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Introduction to Sri Lanka

Author : Gilad James, PhD

Publisher : Gilad James Mystery School

Page : 66 pages

File Size : 50,59 MB

Release :

Category : Travel

ISBN : 3454028264

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Book Description

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean. The country has a rich cultural heritage that spans over 2,000 years, having been influenced by South Indian, Buddhist, and European cultures. Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage site is a popular tourist destination featuring a 200-meter high rock fortress, frescoes, and gardens in the central part of the island. Along with the historical sites, the island nation is also well-known for its beaches, wildlife, culinary delights, and tea plantations. The country has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, which was the second capital of Sri Lanka during the 11th and 13th centuries. Sri Lanka has evolved from its past as a newly independent state to a modern, globalized economy. Over the past few decades, major industries such as information technology, tourism, and textiles have all contributed to the country's growth. Additionally, Sri Lanka is also known for its high-quality tea production, which is exported internationally. While there are still some concerns regarding human rights and corruption, the country is making strides to address these issues and attract more foreign investment. Despite its size, Sri Lanka has a rich history, vibrant culture, and interesting geography, making it an increasingly popular destination for travelers around the world.



The Political Economy of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka

Author : Nikolaos Biziouras

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 241 pages

File Size : 11,16 MB

Release : 2014-03-26

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 1317805534

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Book Description

At the point of independence in 1948, Sri Lanka was projected to be a success story in the developing world. However, in July 1983 a violent ethnic conflict which pitted the Sinhalese against the Tamils began, and did not come to an end until 2009. This conflict led to nearly 50,000 combatant deaths and approximately 40,000 civilian deaths, as well as almost 1 million internally-displaced refugees and to the permanent migration abroad of nearly 130,000 civilians. With a focus on Sri Lanka, this book explores the political economy of ethnic conflict, and examines how rival political leaders are able to convince their ethnic group members to follow them into violent conflict. Specifically, it looks at how political leaders can influence and utilize changes in the level of economic liberalization in order to mobilize members of a certain ethnic group, and in the case of Sri Lanka, shows how ethnic mobilization drives can turn violent when minority ethnic groups are economically marginalized by the decisions that the majority ethnic group leaders make in order to stay in power. Taking a political economy approach to the conflict in Sri Lanka, this book is unique in its historical analysis and provides a longitudinal view of the evolution of both Tamil and Sinhalese ethnic drives. As such, this interdisciplinary study will be of interest to policy makers as well as academics in the field of South Asian studies, political science, sociology, development studies, political economy and security studies.



Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka

Author : Jonathan Goodhand

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 257 pages

File Size : 21,18 MB

Release : 2010-12-14

Category : History

ISBN : 1136876278

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Book Description

The period between 2001 and 2006 saw the rise and fall of an internationally supported effort to bring a protracted violent conflict in Sri Lanka to a peaceful resolution. A ceasefire agreement, signed in February 2002, was followed by six rounds of peace talks, but growing political violence, disagreements over core issues and a fragmentation of the constituencies of the key parties led to an eventual breakdown. In the wake of the failed peace process a new government pursued a highly effective ‘war for peace’ leading to the military defeat of the LTTE on the battlefields of the north east in May 2009. This book brings together a unique range of perspectives on this problematic and ultimately unsuccessful peace process. The contributions are based upon extensive field research and written by leading Sri Lankan and international researchers and practitioners. The framework of ‘liberal peacebuilding’ provides an analytical starting point for exploring the complex and unpredictable interactions between international and domestic players during the war-peace-war period. The lessons drawn from the Sri Lankan case have important implications in the context of wider debates on the ‘liberal peace’ and post conflict peacebuilding – particularly as these debates have largely been shaped by the ‘high profile’ cases such as Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. This book is of interest not only to Sri Lanka specialists but also to the wider policy/practitioner audience, and is a useful contribution to South Asian studies.



