Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) is an island in the Indian Ocean, separated from the southern tip of India by the Palk Strait. The Portuguese visited the island in the early sixteenth century; they ruled until 1658 when the Dutch took over control. In 1796 the British occupied the island which they then colonized in 1802. In 1948 Ceylon became self-governing within the Commonwealth; in 1972 it became a republic and adopted its present name. The Tamil Tigers are a rebel group who have been fighting since 1983 against government forces in order to gain control of those areas where the Tamils form the majority of the population. Despite Indian troops being sent in to calm the situation in the late 1980s the problem remains unresolved. Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in the fighting. Buddhism is the dominant religion, but their are Hindu, Muslim, and Christian minorities, too. Sinhala, Tamil, and English are the official languages.
