From time immemorial the island has been subjected to many different influences, both occidental and oriental. Consequently this small island state contains an exotic mixture of languages, cultures and religions. The few thousand Veddhas who live in remote jungle areas are the descendants of the original inhabitants. The majority of the population are descendants of the Aryan tribes that came from North India over 2'000 years ago. Sub-sequent Dravidian invasions and Arab migrations have created a wonderful cosmopolitan society.

The island has been known by a variety of names, a list which is as varied as its his-torical influences. More than 2000 years ago the famous Indian epic "Ramayana" told of misdeedsof the wicked king of Lanka. The Dravids called the isle Ilankai; to the old Greeks and the Romans it was known as Taprobane; the Arabic merchants called it Serendib; the Portuguese Ceiloa; the Dutch changed the name into Ceylan, and the British to Ceylon.The Republic of Sri Lanka was born in 1972, the prefix "Sri" is Sanskrit in origin and means resplendent.

In 1867 the first tea plants arrived from India, and prospered extremely well in the highlands. As a result the more resistant tea bushes replaced the susceptible coffee cultures. For more than a century tea became the most important export product. Ceylon Tea is today well known by tea-connoisseurs and tea-lovers, and in 1972 this persuaded the government, to retain the brand name "Ceylon Tea" and not to market it as "Sri Lanka Tea".

Singhalese or Tamil is only spoken in Sri Lankans but born after independence who only speak English and not Singalese or Tamil.

As Sri Lanka is situated between six and ten degrees north of the equator, the average temperature is quite high. The average medium temperature fluctuates between 27° and 29° C. As the island is not very wide, the sea-winds can exert a moderating influence. The central mountain region has naturally lower temperatures. The mercury drops ½° C. for every 100 m. The mountain resort town of Nuwara Eliya situated at about 2000 m experiences frost on some nights in December and January and the annual average temperature is below 20° C. In general the relative humidity fluctuates in between 70% for the day and 90% at night.

The Sri Lanka Rupee (SLRs) is devided into 100 cents. Coins are minted into domination of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents and 1, 2, 5 and 10 rupees. There are notes of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees. 100 rupees are equal to about US $ 1.25.