Sri Lanka - Culture

Culture

Main article: Culture of Sri Lanka

The culture of Sri Lanka dates back over 2500 years. It is influenced primarily by Buddhism and Hinduism. According to Islamic folklore, Adam and Eve were offered refuge on the island as solace for their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The island is the home to two main traditional cultures: the Sinhalese (centred in the ancient cities of Kandy and Anuradhapura) and the Tamil (centred in the city of Jaffna). In more recent times, the British colonial culture has also influenced the locals. Sri Lanka claims a democratic tradition matched by few other developing countries.

The first Tamil immigration was probably around the 3rd century BC. Tamils co-existed with the Sinhalese people since then, and the early mixing rendered the two ethnic groups almost physically indistinct. Ancient Sri Lanka is marked for its genius in hydraulic engineering and architecture. The rich cultural traditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the country's long life expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate.

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Famous quotes containing the word culture:

    “If you’re anxious for to shine in the high esthetic line as a man
    of culture rare,
    You must get up all the germs of the transcendental terms, and plant
    them everywhere.
    You must lie upon the daisies and discourse in novel phrases of your
    complicated state of mind,
    The meaning doesn’t matter if it’s only idle chatter of a
    transcendental kind.”
    —Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)

    “I’ve finally figured out why soap operas are, and logically should be, so popular with generations of housebound women. They are the only place in our culture where grown-up men take seriously all the things that grown-up women have to deal with all day long.”
    —Gloria Steinem (b. 1934)

    “When women finally get liberated, they’ll do the same that men do—dog eat dog— that’s what our culture is.... Not cooperation but assassination. Women will cooperate until they attain certain goals. Then one will begin to destroy the other.”
    —Alice Neel (1900–1984)