Bird stamps from Ceylon.

Sri Lanka is an island country in the northern Indian Ocean off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent in South Asia. Known until 1972 as Ceylon  Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest.

Sri Lanka's documented history spans three thousand years. Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of the ancient Silk Road through to World War II.

Sri Lanka is a diverse country home to many religions, ethnicities and languages.

The Sinhalese people are the majority, although there are many ethnic minorities, including Tamils, Muslim Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays and the aboriginal Vedda people.

Sri Lanka has a rich Buddhist heritage, and the first known Buddhist writings were composed on the island.The country's recent history has been marred by a thirty year inter-ethnic conflict which decisively but controversially ended in a military victory in 2009.

Sri Lanka is a republic and a unitary state governed by a presidential system. The capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte, named by a president after himself, is a suburb of the largest city, Colombo. An important producer of tea, coffee, gemstones, coconuts, rubber and the native cinnamon,
Sri Lanka has been called The tear drop of India because of its shape and location and is known as "The Pearl of the Indian Ocean" because of its natural beauty. It is also known as "The nation of smiling people".

The island contains tropical forests, and diverse landscapes with high biodiversity.
The country has had a long history of international engagement, being a founding member of SAARC and a member of United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, G77 and Non-Aligned Movement.

Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri Lanka is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity density in Asia.

Remarkably high proportion of the species among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and 22% of the mammals (see List), are endemic. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small loris, a variety of deer, the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and anteaters.

Flowering acacias flourish on the arid Jaffna Peninsula. Among the trees of the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. The wet zone is a tropical evergreen forest with tall trees, broad foliage, and a dense undergrowth of vines and creepers. Subtropical evergreen forests resembling those of temperate climates flourish in the higher altitudes.
The Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is an endangered subspecies of leopard native to Sri Lanka.

The Yala National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks. The Wilpattu National Park, the largest, in the northwest preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills. The island has four biosphere reserves: Bundala, Hurulu Forest Reserve, the Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya, and Sinharaja.

Out of these, Sinharaja forest reserve is home to 26 endemic birds and 20 rainforest species, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie. The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous. Of the 211 woody trees and lianas within the reserve, 139 (66%) are endemic. The Total vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings, has been estimated at 240,000 individuals per hectare.

Sri Lanka is home to over 250 types of resident birds (see List). It has declared several bird sanctuaries including Kumana.

During the Mahaweli Program of the 1970s and 1980s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of land totalling 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi) as national parks. However the country's forest cover, which was around 49% in 1920, had been fallen to approximately 24%

Face value | Family number | English name | Scientific name

1966.01
  05.02.1966
  Birds of Ceylon

5c
    213
    Southern Hill Myna    Gracula indica

15c
    11
    Indian Peafowl    Pavo cristatus

60c
    11
    Sri Lanka Junglefowl    Gallus lafayetii

75c
    158
    Black-hooded Oriole    Oriolus xanthornus

1966.02
  05.02.1966
  Birds of Ceylon
  Sheet, imp
  1966.01

5c
    213
    Southern Hill Myna    Gracula indica

15c
    11
    Indian Peafowl    Pavo cristatus

60c
    11
    Sri Lanka Junglefowl    Gallus lafayetii
    "JUNGLE FOWL"

75c
    158
    Black-hooded Oriole    Oriolus xanthornus

1967.01
  Exhibition 1967
  Sheet, imp
  1966.01

5c
    213
    Southern Hill Myna    Gracula indica

15c
    11
    Indian Peafowl    Pavo cristatus

60c
    11
    Sri Lanka Junglefowl    Gallus lafayetii

75c
    158
    Black-hooded Oriole    Oriolus xanthornus

 

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