Colombo
6°54′N 79°50′E / 6.900°N 79.833°E
Colombo | |
|---|---|
 Map of Colombo with its administrative districts | |
| District | Colombo Division, Colombo District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Independent Group) |
| Population (2001) | |
• City | 647,100 ( 2,001 census ) |
| • Metro | 2,234,289 (Colombo metropolitan area) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+6 |
| Website | http://www.cmc.lk/ |
Colombo (කොළඹ in Sinhala; கொழும்பு in Tamil) is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, located on the southwest coast adjacent to the present administrative capital of Kotte. The name Colombo is apparently derived from Sinhala name Kola-amba-thota which means "harbour with leafy mango trees". Traveller Ibn Batuta in the 14th Century referred to it as Kalanpu.
History
Colombo was known to Roman, Arabs, and Chinese traders more than 2,000 years ago. Muslims settled in Colombo in the 8th century mostly because of the port that helped their business and controlled much of the trade between the Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world.
Portuguese Era
The Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. They expelled the Muslim inhabitants and built a fort there to protect their spice trade. The land between the fortress and the interior was unoccupied and covered with trees. The Portuguese were compelled to reinforce the garrison to resist attacks by the indigenous leaders Mayadunne, Vidiya Bandara and Rajasinghe I. This part of Colombo is still known as Fort and houses the presidential palace and the majority of Colombo's five star hotels. The area immediately outside Fort is known as pettah(or "pita kotuwa" in Singhalese which means outer fort) it is the commercial hub of Sri Lanka.
Dutch Era
The Dutch captured the city in 1656 after an epic siege, at the end of which a mere 93 Portuguese survivors were given safe conduct out of the fort. It served as the capital of the maritime provinces under the control of the Dutch East India Company until 1796.
British Era
The British made the city the capital of their crown colony of Ceylon in 1802. And the Englishmen were responsible for much of the planning of the present city. In some parts of the city one could still see the Tramcar tracks and the granite flooring laid during the era.
After Independence
This era of western domination ended peacefully in 1948 Ceylon gained independence from Britain. However, foreign occupation had a tremendous impact on the city's inhabitants and the country at large. Changes in laws and customs, clothing styles, religions and proper names were a significant result of the colonial era, followed by the strengthening of the island's economy. An entire new culture took root. Even today, the influence of the Portuguese, Dutch and British is clearly visible in Colombo’s architecture, names, clothing, food, language and attitudes. Buildings from all three regimes stand in their glory as reminders. The city and its people show an interesting mix of European clothing and lifestyles together with local customs. The city is by far more modern than most others in neighbouring countries and continues to be a blossoming metropolis of the East. Its growth and prosperity has been hampered only by the effects of the protracted conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels in the northeast, which has produced economic effects throughout the island.
Historically, Colombo referred to the area around the Fort and Pettah. At present, it refers to the city limits of the Colombo Municipal Council. More often, the name is used for the Conurbation known as Greater Colombo, which encompasses several Municipal councils. It may also refer to the Colombo District.
Colombo lost its status as the capital of Sri Lanka in the 1980s, but continues to be the island's commercial center. Despite the official capital of Sri Lanka moving to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (sometimes referred to as the administrative capital), most countries maintain their diplomatic missions in Colombo.
Economic History
In the past the city has had Cinnamon, and Coconut cultivations, but mostly throughout the history the city has been a port city. Colombo port is one of the busiest ports in Asia.
Colombo has a history of boom and bust, or at least boom and quiescence. Colombo has been sent into precipitous decline by the aftermaths of bomb blasts by the Tamil Tiger rebels. In the present time the city is mostly a company town and center of supplies for the rest of the island.
Geography and climate
Geography
Colombo's geography is a mix of hilly, flat and marshy land. The north and the south parts of the city are hilly and the east, and south east areas are bordered by marshy land. The city has many canals and the Beira Lake in the heart of the city. North and the North-East borders of the city flows the Kelani river, the river meets the sea in part of the city known as the Modera in Sinhala which literally means Delta.
Climate
Colombo’s climate is fairly temperate all throughout the year. During the month of April the temperature averages around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). The only major change in the Colombo weather occurs during the monsoons from May to August and October to January, this is the time of year where heavy rains can be expected. Even though during the day time no severe drop in temperature takes place the nights could be very chilly closer to the coast.
