CEYLON'. The beauty of its scenery and the rich ness of its soil have won for this island colony of Great Britain the name "Pearl of the Orient." It is about the size of West Virginia, having an area of over 25,000 square miles, and lies 60 miles southeast of India.
Rolling plains cover most of the island, rising toward the south into lofty mountains. The most remarkable elevation is that known as "Adam's Peak," visible at a great distance from the sea and famous as the sacred mountain from which Buddha, according to his followers, ascended to heaven.
The tropical vegetation is extremely luxuriant and beautiful, including tall tree-ferns, scarlet-flowering rhododendrons, magnificent palms, and valuable ebony and satinwood trees. The largest animal is the elephant, which is hunted and tamed as a beast of burden. The heat is moderated by the sea breezes, and where the jungle has been cleared and the land drained the climate is more healthful than much of India. The seacoast affords several excellent harbors, the best being that of Colombo, the capital.
Tea, coffee, rice, copra and other coconut products, rubber, cinnamon, and cinchona bark (from which quinine is made) are the most important vegetable products. Ceylon ranks third among the tea-pro ducing countries of the world. Among mineral products the most important is graphite, from which lead pencils are made. The precious stones of Ceylon are famous and include moonstones, garnets, topazes, and amethysts; and less numerous but very fine specimens of sapphires and rubies. The pearl fisheries on the coast, which have been noted for nearly 2,000 years, form a British monopoly.
About two-thirds of the population is composed of Sinhalese or Ceylonese, descendants of immigrants who came from northern India about 500 B.C. They are a gentle and peaceable but rather effeminate people. The men look very much like women, for they have delicate features; they wear skirts and earrings; and their long hair is held back with large tortoise-shell combs. There are several other races, including the Tamils (from southern India), Moors, Malays, and Veddahs. The Veddahs, supposed to be the original inhabitants, build houses in trees in the wildest parts of the island and live on wild fruits and animals. Along the coasts is a sprinkling of Eng lish, Dutch, and Portuguese. Buddhism has been the prevailing religion of the island since the 3d century B.C. but the Hindu and Mohammedan faiths also have many followers. Christianity has made con siderable progress in recent years.
Ceylon has the distinction of being the home of the "oldest historical tree in the world." It grows at Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of the island, where it was planted in 245 B.C. as a cutting from the famous Bo Tree of India, under which Gotama (Buddha) is said to have received the inspiration which led to the founding of the Buddhist religion.
The tree, a species of fig, has its ancient branches upheld by pillars and its enormous roots banked carefully with earth by the faithful. Pilgrims count it a rare privilege to visit this living relic.
In the north of Ceylon ruined cities have been discovered pointing to a splendid ancient civilization.
Excavations have brought to light great relic-houses, beautiful palaces, and temples which for architectural grandeur rival those of ancient Rome. Little was known of the island in Europe until 1505, when it was invaded by the Portuguese, who a few years later established a settlement there. These colonists were driven out by the Dutch in 1658, who were in turn conquered by the British in 1796, while Holland was ruled by Revolutionary France. Since that time Ceylon has remained a British colony.
It is governed separately from India, with its own governor and executive council responsible to the Colonial Secretary in London. The capital and largest city is Colombo (population 211,000). Population of the island, about 4,700,000.