Everyday Ethnicity in Sri Lanka

Author : Daniel Bass

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 250 pages

File Size : 37,71 MB

Release : 2013

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 0415526248

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Book Description

Focusing on notions of diaspora, identity and agency, this book examines ethnicity in war-torn Sri Lanka. It highlights the historical development and negotiation of a new identification of Up-country Tamil amidst Sri Lanka's violent ethnic politics. Over the past thirty years, Up-country (Indian) Tamils generally have tried to secure their vision of living within a multi-ethnic Sri Lanka, not within Tamil Eelam, the separatist dream that ended with the civil war in 2009. Exploring Sri Lanka within the deep history of colonial-era South Asian plantation diasporas, the book argues Up-country Tamils form a "diaspora next-door" to their ancestral homeland. It moves beyond simplistic Sinhala-Tamil binaries and shows how Sri Lanka's ethnic troubles actually have more in common with similar battles that diasporic Indians have faced in Fiji and Trinidad than with Hindu-Muslim communalism in neighbouring India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Shedding new light on issues of agency, citizenship, displacement and re-placement within the formation of diasporic communities and identities, this book demonstrates the ways that culture workers, including politicians, trade union leaders, academics and NGO workers, have facilitated the development of a new identity as Up-country Tamil. It is of interest to academics working in the fields of modern South Asia, diaspora, violence, post-conflict nations, religion and ethnicity.



The Intra-Group Dimensions of Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka

Author : Kenneth Bush

Publisher : Springer

Page : 283 pages

File Size : 46,51 MB

Release : 2003-12-09

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 0230597823

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Book Description

Through an examination of the critical junctures in post-colonial Sri Lanka, Kenneth D. Bush refines and advances our understanding of the dynamics underpinning violent and non-violent 'ethnic' conflict. The book enables us to understand how the ebb and flow of relations within ethnic groups affects relations between groups, for good or for ill.



DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Sri Lanka

Author : DK

Publisher : Penguin

Page : 290 pages

File Size : 21,95 MB

Release : 2014-09-01

Category : Travel

ISBN : 146543271X

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Book Description

A new first-edition DK Eyewitness Travel Guide A wealth of history, culture, and natural beauty awaits in Sri Lanka, an island nation located just off India's southern coast. This new first-edition DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Sri Lanka delivers the full DK Eyewitness Travel Guides treatment--including the famous cutaway illustrations of major architectural and historic sights, museum floor plans, and maps. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Sri Lanka includes everything a traveler needs to know to experience the best Sri Lanka has to offer. Photography, illustrations, and maps show the sights of Sri Lanka in full color throughout, while themed itineraries help travelers plan trips by length of stay and by interest. Hotels and restaurant listings include DK Choice special recommendations and an array of options for all budget levels. The guidebook is organized with maps and historical overviews for each region, and neighborhood walking maps include restaurant locations by area, as well as key sights not to miss. Expert travel writers explain the stories the behind the sights and include overviews of the nation's history and culture so you always discover more about the places you visit. From spectacular national parks to manicured tea plantations, beautiful beaches, and the bustling capital city of Colombo, this country offers vacation options for all types of travelers. And, with hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Sri Lanka truly shows you this destination as no one else can.



