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LankaVisions - Prologue

In Praise of my Beautiful Island - Sri Lanka.
Information, Photographs and Video

The 13th century Venetian traveler Marco Polo described the Island as the 'Jade pendant
of the Indian Ocean'. The abundance of gemstones, spices, rain forests and wildlife; the magnificent beaches, ancient ruins and a written history of over 2500 years make this
island a tourists' paradise.

The ruined cities of Anuradapura and Polonnaruwa illustrate the glory of the ancient kingdoms. the gigantic stupas and Buddha statues are among the biggest man made structures of the world. The massive reservoirs, built by the ancient kings to irrigate
thousands of acres of land, are marvels of hydro engineering. There are eight UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.

The Island was known to the Greeks as ' Taprobane' and to the Arabs as 'Serendib'. Early merchants visited the Island in search of gem stones and spices, mainly cinnamon and pepper. Coffee and tea plantations were started by the British Colonial rulers. An Island
of 25,000 square miles, it has 103 rivers and 30,000 tanks and reservoirs, mostly man
made.

Nelsonlanka

" The Island of Sri Lanka is a small universe, it contains many variations of culture, scenery and climate as some countries a dozen times its size .......... I find it hard to believe that there
is any country which scores so highly in all departments - Which have so many advantages and so few disadvantages. Lovely beaches, beautiful landscapes, impressive ruins, a vibrant culture and charming people - no wonder,
" Sri Lanka is a Small Miracle ".
Arthur C. Clarke