Colombo

Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka by population. It is the country's main place for business and money matters, and it also serves as the country's executive and judicial capital. Many people live in the Colombo area, with about 5.6 million people in the bigger surrounding region and around 752,993 people living within the city itself.

The city sits on the west coast of the island and is also the main place for tourists to visit. It became important when the British Empire took control of the island in 1815, and it stayed that way even after Sri Lanka became independent in 1948. Later, in 1978, some government jobs moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, but Colombo remained the main commercial capital.

Etymology

The name 'Colombo' was first used by Portuguese explorers in 1505. It is thought to come from the old Sinhala words for a port on the Kelani River.

Some believe the name comes from words meaning a harbour with green mango trees. An old book from the 13th century mentions a word for a fort or harbour that might also be the source of Colombo's name.

History

Traveller Ibn Battuta visited the island in the 14th century and called it Kalanpu. Arabs began settling in Colombo around the eighth century because the port helped trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and other parts of the world.

Portuguese explorers arrived in 1505 and made a treaty with the King of Kotte, allowing them to trade cinnamon and set up a trading post in Colombo. They later built a fort there.

The Dutch took over Colombo in 1656 after a long siege. They controlled the area until the British arrived in 1796.

The British made Colombo the capital of British Ceylon in 1815. They built houses and civilian structures, creating the city as we know it today. The British also set up a Municipal Council in 1865 to help locals learn self-governance.

When Ceylon gained independence from Britain in 1948, Colombo began to change. New cultures, laws, and customs grew, mixing European and local traditions. Even today, we can see the influence of the Portuguese, Dutch, and British in Colombo's architecture and way of life.

Although Sri Jayawardanapura became the official capital in the 1980s, Colombo remains the island's commercial center, and many countries keep their diplomatic missions there.

Portuguese era

Dutch era

British era

After independence

Geography

The city of Colombo has both land and water. It has many canals and a big lake called the Beira Lake. This lake has been important for a long time and is still a popular spot for special events. The Kelani River forms part of the city's border and flows into the sea near a place called Modera.

Colombo has a tropical rainforest climate, which means it stays hot all year. The temperature can reach around 31 °C in the warmer months. The city gets a lot of rain during the monsoon seasons, which happen from April to June and again from September to November. Even though it rains a lot, the temperature doesn't change much between day and night, except in the cooler months when it can drop to around 22 °C at night. On average, Colombo gets about 2,500 millimetres of rain each year.

Attractions

Galle Face Green is a popular spot in the city, located along the Indian Ocean coast. It is enjoyed by both tourists and locals. The Galle Face Hotel is a historic building on the southern edge of this area.

Gangaramaya Temple is one of the most important temples in Colombo. Its design shows a mix of styles from Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and China.

The Viharamahadevi Park, once called Victoria Park, is the oldest and largest park in Colombo. It is next to the National Museum of Colombo and the Town Hall, and features a large Buddha statue.

Thanks to efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka, many old sites and buildings have been updated. These now serve as modern public spaces and shopping areas. Examples include Independence Memorial Hall Square, Pettah Floating Market, and Old Dutch Hospital.

Demographics

Colombo is a city where many different kinds of people live together. The main groups of people are Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, and Sri Lankan Moors, with smaller groups from Chinese, Portuguese Burgher, Dutch Burgher, Malay, and Indian backgrounds. There are also many people from Europe living there.

Colombo is the biggest city in Sri Lanka, with over 640,000 people living inside the city. Long ago, in 1866, the city had only about 80,000 people. The people of Colombo follow many different religions, including Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity.

Government and politics

Colombo is a city with a mayor and a council. The mayor and council members are chosen by people living in the city every five years. For many years, a party called the United National Party helped lead the city. But in 2006, a different group won the election, and Uvais Mohamed Imitiyas became the mayor.

The city government takes care of important services like cleaning streets and managing sewers. For things like water and electricity, the city works with national boards and companies.

Colombo used to be the main capital of the whole island for many years, starting from when different countries controlled the area. In the 1980s, plans began to move the capital to another place called Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Some important buildings, like the Parliament, were moved there, but many government offices are still in Colombo today.

