Sri LankaSri Lan·ka (sr? läng?k?, shr?) Formerly Cey·lon (s?-l?n?, s?-) An island country in the Indian Ocean off southeast India. Inhabited originally by the Vedda, the island was later invaded by the Sinhalese (6th century bc) and the Tamil (10th century ad). The island’s lucrative spice trade was controlled from the 12th century onward by the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch, and British. Ceylon became a British colony in 1802 and achieved independence in 1948. In 1972 the island was declared a republic, adopting the Sinhalese name of Sri Lanka. A civil war between the government and Tamil separatists began in 1983 and ended in 2009 with the defeat of the Tamil army. Colombo is the capital and the largest city.Sri Lan?kan adj. & n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Sri Lanka (?sri? ?læ?k?) n (Placename) a republic in S Asia, occupying the island of Ceylon: settled by the Sinhalese from S India in about 550 bc; became a British colony 1802; gained independence in 1948, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth in 1972. Exports include tea, cocoa, cinnamon, and copra. Official languages: Sinhalese and Tamil; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Hinayana Buddhist majority. Currency: Sri Lanka rupee. Capital: Colombo (administrative), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative). Parts of the coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop: 21 675 648 (2013 est). Area: 65 610 sq km (25 332 sq miles). Official name (since 1978): Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Former name (until 1972): Ceylon Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014Sri Lan?ka (?sri ?l?? k?, ?læ? k?, ??ri) n. an island republic in the Indian Ocean, S of India: a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 19,144,875; 25,332 sq. mi. (65,609 sq. km). Cap.: Colombo. Formerly, Ceylon. Sri` Lan?kan, adj., n. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.