Demographics
Colombo is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. The population of Colombo is a mix of Sinhalese, Moors and Tamils. There are small communities of people with Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Malay and Indian origins living here. Colombo is the most populated city in the country. According to the census of 2001 the demographics by ethnicity is as follows.
| Ethnicity | Population | % Of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sinhalese | 265,657 | 41.36 |
| Sri Lankan Tamils | 185,672 | 28.91 |
| Indian Tamils | 13,968 | 2.17 |
| Sri Lankan Moors | 153,299 | 23.87 |
| Burghers | 5,273 | 0.82 |
| Malays | 11,149 | 1.73 |
| Sri Lankan Chetty | 740 | 0.11 |
| Bharatha | 471 | 0.07 |
| Other | 5,934 | 0.96 |
| Total | 642,163 | 100 |
Source: Colombo Municipal Council 2001
Government and politics
Colombo is a charter city, with a Mayor Council form of government, most of its satelelite cities are with urban councils. Colombo's mayor and the council members are elected through local government elections held once in five years. For the past 50 years the city had been ruled by the United National Party.
The city government provides sewer, road management and waste management services, in case of water, electricity and telephone utility services the council liases with the water supply and draineage board, the Ceylon electricity board and telephone service providers.
As with most Sri Lankan cities, the magistrate court and the district court handles felony crimes — the Municipal Council deals with parking tickets, traffic infractions, and misdemeanors. Colombo houses the countrys largest jail known as the Magazine Prison. And headquarters of the Police, Army, Navy, Air Force and many other judicial offices including the Supreme Court are in Colombo. The law enforcement agencies also liase with the municipal council but are managed by the ministry of interior and ministry of justice of the central government.
Official Vision and mission
Vision
“Colombo being a model city in Asia, a caring organization looking after interests of citizens and users with an efficient quality service for creation of safe, healthy and wealthy life”
Mission
“Organization achieving excellence in providing citizen centered services to the public / customer, optimizing the use of available resources through a competent, motivated and dedicated team”
Sister cities
Colombo is internationally partnered with Leeds, England, as a sister city to promote global cooperation, cultural exchange and economic collaboration.
Economy
The great majority of Sri Lankan corporations have their head offices in Colombo. Some of the industries include chemicals, textiles, glass, cement, leather goods, furniture, and jewelry. In the city centre is located South Asia's second tallest building - The World Trade Centre. The 40 storeyed Twin Tower complex is the centre of important commerial establishments, situated in the Fort district, the city's nerve centre. Right outside the Fort area is pettah which is derived from the Sinhala word pita which means out or outside as it is outside the Fort.
Pettah is more corwded than the fort area. Its a place you can buy almost any thing you want, Pettah's roads are always packed and pavements are full of small stalls selling from delicious Sherbats to Shirts. The main street is mostly clothes shops and the cross roads known as first cross street, second cross street upto fifth cross street each street has a specific business. For example first cross street, is mainly for electronics, second cross street is for cellular phones and fancy goods. Most of these businesses in Pettah are dominated by Muslim traders. At the end of the main street further away from Fort is the sea street Sri Lanka's Gold market, this mile long street is full of jewelry shops.
The Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR) encompasses the country's administrative capital Kotte and Colombo. Found within the borders of the CMR is 80% of the country’s industrialisation and over 60% of all vehicles plying Sri Lankan roads.
Education
Colombo is home to some of the islands top schools and a university. Education is free in Sri Lanka and 10 years of schooling is compulsory for everyone. Ananda College with the largest buddhist student population and Zahira College with the largest Muslim student population are located in Colombo. Zahira is also the oldest Muslim educational institution in the country. The most popular of Colombo's school is Royal College, it is also one of the oldest educational institutions in the country which has a history of more than 100 years. Most of the schools in the city are managed by the provincial council and the prominent schools with many facilities that fall under the national schools scheme are managed by the central government.
University of Colombo, the only university in the city which has courses in many deciplines such as Arts,Science, Medicine, Law, Management and Computer Science. The universities school of computing is famous for its contributions to the Apache web server software project.