Suburbs and postal codes

City limits

Colombo is split into 15 numbered areas to help with mail and city management. These areas are called Colombo 1 to Colombo 15, and each one covers a different part of the city. Each area often has its own special character and purpose. For example, Colombo 1, known as "Fort," is where many businesses are located, and Colombo 7 is where the city's important offices are found.

Economy

Many big businesses in Sri Lanka have their main offices in Colombo. Some of these companies include Aitken Spence, Ceylinco Corporation, John Keells Holdings, Cargills, and others. The city has many types of industries such as chemicals, textiles, glass, cement, leather goods, furniture, and jewellery. In the middle of the city is the World Trade Centre. The tall Twin Tower building is where many important businesses are located, in an area called Fort, which is the heart of the city. Just outside Fort is a busy area called Pettah, which means "outside" in the Sinhala language.

The area around Colombo has a big effect on Sri Lanka's economy. It helps create a lot of jobs and money for the country. This area is very important for trading and making things. Many goods made in Sri Lanka start their journey from here.

The Western province, where Colombo is located, helps a lot with the country's money and jobs, even though it is a small part of Sri Lanka. The government wants to make Colombo even better and more modern so it can grow and help the country more. There are some problems that need to be fixed to make this happen.

Pettah is very busy and full of people. The streets are always busy, and the sidewalks have many small shops selling all sorts of things, from drinks like sharbat to shirts. Main Street has many clothes shops, and at the crossroads, called Cross-Streets, each street sells something different. For example, one street sells electronic items, and another sells cellular phones. Most of these shops are run by Muslim traders. At the end of Main Street is Sea Street, which is known for jewellery and is especially important for Tamil businesses. This street is full of jewellery shops and was once the main office of SriLankan Airlines.

Law enforcement and crime

The Sri Lanka Police is the main law enforcement agency in Colombo and works with the city's leaders. It is controlled by the Ministry of Defence. The police in Colombo and nearby areas are led by a high-ranking officer called the Deputy Inspector General of Police.

Like many big cities, Colombo has some problems with street crime and bribery. Sadly, during the years from the 1980s to 2009, the city faced several big attacks by a group known as the LTTE. Welikada Prison is a large, very secure prison located in Colombo.

Infrastructure

Colombo is a modern city with many good facilities. It has reliable electricity, clean water, good transportation, and bright street lights. The city also has many fancy hotels, clubs, and restaurants. Recently, many tall buildings have been built because land is very expensive.

The Colombo Harbour is the biggest and busiest port in Sri Lanka. It was created a long time ago during the time when other countries controlled Sri Lanka. Today, the Sri Lanka Navy has a base there called SLNS Rangalla.

The Port of Colombo handles lots of ships every year, making it one of the busiest ports in the world. It is also part of an important sea route that connects China to Europe.

Transport

Bus

Colombo has many buses for public transport, run by both private companies and the government’s Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). The main bus stops are in an area called Pettah.

Rail

Main article: Sri Lanka Railways

Train travel in the city can be crowded because most trains go to places outside the city. Important places for buses and trains are the Central Bus Stand and Fort Railway Station. In the past, Colombo had trams, but they stopped running in the 1970s. Today, people also use three-wheeled vehicles called “three-wheelers” and taxis. Three-wheelers are usually small motorcycles with a sidecar, and taxis are cars with meters to show the fare.

• Main Line – Colombo Fort to Veyangoda; onwards to Kandy, Badulla, Matale, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Kankesanturai. Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Talaimannar (presently just Madhu Road).
• Coastal Line – Colombo to Panadura; onwards to Galle, Matara and Beliaththa.
• Puttalam Line – Colombo to Ja-Ela; onwards to Negombo and Puttalam.
• Kelani Valley Line – Colombo to Avissawella.

Roads

After a big war ended, many new roads were built in Colombo. One major road is the Southern Expressway, which goes from a southern area of Colombo called Kottawa to a city called Matara. Other important roads include the Colombo–Katunayake Expressway, which connects Colombo to the airport, and the Arthur C. Clarke Expressway.

• A1 highway connects Colombo with Kandy.
• A2 highway connects Colombo with Galle and Matara
• A3 highway connects Colombo with Negombo and Puttalam
• A4 highway connects Colombo with Ratnapura and Batticaloa

Ferry

There is a ferry service from Colombo to Tuticorin, India. This service started again after many years.

