Introduction
For many years Colombo was the only capital of the island nation of Sri Lanka. The title is now shared between Colombo and the nearby city of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. Colombo is still Sri Lanka's business center and leading port. It is situated on the west coast of the island, just south of the Kelani River.
Places of interest
The oldest districts of the city are known as the Fort and the Pettah. The site of the fort that once guarded the harbor is now a center of government and business activity. The Pettah is a bustling marketplace.
Reflecting Colombo's diverse population and its colonial history are its many houses of worship, including Buddhist and Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, and Christian churches. The Wolvendahl Church was built by the Dutch in 1749. The largest of the churches is St. Lucia's Roman Catholic cathedral. Higher education is the task of the University of Colombo, which opened in 1921.
Colombo has a large number of parks, sports fields, and beaches. The National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka is located at Dehiwala, to the south.
Economy
Services are important to the economy, because Colombo is the commercial centre of Sri Lanka. The offices of local and foreign banks and government corporations are all located in the city. Factories around the edge of the city assemble cars and process foods, drinks, and tobacco.
Spices such as cinnamon were the first products that were exported through Colombo. Now the harbor has been enlarged into a modern port, where tea, coconuts, and textiles are loaded aboard ships. Railways connect Colombo with other major cities on the island. An international airport is nearby.
History
Colombo was a major port in ancient times. It was a central shipping point for spices that were traded from Southeast Asia to the west. The name of the city probably comes from a word meaning “port” or “ferry” in the language of the Sinhalese people who have lived on the island for more than 2,000 years. In the 8th century AD, Arab traders settled near the place where the city now stands. The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. They were followed by the Dutch and then by the British.
In 1815 the British assumed control over the entire island. Colombo was their capital. Colombo remained the capital when Sri Lanka gained its independence in 1948. In the late 1970s the government decided to transfer some departments to the nearby suburb of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. Colombo remained the capital of the administration while the courts and legislature moved. Population (2001 estimate), 642,000.
