Located near the southern-most tip of the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka is an island nation, formerly known as Ceylon during British colonial rule. After gaining independence in 1948, Sri Lanka became a republic but underwent a traumatic civil war for 26 years, ending in 2009.
The island is home to several cultures, with the majority of the population identifying as Sinhalese, followed by a large Tamil minority. The climate is tropical and warm, and has one of the highest biodiversity densities in the world. With numerous native species of flora and wildlife, Sri Lanka is home to several national parks, attracting many tourists.
Its economy has historically been plantation-based with production of items such as tea, rubber, coffee, and sugar dominating, but has also seen rapid industrialization with forays into food processing, textiles, telecom and finance.