retd. Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police .

Island.lk. Retrieved on 2011-10-17.40. ^ Major Conventional Terrorist Incidents 1980s to 2000 [dead link]

41. ^ Travel Warning, United States Department of State [dead link]

42. ^ Jane's Sentinel examines the success of the LTTE in resisting the Sri Lankan forces [dead link]

43. ^ President orders SB`s release , LankaNewspapers.com, February 16, 200644. ^ "Colombo" . http://lanka-houses.com . Retrieved 29 December 2012.45. ^ "Sri Lanka: Omanthai railway station opened today after 21 years" . Asian Tribune. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 29 December

2012.46. ^ Lanka Business Online. "Light Rail" . Retrieved 2007-03-21.47. ^ Lanka Business Online. "Light Rail Study Group" . Retrieved 2007-03-21.48. ^ "A Speedy and safe journey to Galle" . Dailynews.lk. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2013-01-01.49. ^ Gamini Gunaratna, Sri Lanka News Paper by LankaPage.com (LLC)- Latest Hot News from Sri Lanka (2011-11-07). "Nearly half

of the work completed on outer circular highway around Sri Lankan capital" . Colombopage.com. Retrieved 2013-01-01.50. ^ Tuticorin-Colombo ferry sets sail – Times Of India . Timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2011-06-14). Retrieved on 2011-10-17.51. ^ Galle Face, Hotel. "Princess Alexandra's Visit" . Retrieved 2007-02-23.52. ^ Historical Overview of Education in Sri Lanka, The British Period: (1796–1948) [dead link]

53. ̂a b Harsha, Aturupane; Paul Glewwe; Wisniewski Suzanne (July 2007). "The Impact of School Quality, Socio-Economic Factorsand Child Health on Students’ Academic Performance: Evidence from Sri Lankan Primary Schools" (PDF). Colombo: WorldBank. Retrieved 2007-07-27.

54. ^ Harsha, Aturupane; Paul Glewwe; Wisniewski Suzanne (February 2005). "Treasures of the Education System in Sri Lanka:Restoring Performance, Expanding Opportunities and Enhancing Prospects" (PDF). World Bank Report (Colombo: WorldBank). ISBN 978-955-8908-14-3. Retrieved 2007-07-27.

55. ^ History of the University of Colombo [dead link]

56. ̂a b c d Colombo Fort . Kermeey.blogspot.com (2006-02-19). Retrieved on 2011-10-17.57. ̂a b c d "Tintagel, Colombo" . Reddottours.com. 2010-01-07. Retrieved 2013-01-01.58. ^ Dutch Colonial Remains . Colonialvoyage.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-17.59. ^ Our History, University of Colombo [dead link]

60. ̂a b Venerable Mahinda. "Significance of Vesak" . www.buddhanet.net. Retrieved 2007-02-19.61. ^ Alwis, Harsha. "Nelum Pokuna Performing Arts Theatre Opens Today" . DM Graphics Desk. Retrieved 2011-12-15.62. ^ "Nelum Pokuna" . Daily Mirror. 2011-12-15. Retrieved 2011-12-15.63. ^ Prins, Stephen. "A National Treasure" . Retrieved 2010-05-17.64. ̂a b "History of Colombo National Museum" . Retrieved 2007-02-02.

Further reading [edit]

The following books contain major components on Colombo:

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Changing Face of Colombo (1501–1972): Covering the Portuguese, Dutch andBritish Periods, by R.L. Brohier, 1984 (Lake House, Colombo)The Port of Colombo 1860–1939, K. Dharmasena, 1980 (Lake House, Colombo)Decolonizing Ceylon: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Politics of Space in SriLanka, by Nihal Perera, 1999 (Oxford University Press)

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