The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon, is a teardrop-shaped island nation off the southeastern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Portugal and Holland had early settlements on the island but Britain took charge in 1796 and retained control until 1948. The country began independence as the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948 and changed its name and status to become the Republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. The island is roughly 400 km (250 mi) long from north to south and 200 km (125 mi) wide. Colombo, on the southwest coast, is the capital and major port. Trincomalee, on the east coast, has a magnificent harbor and was a major Indian Ocean base for the British Royal Navy until 1956. A new port is being developed at Hambantota on the south coast. Beginning in the early 1980s Sri Lanka was torn in an insurrection in the Tamil-speaking northern and eastern part of the island. The government finally extinguished the revolt in May 2009. However, some areas in the north continued to be restricted or unsafe and several lighthouses in contested zones deteriorated from years of neglect during the fighting. The great tsunami of 26 December 2004 devastated low-lying areas of Sri Lanka, especially on the east coast. No lighthouses were destroyed but many were damaged by the great waves. Sinhala is the majority language of Sri Lanka but the language of the Tamil minority is also official. In addition English continues to be widely used for official and commercial purposes. In Sinhala the word for a lighthouse is pradīpāgāraya (ප්රදීපාගාරය); divayina is an island, gan̆ga is a river, and varāya is a harbor. In Tamil the word for a lighthouse is kalaṅkarai (கலங்கரை); tīvu is an island, nati is a river, and tuṟaimukam is a harbor. Lighthouses of Sri Lanka are operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.
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![]() Analaitheevu Beacon, Analaitheevu, May 2022 Google Maps photo by Pri Tharsan |
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Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining page: North: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
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Posted February 13, 2006. Checked and revised July 30, 2024. Lighthouses: 38. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.