Sri Lanka
Subject
Subject Source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
Scope Note: Comprises island of the same name and small islets. Settled by proto-Australoid peoples from southern Asia; Indo-Europeans immigrated here in the 5th century BCE, developed into Sinhalese; was Buddhist center by 3rd century BCE; invasions by Hindu Tamils from India 1st-12th century; visited by Arabs in the 12th century, by Europeans in the 16th century; official languages are Sinhalese and Tamil, though English is also used.