Everything about Colombo totally explained
Colombo (
Sinhala:, ;
Tamil: கொழும்பு) is the largest city and commercial capital of
Sri Lanka. Located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the administrative capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins and a city population of over 600,000. It has also been suggested that the name may be derived from the Sinhalese name
Kola-amba-thota which means "Harbor with leafy mango trees".
Due to its large
natural harbour and its strategic position along the
East-West sea
trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. However it was only made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the
British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became
independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.
Like many cities, Colombo's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single local authority, encompassing other
Municipal and Urban Councils. The main city is home to a majority of the Sri Lanka's corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues. Arabian
Muslims whose prime interests were trade, began to settle in Colombo around the 8th century CE mostly because the port helped their business and controlled much of the trade between the
Sinhalese kingdoms and the outside world. They now comprise the local
Sri Lankan Moor community.
The Portuguese Era
Portuguese explorers led by Don
Lourenço de Almeida first arrived in Sri Lanka in 1505. During their initial visit they made a treaty with the King of Kotte Parakramabahu VIII (1484-1508) enabling them to trade in the islands' crop of cinnamon, which lay along the coastal areas of the island, including in Colombo.
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 (Sinhala
piṭa koṭuva, "outer fort") and is a commercial hub.
The Dutch Era
In 1638 the
Dutch signed a treaty with King Rajasinha II of Kandy which assured the king assistance in his war against the Portuguese in exchange for a monopoly of the island's major trade goods. The Portuguese resisted the Dutch and the Kandyans, but were gradually defeated in their strongholds beginning in 1639.
The British era
Although the
British captured Colombo in 1796, it remained a
British military outpost until the Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to them in 1815 and they made Colombo the capital of their newly created
crown colony of
Ceylon. Unlike the Portuguese and Dutch before them, whose primary use of Colombo was as a military fort, the British began constructing houses and other civilian structures around the fort, giving rise to the current City of Colombo.
Post Independence
This era of colonialism ended peacefully in 1948 when Ceylon gained independence from Britain. Due to the tremendous impact this caused on the city's inhabitants and on the country as a whole, the changes that resulted at the end of the colonial period were drastic. An entire new culture took root. Changes in laws and customs, clothing styles, religions and
proper names were a significant result of the colonial era.
Geography and climate
Colombo's geography is a mix of land and water. The city has many canals and, in the heart of the city, the 65 hectare
Beira Lake. The lake is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Colombo, and was used for centuries by colonists to defend the city. and
theatrical events on its shores. The Northern and North-Eastern border of the city of Colombo is formed by the
Kelani River, which meets the sea in a part of the city known as the Modera (
mōdara in Sinhala) which means
river delta.
Colombo’s climate is fairly temperate all throughout the year. From March to April the temperature averages around 31 degrees Celsius (88
degrees Fahrenheit) maximum. The only major change in the Colombo weather occurs during the
monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January. This is the time of year where heavy rains can be expected. Colombo sees little relative diurnal range of temperature, although this is more marked in the drier winter months, where minimum temperatures average 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit). Rainfall in the city averages around 2,400 mm a year.
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
Avg Temp °C
(°F) | 27
(81) |
27
(82) |
28
(83) |
28
(84) |
28
(84) |
28
(83) |
28
(83) |
28
(83) |
28
(83) |
27
(82) |
27
(81) |
27
(81) |
27
(82)
|
| Precipitation cm | 8 |
6 |
11 |
25 |
33 |
19 |
12 |
9 |
15 |
35 |
30 |
15 |
223
|
Demographics
Colombo is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. The population of Colombo is a mix of numerous ethnic groups, mainly
Sinhalese,
Sri Lankan Moors and
Tamils. There are also small communities of people with
Chinese,
Portuguese,
Dutch,
Malay and
Indian origins living in the city, as well as numerous
European
expatriates. Colombo is the most populated city in Sri Lanka, with 642,163 people living within the city limits.
Government and politics
Colombo is a
charter city, with a
Mayor Council form of government. 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 (UNP), a
right leaning party, whose business friendly policies resonate with the population of Colombo. However the UNP nomination list for the 2006 Municipal elections was rejected, and an Independent Group supported by the UNP won the elections.
Uvais Mohamed Imitiyas was subsequently appointed Mayor of Colombo.
The city government provides sewer, road management and waste management services, in case of water, electricity and telephone utility services the council liaises with the water supply and drainage 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 country's largest jail, known as the Magazine Prison, in the Welikada area of Colombo. And headquarters of the Police, Army, Navy, Air Force and many other administrative offices including the
Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and virtually all government ministriesare housed in Colombo. The law enforcement agencies also liaise with the municipal council but are managed by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Justice of the central government.
Official Vision and mission
Vision:
Mission
Saint Petersburg,
Russia (since 1997)
Notes and references
Further Information
Get more info on 'Colombo'.
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