Sri Lanka is officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The formal name identifies the country’s constitutional status, while “Sri Lanka” is the ordinary short name used in everyday speech and international contexts. The island lies in the northern Indian Ocean, southeast of India, and is separated from the subcontinent by the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar.
The country was known internationally as Ceylon during British rule and after independence in 1948. In 1972, a new constitution established the Republic of Sri Lanka and replaced the name Ceylon in the country’s official name. The 1978 Constitution adopted the present form, “Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.”
The wording does not mean Sri Lanka is a different country from Ceylon; it reflects a later constitutional and national identity. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital, while Colombo remains the largest city and a major executive, commercial, and cultural centre. Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages, with English recognised for broader communication.