Colors and the Meaning of the Sri Lanka Flag
The Sri Lanka flag consists of a yellow/orange background and is divided into two parts. On the left side, there are two strips of orange and green, on the right side, there is a symbol of a walking lion holding a sword in a red colored rectangular base with four pupil leaves on each corner. In these two different parts, two frames are formed by limiting it with the basic color of the flag.
The green ribbon represents minority Muslims of Sri Lanka, and the orange ribbon represents the minority Hindu Tamils. The yellow color represents the standards required for Buddhism and long life. The Golden Lion is a very ancient symbol representing humanity. The leaves of the Pupil tree are Buddhist symbols and come from a tree that turns Gautama into Buddha.
History of the Sri Lanka Flag
In 1412, the Kotte Kingdom ruled most of Sri Lanka. The flag used in this period is among the most ornate flags of history. The flag with white background has a frame with blue and red leaves at the edges. In the middle of the flag is the lion holding the whip in his hand.
The Kingdom of Kandy was founded in 1469 and gently took control of the central and eastern part of Sri Lanka. The flag used in this period was the royal flag. This royal flag was a flag with a red backdrop and surrounded by yellow circles. In the middle of the flag was a yellow lion holding a sword.
This flag is part of the current Sri Lanka flag. In 1551, the Sitawaka Kingdom was formed by the division of the Kotte Kingdom. The flag of this kingdom was made of white ground. There is a thin black frame at the edges of the flag and red leaves at the corners. There is a red elephant in the middle of the flag.
The Kingdom of Sitawaka took over the island in 1567 and fierce battles took place against the Portuguese in 1594, who had conquered Sitawaka. The flag used during the Portuguese period was white, and in the middle of the flag was the coat of arms of Portugal. Starting in 1640, the Dutch East India Company began managing most of today’s Sri Lanka. Red-white-blue horizontal Dutch flag was accepted with OVC letter in the center.
In 1802 the region became a British colony and the United Kingdom Flag was used in the region. Except for the United Kingdom Flag, in 1815, a flag with the coat of arms of Union Jack and Sri Lanka was accepted.
When the country gained its independence in 1948, it accepted its own flag. This flag was a version of the Kingdom of Kandy flag that began to be used in 1469. In the new flag, the proportions of the flag and the darkness of the colors have been changed. In 1951, green and orange vertical stripes were added to the flag, and the leaves were slightly more spear-shaped. With the last change made in 1972, the leaves were transformed into a more leaf shape than the spear shape. This flag continues to fluctuate in Sri Lanka since 1972.
Neighboring Countries of Sri Lanka
It is located in South Asia, south of India. It is an island country in the Indian Ocean.
Main Characteristics of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is an island country that impresses tourists with its unspoiled nature and enormous historical sites. It is known as ’the pearl of the Indian Ocean‘. The commercial capital of the country is Colombo and the administrative capital is Kotte. There are two official languages: Ceylon and Tamil. Sri Lanka rupees are used as currency.
It has a warm and humid climate. The average temperature in low regions is 28 degrees. Humidity rate up to 90% at night. In high regions, the average temperature is 16 degrees. March and April are the hottest periods. They were influenced by Indian, Chinese and Malay cuisine. They use plenty of spices in their meals. Rice and curry are among the basic foods. Due to the climate, many fruits are grown in the country.
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Code | LK (LKA) |
| Calling Code | 94 |
| Capital City | Colombo |
| Currency | sri lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Emoji Symbol | 🇱🇰 |
| Highest Point | Pidurutalagala (2,524 m) |
| Internet TLD | .lk |
| Population(2017) | 20,913,238 |
| Total Area | 65,610 km2 |