Discover-SriLanka

DISCOVER - SRI LANKA: PROLOGUE

IN PRAISE OF MY BEAUTIFUL ISLAND,

INFORMATION, PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO.

THE 13th CENTURY VENETIAN TRAVELER MARCO POLO DESCRIBED THE ISLAND AS 'THE JADE PENDANT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN'. THE ABUNDANCE OF GEMSTONES, SPICES, RAIN FORESTS AND WILDLIFE; THE MAGNIFICENT BEACHES, ANCIENT RUINS AND A WRITTEN HISTORY OF OVER 2500 YEARS MAKE THIS ISLAND A TOURISTS' PARADISE.

THE RUINED CITIES OF ANURADHAPURA AND POLONNARUWA ILLUSTRATE THE GLORY OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOMS. THE GIGANTIC STUPAS AND BUDDHA STATUES ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST MAN MADE STRUCTURES OF THE WORLD. THE MASSIVE RESERVOIRS, BUILT BY ANCIENT KINGS TO IRRIGATE THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, ARE MARVELS OF HYDRO ENGINEERING. THERE ARE EIGHT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI LANKA

THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN TO THE GREEKS AS 'TAPROBANE' AND TO THE ARABS AS 'SERENDIB'. EARLY MERCHANTS VISITED THE ISLAND IN SEARCH OF GEMSTONES AND SPICES, MAINLY CINNAMON AND PEPPER. COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS WERE STARTED BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS. CEYLON TEA IS FAMOUS THE WORLD OVER.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IS A MAJOR MONEY SPINNER FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. THE VAST EXPANSE OF BEACHES, RAIN FORESTS AND NATIONAL PARKS WITH HERDS OF WILD ELEPHANTS, THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS WITH LITHE WATER FALLS, BRING IN THE TOURISTS. THE ISLAND IS DOTTED WITH HUNDREDS OF HOTELS TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAVELER. AN ISLAND OF 25,000 SQ; MILES HAS 103 RIVERS AND 25000 RESERVOIRS, MOSTLY MAN MADE. WITH VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS THIS IS TRULY A 'SMALL MIRACLE'.

" THE ISLAND OF SRI LANKA IS A SMALL UNIVERSE, IT CONTAINS AS MANY VARIATIONS OF CULTURE, SCENERY AND CLIMATE AS SOME COUNTRIES A DOZEN TIMES ITS SIZE........I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY COUNTRY WHICH SCORES SO HIGHLY IN ALL DEPARTMENTS - WHICH HAVE SO MANY ADVANTAGES AND SO FEW DISADVANTAGES. LOVELY BEACHES, BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES, IMPRESSIVE RUINS, A VIBRANT CULTURE AND CHARMING PEOPLE- NO WONDER SRI LANKA IS A SMALL MIRACLE ".***** Arthur C. Clark *****

20 January, 2011

SRI LANKA - PERADENIYA BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya is a major
tourist attraction in the Kandy regeion

Pics : NELSONLANKA
Sony DSC H 7

17 January, 2011

SRI LANKA - ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE [ THE REAL ORPHANS ]

Animals too were affected by terrorism that lasted for nearly

3o years. This young elephant lost its right foot in a land mine

explosion and has ended up at the Pinnawela elephant orph-

anage to spend the rest of his life. An attempt at fixing an

artificial foot made of leather failed to the dismay of everyone

concerned. The arched back is the result of constant limping in

trying to walk on three legs and as time goes by walking will

become more gruesome.

Pics : Nelsonlanka

Sony DSC H 7

13 January, 2011

SRI LANKA - HISTORICAL MAP OF CEYLON 1623

Map of the island Sri Lanka,. “Ceilan insula.”

Beautiful old-colouring, Latin edition, Amsterdam, 1623

[Published in: "Atlas sive Cosmographicae meditiones de Farbrica Mundi..."]
copper engraving

Cartographers
Gerard Mercator (1512-1594) was a Flemish cartographer. He was born in

Rupelmonde in East Flanders in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation

to parents from Gangelt in the Duchy of Jülich (modern Germany). Since 1552 he

lived in Duisburg. He is remembered for the Mercator.Jodocus Hondius

(* 1563; † 1612) was a Flemish artist, engraver, and cartographer.

Description
This is a very beautiful, old-coloured and heightended in gold copper engraving

map out of a Latin edition of the “Atlas sive Cosmographicae…” from

Mercator-Hondius.
This interesting map shows the island Sri Lanka, former also Ceylon.

Early Map of Ceylon, Ceilan c.1623

INS. CEILAN QUAE INCOLIS TENARISIN DICTUR. An early engraved map of the

the country orientated with east at the top. Embellished with three

decorative cartouches. Animals on the land area.

Source : Historical Images of Ceylon [ Sri Lanka ]
http://lankapura.com/2008/08/map-ceylon-ceilan-1630/

SRI LANKA - ELEPHANTS

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), often called the Indian elephant

is known, after the African elephant is the second largest land animal on earth and along the African elephant and the forest elephant , the only other living species of elephants . In contrast to its African cousin, he is easily tamable and became an animal of production.

[ hide ]

Source : Wikipedia the free encyclopedia.

Pics : Nelsonlanka - Sony DSC H 7

09 January, 2011

SRI LANKA - GEOGRAPHY

Sri Lanka is an Island Nation in the Indian Ocean, located in Southern Asia,
southeast of India, in a strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes.
It has a total area of 65,610 km², with 64,740 km² of land and 870 km² of
water. Its coastline is 1,340 km long. Sri Lanka's climate includes tropical
monsoons: the northeast monsoon (December to March), and the southwest
monsoon (June to October). Its terrain is mostly low, flat to rolling plain, with
mountains in the south-central interior. The highest point is Pidurutalagala at
2,524.13 m. Natural resources include limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower.

Source : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

06 January, 2011

SRI LANKA - MAMMALS

Sri Lanka is home to roughly 91 species of mammals, 41 of which are
threatened (9 critically). 16 of the species are endemic, of which 14 are
threatened,^[2] including the large Sloth Bear, the endemic Sri Lanka Leopard
and Sri Lankan Elephant and the Sambar. Bats have the highest amount of
species (out of 11 mammalian orders), with 30 different species. Sri Lanka's
surrounding waters are home to 26 species of Cetaceans.

Source : Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
.