SummarY

summary of my country

opulation: 21,324,791 (July 2009 estimate)
Capital: Colombo
Legislative Capital: Sri Jayawardanapura-Kotte
Area: 25,332 square miles (65,610 sq km)
Coastline: 833 miles (1,340 km)
Highest Point: Mount Pidurutalagala at 8,281 feet (2,524 m)

Sri Lanka (map) is a large island nation located off of India's southeast coast. Until 1972, it was formally known as Ceylon but today it is officially called the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The country has a long history filled with instability and conflict between ethnic groups. Recently though, relative stability has been restored and Sri Lanka's economy is growing.

National Flag

Description of the Flag
Red(dish) rectangular panel bordered yellow containing a yellow lion passant holding a sword upright and four pipul leaves, one in each corner, and next to the hoist two vertical stripes, green and orange, also bordered yellow together. (This flag just does not permit a simple description. I'm sure there must be an official description from legislation in English which would be nice inclusion.)

The lion is heavily based on the Corel Clipart of the national coat of arms (where the lion is the central device). Otherwise the flag dimensions etc. are based on Album des Pavillons (2000) (where all images are "shorter" than designated in writing; I followed text). Colours are also based on the Album's Pantone approximations: dark red 184c, red 206c, orange 151c, yellow 116c, green 356c. If I am not much mistaken, the dark red above is used in the national flag while red (which is still different from the standard red) is used in the naval rank flags. The construction details are given in Album des Pavillons, measuring the rectangular panels and yellow borders, hoistwise to lengthwise (2+21+2):(2+8+8+2+28+2)From

"Specifications for the National Flag of Sri Lanka":

Christopher Southworth was in possession of the official dimensions of this flag from "Specifications for the National Flag of Sri Lanka" issued by the Sri Lanka Standards institution, Colombo,1985. He had obtained this information via the late William G. Crampton, whose name will be familiar to a very great many Vexillological enthusiasts. I altered my original drawing to suit the figures that Chris gave to me, and must say that the first thing about them I did not like were the overall proportion: 75x150.1! As we can see, the Lion is a great deal bigger than the version illustrated in Album des Pavillons 2000, and the width of the vertical yellow borders is slightly thinner than the width of the 2 horizontal ones. An ugly state of affairs indeed, in my opinion.

It is not entirely impossible that these specifications have been revised since 1985, but for posterity, here is my version based on the official figures given at that time, and maintaining the same RGB values as shown above.

History

DK Pocket Book (1997) shows the flag of Kandy, a.k.a. the Lion flag, "which was used as the national flag of Ceylon prior to 1815 when it became a British colony". It is the right part of the current Sri Lankan flag, but there are no leaves in the corners, but "finials derived from the spire on top of a Buddhist temple".

The necessity of a National Flag was discussed even before Sri Lanka gained independence on February 4th, 1948. Mr. A. Sinnalebbe, MP for Batticaloa tabled a motion in the State Council on January 16th, 1948 suggesting that the Lion Flag of King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe which was taken to Britain in 1815 should be made the National Flag. This was debated and later Prime Minister Rt. Hon. D.S. Senanayake named an Advisory Committee for the formulation of a National Flag. The Members of the Committee were Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike (Chairmen), Sir John Kotalawela, Mr. J.R. Jayewardene, Mr. T.B. Jayah, Dr. L.A. Rajapakse, Mr. G.G. Ponnambalam and Senator S. Nadesan, and Dr. Senarath Paranavithana (Secretary).

Although a Committee for the formulation of a national flag was appointed no finality had been reached when the first Independence Day was celebrated on February 4th, 1948. However the Lion Flag fluttered on that day. The Lion Flag and the British Union Jack fluttered on the occasion of the opening of the first Parliament of independent Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) on February 11th, 1948. Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake unfurled the Lion Flag at the Octagon (Pattirippuwa) during the Independence celebrations held in Kandy on February 12th, 1948.
Collected from http://www.lk/national_flag.html by Dov Gutterman, 8 January 1999.

I have seen two different versions of the flag adopted in February 1948. One is a yellow lion holding a sword in the right hand facing the hoist on a dark red background with four yellow silhouettes of a Buddhist pagoda in four corners with a yellow border and a black thin border inside. The other was exactly the same without the black thin border.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 May 2000

From Flags by Carol P. Shaw, Running Press Gem, 1994:

The design of this flag has evolved gradually in an attempt to achieve national unity since the country, then known as Ceylon, gained its independence from Britain in 1948. Originally, the flag's central emblem was a gold lion and sword on a red field, derived from the flag of the Sinhalese kingdom of Kandy. As a consequence, it was not popular with the minority groups in the country, and so was amended in 1951 to include a green and orange band, to represent the Muslim and Tamil communities respectively. Finally, when the country adopted the local name of Sri Lanka in 1972, the flag was modified once more, with four leaves of the pipul tree, a Buddhist symbol, added to the four corners of the dark red panel. This version of the flag was in official use from 1978.