Culture
Landmarks
The two World Trade Center towers have become the most recognized landmarks of the city in the reasont years. Before these towers were completed in 1995, the adjacent Bank of Ceylon tower was the tallest structure and the most prominent landmark of the city. In the past before these skyscrapers were built it was the Old Parliament building that stood majesticly in the fort district.
Even before the parliament was built some claim that the Jami Ul Alfar mosque was recognized as the landmark of Colombo by the Sailors approaching the port. The mosque is still one of the most visited tourist sites in Colombo.
The fort district also has the famous Cargills & Millers complex that is protected by a special government law from demolition. This is done mainly to preserve the historic beauty of the fort area.
The Galle Face Green is the city's largest and most elegant promenade. Lined with palm trees and adjacent to the coast, much like a tropical version of Hollywood Boulevard, this mile-long stretch in the heart of the city is a constant beehive of activity. The green brightens up especially on Fridays and Saturdays with the night dwellers. In the evenings it plays home to families and children playing sports and flying kites, embracing lovers and health enthusiasts taking their daily evening walks. There are numerous small food stalls and a small stretch of beach to get wet. The green was recently given a make over and since then has been even more popular with the local community. The Green also frequently hosts numerous international and local concerts and performances, such as the recently concluded World Drum Festival.
Cannons used during Colonial war times are still laid out for observance and prestige at the Green, giving the colonial touch to the city which blends with the west and the east comfortably. The famous colonial styled Galle Face Hotel, known as Asia's Emerald on the Green since 1864, is also adjacent to Galle Face. The Hotel has played host to distinguished guests including the British Royal Family and other Royal Guests and Celebrities. Apparently after having stayed at the hotel, Princess Alexandra of Denmark had commented that "the peacefulness and generosity encountered at the Galle Face Hotel cannot be matched". Around the corner from Galle Face are prominent coffee bars, chic bars and boutiques.
Annual cultural events and fairs
Colombo's most beautiful festival is the celebration of Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Death all falling on the same day. In Sinhala this is known as Vesak. During this festival, The whole city is decorated with lanterns, lights and special displays of light. The festival falls in mid May and lasts a week when many Sri Lankans visit the city to see the lantern competitions and decorations. During this week people distribute, Rice, Drinks and various other food items for free in places what is known as Dunsal (read as Done + Sul) which means charity place. These Dunsals are popular amongst the visitors from the suburbs.
Performing arts
Colombo has several performing arts centers and are popular for their eastern musical performances. The most famous performing arts centers are Elphinstone and the Tower Hall, both has a very rich history.
Museums and art collections
The National Museum of Colombo situated in the Cinnamon Gardens area is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. The museum houses the jewelries and thrown of the last king of the country Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe who was captured and executed by the English in 1815. Colombo does not boast a very big art gallery like other major cities in the world, the only small collection of Sri Lankan master pieces is at the Art Gallery at Green Path.
Other attractions
The city is famed for its nightlife and has often been referred to as the "Las Vegas of South Asia", offering numerous casinos, bars, night clubs and pubs. In Sri Lanka, unlike its neighbours, alcohol flows freely, except on full moon Poya Days when sales are prohibited. Recently, the city has emerged as a preferred night life and entertainment destination among close Asian markets. The cessation of hostilities between the Government and Tamil Tiger rebels in 2002 has resulted in an entertainment boom in the city and greater economic growth. However, in the aftermath of 2005 Presidential change, a low intensity war commenced between GOSL and LTTE centred around north and east province. In the border of the Colombo district is Sri Lankas first water park at Avissawella some 22 kilometers from the heart of the city.
Sports
Undoubtedly the most favourite game of the Sri Lankans, Cricket is widely played in schools and clubs in Colombo, its commonly played in the streets during holidays when all playgrounds are occupied by thousands of wannabe cricketers. Colombo is also home for the two of countries world famous international cricket stadiums, the Sinhalese Sports Club and Premadasa International Stadium.
Media
Almost all major media businesses operate from Colombo. The state media has its offices in the famous bullers road. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as Radio Ceylon, is also situated in Colombo. The SLBC is the oldest radio station in South Asia.
References
See also
External links
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