British Ceylon

Sri Lankan British Crown colony

Ceylon (Sinhala: බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය ලංකාව, Brithānya Laṃkāva; Tamil: பிரித்தானிய இலங்கை, Birithaniya Ilangai) was the British Crown colony of present-day Sri Lanka between 1815 and 1948. Initially the area it covered did not include the Kingdom of Kandy, which was a protectorate, but from 1817 to 1948 the British possessions included the whole island of Ceylon, now the nation of Sri Lanka.

Ceylon
1815–1948
Flag of Ceylon
Flag
Coat of arms of Ceylon
Coat of arms
Anthem: God Save the King/Queen
(1815–1948)
British Ceylon, ca. 1914
British Ceylon, ca. 1914
StatusBritish Colony
CapitalColombo
Common languagesEnglish (Official),
Sinhala and Tamil
GovernmentMonarchy
Monarch 
• 1815–20
George III (first)
• 1936–48
George VI (last)
Governor 
• 1798–1805
Frederick North (first)
• 1944–48
Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore (last)
Prime Minister 
• 1947–48
Don Stephen Senanayake
LegislatureLegislative Council (1833–1931)
State Council (1931–47)
Parliament (1947—48)
Historical eraBritish Ceylon period
5 March 1815
4 February 1948
Area
188165,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi)
189165,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi)
190165,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi)
192465,992 km2 (25,480 sq mi)
194665,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi)
Population
• 1881
2,759,700
• 1891
3,007,800
• 1901
3,565,900
• 1924
4,574,550
• 1946
6,657,300
CurrencyCeylonese rixdollar (1815–28)
British pound (1825–71)
Ceylonese rupee (1872—1948)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kingdom of Kandy
Dutch Ceylon
Vannimai
Dominion of Ceylon
Today part of Sri Lanka
Source for 1924 area and population:[1]

References

change
  1. "The British Empire in 1924". The British Empire. Retrieved 7 November 2017.