Air

Ratmalana Airport is near Colombo, about 15 kilometers from the city center. It opened in 1935 and was the first international airport in Sri Lanka. Now, it mainly handles flights within the country, training for pilots, and some special international flights.

Landmarks

Two tall towers called the World Trade Centre used to be the most famous buildings in Colombo. Before them, the Bank of Ceylon tower was the tallest. Even earlier, the Old Parliament Building and the Old Colombo Lighthouse were important landmarks.

Other famous places include St. Paul’s Church in Milagiriya, one of the oldest churches in Sri Lanka. There are also old cannons from the old fort, and the fancy Galle Face Hotel, which has hosted important guests like members of the British royal family. Nearby is the Ceylon Inter-Continental Hotel.

Education

See also: Education in Sri Lanka

Colombo is home to many important schools, some of which have been around since the 1800s when they were started during British rule. These schools include Royal College Colombo, Bishop's College, Wesley College Colombo, Ananda College, Nalanda College, Zahira College, St. Benedict's College, Colombo, and St. Joseph's College. Some schools have religious connections, but this does not change what students learn. Other schools like Mahanama College, D. S. Senanayake College, and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya were started after Sri Lanka gained independence. Colombo also has many international schools that opened more recently.

The city also has a long history of higher education. Schools like the Colombo Medical School and the Colombo Law College were established in the late 1800s. The University of Colombo and the University of the Visual & Performing Arts are important state universities today. The Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology also has a campus in the city centre, along with several private colleges.

Architecture

Colombo has many different types of buildings that show styles from many years ago. You can see buildings from the time when Portuguese, Dutch, and British people lived there, along with buildings made in Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Indian, and modern styles. The Fort area is a great place to see this mix. There are very tall, new buildings next to old ones that are more than 300 years old.

The Portuguese were the first to build a small fort in Colombo. Later, the Dutch made it bigger and stronger. The British took it over in the late 1700s and began tearing down parts of the fort to help the city grow. Today, nothing of the old fort walls remains, but the area is still called Fort. Just outside this area is a place called Pettah, Sri Lanka, which means “outer fort” in the local language.

Culture

Annual cultural events and fairs

Colombo is famous for its festivals. The biggest one is Vesak, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha on the same day. This happens in mid-May and lasts a week. The city is filled with colorful lanterns and lights. People also give away food and drinks as a kind act during this time.

Other important festivals in Colombo include Eid Ul Fitr and Eid Ul Adha, which are celebrated by the Muslim community. Christmas is also widely enjoyed, with streets and buildings decorated from December. The Sinhalese and Hindu new year, called Aluth Awurudda, is celebrated on April 13th and 14th with many traditions.

Performing arts

Colombo has many places to enjoy music and theater. The Lionel Wendt Theatre, Elphinstone, and Tower Hall are popular for shows in a Western style. The Navarangahala is the first national theater built for local Asian performances. The Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, opened in 2011, is shaped like a lotus pond and is a famous spot for shows.

Museums and art collections

The National Museum of Colombo was founded in 1877 and is located in Cinnamon Gardens. It holds important items like the crown jewels and throne of the last king of Kandy. There is also the Colombo Dutch Museum, which shows the history of Dutch rule in the country. A small art gallery and a natural history museum can also be found in the city.

Sports

Cricket is a very popular sport in Colombo. The city is home to several famous cricket stadiums, including the Singhalese Sports Club's Cricket Stadium and R. Premadasa Stadium. Colombo also has stadiums for athletics, swimming, and football, and it hosted the South Asian Games in 1991 and 2006. The city has a golf club, one of the oldest in Asia, and clubs for swimming, rowing, and yachting. Rugby and football are also played by local teams. There are plans to build a new track for Formula One racing near the Colombo Harbour. The Colombo Marathon is an international race that started in 1998.

Media

See also: Television in Sri Lanka

Most of Sri Lanka's major media companies are based in Colombo. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), once known as Radio Ceylon, is the oldest radio station in South Asia. Many private radio stations also operate in the area. Television broadcasting is handled by the Rupavahini Corporation and several private networks, offering programs in Sinhala, Tamil, and English.

Twin towns and sister cities

Notable people

See Category:People from Colombo

Many famous people come from Colombo, but this section only lists a category for them.