Agricultural Research for Sustainable Food Systems in Sri Lanka

Author : Buddhi Marambe

Publisher : Springer Nature

Page : 401 pages

File Size : 11,60 MB

Release : 2020-03-30

Category : Technology & Engineering

ISBN : 9811521522

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Book Description

A food system comprises the entire range of actors and interlinked activities related to food production, processing, distribution, marketing and trade, preparation, consumption, and disposal. When a food system operates without compromising the needs of future generations, it is considered to be a “Sustainable Food System.” The present-day food systems in Sri Lanka are diverse, and the natural and physical environment, infrastructure, institutions, society and culture, and policies and regulations within which the food systems operate, as well as the technologies employed, have shaped their outcomes. Agricultural research is a key factor in terms of innovation and technological advances. Innovation has been the main driver of food systems’ transformation over the past few decades and will be critical to addressing the needs of a rapidly growing population in a context of climate change and scarcity of natural resources. In addition, agricultural research must help meet the rising demand for food at affordable prices. Comprising 17 chapters written by specialist(s) in their respective subject-areas, this Contributed Volume on “Agricultural Research for Sustainable Food Systems in Sri Lanka: A Historical Perspective” shares the scientific knowledge accumulated by the National Agricultural Research System of Sri Lanka, including universities, and offers recommendations on how to make food systems more sustainable in order to address the current needs of Sri Lankan society. It presents perspectives on four key thematic areas, namely: (i) Crop and animal production, management, and improvement, (ii) Agro-product processing technologies, (iii) Natural resource management, and (iv) Socio-economic development and agri-business management.



Biodiversity Hotspot of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

Author : T. Pullaiah

Publisher : CRC Press

Page : 652 pages

File Size : 10,34 MB

Release : 2024-02-20

Category : Science

ISBN : 100090704X

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Book Description

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the first volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that were designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure. This first volume in the series focuses on the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, construed as forming a community of species because of their shared biogeographical history. The volume explores the diversity and conservation efforts of the extraordinarily rich species found here, including plants, many of which are found nowhere else in the world; forests, which face tremendous population pressure and have been dramatically impacted by demands for timber and agricultural land; as well as the hotspot’s diverse mammals, birds, insects, and amphibian species, and more. The volumes in this series will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution.



Creating Peace in Sri Lanka

Author : Robert I. Rotberg

Publisher : Brookings Institution Press

Page : 229 pages

File Size : 39,3 MB

Release : 2010-12-01

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 0815713495

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Book Description

Sri Lanka, one of the most promising states in Asia following independence in 1948, has been torn apart for the past fifteen years by a vicious civil war. The majority Sinhala and minority Tamils have killed each other with increasing ferocity. The Tamils, who are primarily Hindu, fear losing their identity and being overwhelmed by the majority, who are Buddhist. The Sinhala, in turn, fear that the Tamils, with the backing of their ethnic kin in the Indian province of Tamil Nadu, will destabilize and take over control of the Sri Lankan government. Colonial-era rivalries and deep-rooted distrust fuel the tensions. What will bring about an end to this destructive conflict, and how will the island nation heal its physical and psychic wounds following a peace? How will a sustainable peace be arranged? Can mediation help? This book of essays by Sri Lankan and Western authors examines the causes of war and the possibilities for peace. Contributors are Chandra R. de Silva, Old Dominion University; Rohan Edrisinha, University of Colombo; Saman Kelegama, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka; David Little, United States Institute of Peace; Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake, Columbia University; Teresita C. Schaffer, former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka; David Scott, Johns Hopkins University; Donald R. Snodgrass, Harvard Institute for International Development; Jayadeva Uyangoda, Sri Lanka Foundation; William Weisberg and Donna Hicks, Harvard University. A World Peace Foundation Book



Sri Lanka at the Crossroads of History

Author : Zoltán Biedermann

Publisher : UCL Press

Page : 357 pages

File Size : 35,29 MB

Release : 2017-06-07

Category : History

ISBN : 1911307827

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Book Description

The peoples of Sri Lanka have participated in far-flung trading networks, religious formations, and Asian and European empires for millennia. This interdisciplinary volume sets out to draw Sri Lanka into the field of Asian and Global History by showing how the latest wave of scholarship has explored the island as a ‘crossroads’, a place defined by its openness to movement across the Indian Ocean.Experts in the history, archaeology, literature and art of the island from c.500 BCE to c.1850 CE use Lankan material to explore a number of pressing scholarly debates. They address these matters from their varied disciplinary perspectives and diverse array of sources, critically assessing concepts such as ethnicity, cosmopolitanism and localisation, and elucidating the subtle ways in which the foreign may be resisted and embraced at the same time. The individual chapters, and the volume as a whole, are a welcome addition to the history and historiography of Sri Lanka, as well as studies of the Indian Ocean region, kingship, colonialism, imperialism, and early modernity.