Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is also the commercial capital of the country. The name Colombo is derived from Sinhala name ‘Kola-amba-thota’ which means, "harbour with leafy mango trees". The Portuguese reached the city in the 16th century and built a fort after driving out its Muslim inhabitants. In 1656, Dutch captured the city and it was made the capital of the Maritime Provinces. In 1802, British turned Colombo into the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon.

The city developed much and area known as pettah became the commercial hub of Sri Lanka. All this collapsed when the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeast began in the country affecting its entire economic strength. In 1980s, the city lost its status as the capital of Sri Lanka and Sri Jayawardenepura has been awarded with this status. Still, it is the hub of all major offices of the country. It is a charter city, with a Mayor Council form of government.

Area & Location: Located on the southwest coast adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo is situated at 6º54′0″ Latitude North and 79º50′0″ Longitude West. It occupies a total area of 642 sq. km. The Beira Lake flows through the heart of the city. The city is home to 377,396 of its residents, which include Sinhalese, Moors and Tamilians. It is the most populated city in the country.

Tourist Attractions: The city, which has many museums and art collections, is a popular tourist destination.

Transportation: Bandaranaike International Airport is the main airport in Sri Lanka that provides access to the city from other parts of the world. It operates all major international flights and its own airlines, the Sri Lankan Airlines. Sri Lanka Railways operates the major rail network of the country. The city is the hub of transport. The port at Colombo handles the trade. Many roads, highways and express highways link the city with other regions.

Hotels: As the commercial capital, the city is often visited by various business people. The city hotels provide the customers with refurbished rooms and superb service, which can be considered the unique feature of the Colombo hotels. The hotels also have conference halls for business meetings. Hilton Colombo, Global Towers Hotel, Galle Face Hotel, Cinnamon Grand, Holiday Inn Colombo, Continental Hoteland Taj Airport Garden Hotel are the quality hotels in the city. Besides this, the city has many bars, clubs and casinos where night parties are arranged.

Places of Attraction: The city, which was under the control of Protuguese and British has many relics that reminds the presence of the foreigners in the city. The two World trade Center Towers are the major landmarks of the city. The mosque is one of most visited tourist place in the city. Galle Face Green -the largest promenade with greenish plants is an amazing sight. The National Museum of Colombo preserves the artifacts of the city. Tourists often visit Elphinstone and the Tower Hall, which have rich historical backgrounds. The historical Cargills & Millers building is another interesting site in the city.

COUNTRY	Sri Lanka
LOCATION	Located on the southwest coast adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES	Latitude 6º54′0″ N, Longitude 79º50′0″ W
AREA	37.31 sq. km
POPULATION	642,163 (2001)