In 1972 the leaves replaced "finials" that were previously located in the corners. In 1978 the leaves were made more "natural".

Nick Artimovich, 2 October 1996

The National Flag recommended by the special committee was presented to Parliament by Mr. D.S. Senanayake on March 2nd, 1951 and adopted. It had two strips, one green and the other yellow. Each of these strips had to be equal to one seventh the size of the flag.

When Sri Lanka was first made a Republic in 1972 the stylized Bo Leaves depicted in the National Flag were changed to resemble natural Bo leaves. The amended flag was first unfurled at the Republic Day celebrations held on May 22nd, 1972. The National Flag is incorporated in Section 6 Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka of September 09th, 1978.

Except for the new Bo leaves the present flag is the same flag recommended by the National Flag Formulation Committee on March 2nd, 1951.

The Kandy kingdom flag officially hoisted on 4th February 1948 had sinhalese pines in the four corners. On 22nd May 1972 the sinhalese pines were changed to leaves of bo or pipul. On 7th September the was a very small change in the leaves that is very difficult to perceive and a change in the background colour shade

>Wether and Climate

Climate of Sri Lanka, Best in the world and an ideal holiday destination for you!

Sri Lanka is neither too hot nor too cold. There is warmth throughout the year. Temperature is almost the same all the year round; diurnal differences in temperature is very low, less that 5 degrees F. No seasonal changes as regards climate of Sri Lanka is isle as in the west. Average temperature is 80 o F in the lowlands and gradually decreasing while proceeding to the interior highlands but the highest point in Sri Lanka is 8292’, so you see, Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for a tourist.

Sri Lanka lies in the tropical zone roughly between 5o N and 10o N latitudes, almost within the belt of calms or Doldrums, which gets conventional rains throughout the year. Though anyone can expect a high temperature according to their circumstances, several factors contribute to an advantageous influence on the climate.

Firstly, this is an small island surrounded by the vast Indian ocean, lying off the tip of the South Indian Peninsula. Secondly, the maximum length and breadth of this being 432 and 224 kms respectively allowing the on-coming sea breeze blowing during the day time spread throughout the island having a favourable effect on this temperature especially in the lowlands and a soothing effect on man, and the average temperature varies 80 degrees F to 84 degrees – 85 degrees F or s degrees F – to 00 degrees F later being the average temperature of the famous town Nuwara Eliya in the Hills.
Visit world famous Garden City of Asia, Nuwara Eliya you will find best climate of Sri Lanka

Though Sri Lanka is always warm and bright and sunny, air is always humid. Percentage of humidity in the air is higher in the wet South West rather than in the eastern dry zone depending on the rains. Towns such as Bandarawela and Badulla are regarded as better health wise, being in the east of the hill country which get less rain and subsequently air is much less humid. So you must spend your hoilday in Bandarawela or Badulla when you visit Sri lanka to experience the best climate of Sri lanka .

Though Ceylon lies within the Rest of Calm, it is also within the area of Indian monsoonal system. Thus the monsoons are really a strong factor modifying the climate of the isle during certain periods of the year. South West monsoons blowing over vast ocean brining with it vast amount of moisture – laden winds, meeting the central hill country drops the moisture on the south west hills and plains, these being on the windward side and passes over the east as a not dry wind, it being the leeward side. This hot dry wind known as kaccan coming down the eastern slopes of the hill country passes at a considerable speed making a loud hooting noise.

In Sinhala hoot is called huva and the people believe that the term huva derived from the word huva (huva >uva). You could hear this noise vibrating through the night in case you spend a night at a town like Bandarawela during the South West monsoonal rains.

Thus the South West of Sri Lanka gets more rain from the South West monsoons from May to July and at the end of the year South East monsoon winds and depressions forming in the bay of Bengal being rains to the East.

Driest part of the island lying to the North West and South West is called the Arid zone. Parts of some wild life sanctuaries as Yala, Bundala, Wilpattu, are lying in these zones provide sufficient water for the flora and fauna in the area unless there is a severe drought, which occurs in a while.

Favourite climate conditions prevalent in Sri Lank, warmth all the year round, temperature conditions in the central hills all encourage the tourist to plan holiday at any time of the year.