Colombo (Sinhala: 
, pronounced [ˈkoləmbə]; Tamil: கொழும்பு) is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the administrative capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern and colonial buildings.
Due to its large harbor and its strategic position, Colombo has been a seaport for more than 2,000 years. However, it only became the capital of the nation after Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815. Its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to nearby Kotte, Colombo kept its position as Sri Lanka's commercial capital.
Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and Southeast Asia. It served as an important Allied base during World War II. After the nation gained independence from Britain in 1948, and several decades of stable democracy and economic progress, it became embroiled in
