6°55N 79°52E, pop (2000e) 689 000. Chief city and seaport of Sri Lanka; on the W coast, S of the R Kelani; outer suburb, Sri-Jayawardenapura, the official capital since 1983; settled by the Portuguese in 1517 and by the Dutch in 1656; under British control, 1796; large artificial harbour; British defence base, 19425; location of the 1950 Commonwealth Conference which established the Colombo Plan; road and rail centre; university (1972); oil refining, iron and steel, trade in tea, rubber, cocoa, spices; national museum, Independence Hall, many Hindu shrines and Moorish mosques.
| 'Colombo' | |||
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| Map of Colombo with its administrative districts | |||
| Coordinates: 6°54′0″N, 79°50′0″W | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Colombo Division, Colombo District | ||
| Mayor | Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 14.4 mi²/ 37.31 km² | ||
| - Land | / km² | ||
| - Water | / km² | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2001) | 377,396 (Colombo metropolitan area 2001 census) | ||
| - Density | 3,305/km² | ||
| - Metro | 2,234,289 (Colombo District) | ||
| Time zone | Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30) | ||
| Website: http://www.cmc.lk/ | |||
Colombo (කොළඹ in Sinhala; கொழும்பு in Tamil) is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, located on the southwest coast adjacent to the present administrative capital of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
History
Since Colombo was a natural harbour, it was known to Romans, Arabs, and Chinese traders from more than 2,000 years ago . Arabian Muslims whose prime interests were trade, settled in Colombo in the 8th century mostly because the port helped their business and controlled much of the trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world.. Today's Colombo is a busy vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial ruins. On their first visit they made a treaty with the king of Kandy enabling them to trade in the islands crop of cinnamon, which lay along the coastal areas including Colombo. This part of Colombo is still known as Fort and houses the presidential palace and the majority of Colombo's five star hotels.
Dutch Era
The Dutch captured the city in 1656 after an epic siege, at the end of which a mere 93 Portuguese survivors were given safe conduct out of the fort.
British era
The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802.
Historically, Colombo referred to the area around the Fort and Pettah Market which is famous for the variety of products available as well as the Khan Clock Tower, a local landmark. At present, it refers to the city limits of the Colombo Municipal Council. More often, the name is used for the Conurbation known as Greater Colombo, which encompasses several Municipal councils. Colombo lost its status as the capital of Sri Lanka in the 1980s, but continues to be the island's commercial center. Despite the official capital of Sri Lanka moving to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (sometimes referred to as the administrative capital), most countries maintain their diplomatic missions in Colombo.
Economic history
In the past the city has included cinnamon and coconut cultivation, but mostly throughout the history the city has been a port city.
Colombo has a history of boom and bust, or at least boom and quiescence.
Geography and climate
Geography
Colombo's geography is a mix of hilly, flat and marshy land. The city has many canals and the Beira Lake in the heart of the city. North and the North-East borders of the city flows the Kelani river, the river meets the sea in part of the city known as the Modera in Sinhala which literally means Delta.
Demographics
Colombo is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. Colombo is the most populated city in Sri Lanka.
| Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lankan Moors | 120,109 | 31.83 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 117,510 | 31.14 |
| Sinhalese | 117,090 | 31.03 |
| Indian Tamils | 7,946 | 2.11 |
| Malays | 8,680 | 2.30 |
| Burghers | 3,380 | 0.90 |
| Sri Lankan Chetty | 479 | 0.13 |
| Bharatha | 138 | 0.04 |
| Other | 2,064 | 0.55 |
| Total | 377,396 | 100 |
Source: Census 2001
Note: The totals are calculated through enumerations made from Colombo DS and Thimbirigasyaya DS, also part of Colombo Municipal Council.
Government and politics
Colombo is a charter city, with a Mayor Council form of government, most of its satellite cities are with urban councils. Colombo's mayor and the council members are elected through local government elections held once in five years.
The city government provides sewer, road management and waste management services, in case of water, electricity and telephone utility services the council liases with the water supply and draineage board, the Ceylon electricity board and telephone service providers.
As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistrate court and the district court handles felony crimes — the Municipal Council deals with parking tickets, traffic infractions, and misdemeanors.
Official Vision and mission
Vision
“Colombo being a model city in Asia, a caring organization looking after interests of citizens and users with an efficient quality service for creation of safe, healthy and wealthy life.”
Mission
“Organization achieving excellence in providing citizen centered services to the public / customer, optimizing the use of available resources through a competent, motivated and dedicated team.”
Economy
The great majority of Sri Lankan corporations have their head offices in Colombo.
The Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR) encompasses the country's administrative capital Kotte and Colombo.
Education
Colombo is home to some of the island's top schools and universities. One of the most popular of Colombo's schools is Royal College, which is also one of the oldest educational institutions in the country with a history of more than 170 years, Ananda College, with the largest Buddhist student population, and Zahira College, with the largest Muslim student population, and Colombo Hindu College with the largest Hindu student populationare also located in Colombo.
The University of Colombo, the only university in the city, has courses in many disciplines such as Arts, Science, Medicine, Law, Management and Computer Science.
Culture
Landmarks
The two World Trade Center towers have become the most recognized landmarks of the city in recent years.
Even before the parliament was built some claim that the Jami Ul Alfar mosque was recognized as the landmark of Colombo by sailors approaching the port.
The Galle Face Green is the city's largest and most elegant promenade.
Cannons used during wartime in the colonial era are still laid out for observance and prestige at the Green, giving a colonial touch to the city.
Annual cultural events and fairs
Colombo's most beautiful festival is the celebration of Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Death all falling on the same day.
Performing arts
Colombo has several performing arts centers which are popular for their musical and theatrical performances.
Museums and art collections
The National Museum of Colombo, situated in the Cinnamon Gardens area, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city.
Nightlife
The city has comparatively more nightlife than other cities in Sri Lanka, boasting numerous casinos, bars, nightclubs and pubs. This, as well as several bombings or attempted bombings in Colombo, has led to a greater military presence in the city.
Media
Almost all major media businesses in Sri Lanka operate from Colombo. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as Radio Ceylon, is also situated in Colombo.
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