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Colombo
Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is situated within the Colombo metro area. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments. It was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, retaining its capital status when Sri Lanka gained independence in 19 ...
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Fort (Colombo)
Fort (Colombo) (Sinhala: ; Tamil: ) is the central business district of Colombo in Sri Lanka. It is the financial district of Colombo and the location of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the World Trade Centre of Colombo from which the CSE operates. It is also the location of the Bank of Ceylon headquarters. Along the foreshore of the Fort area is the Galle Face Green Promenade, built in 1859 under the governance of Sir Henry George Ward, the Governor of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during British colonial era. Fort is also home to the General Post Office, hotels, government departments and offices. History Known as ''Kolonthota'', the area became notable as the site of the first landings of the Portuguese in the early 16th century and became one of their trading posts in the island. The Portuguese developed their trading post into a fortified base and harbour to extend their control of the interior of the island. A detailed account of the first Portuguese settlement and fort ca ...
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Western Province, Sri Lanka
The Western Province ( ''Basnāhira Paḷāta''; ''Mael Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established Provincial councils of Sri Lanka, provincial councils. Western Province is the most densely populated province in the country and is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte as well as to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center. History Parts of present-day Western Province were part of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Kotte. The province then came under Portuguese Ceylon, Portuguese, Dutch period in Ceylon, Dutch and British Ceylon, British control. In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon. They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan ...
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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, while the largest city, Colombo, is the administrative and judicial capital which is the nation's political, financial and cultural centre. Kandy is the second-largest urban area and also the capital of the last native kingdom of Sri Lanka. The most spoken language Sinhala language, Sinhala, is spoken by the majority of the population (approximately 17 million). Tamil language, Tamil is also spoken by approximately five million people, making it the second most-spoken language in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a population of appr ...
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Colombo Municipal Council
The Colombo Municipal Council is the municipal governing body of Colombo, the largest city and financial centre in Sri Lanka. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of Colombo, and elected 119 municipal councilors. The council was formed in 1865, it first met in 1866 and derives most of its powers from ''Municipal Council Ordinance No. 29 of 1947''. It is the oldest and the largest local government authority in Sri Lanka which covers a resident population of over 600,000 (as of 2001). It is one of the largest employers in the country with over 12,000 employees. Council Colombo is a charter city, with a Mayor Council form of government. Colombo's mayor and the council members are elected through local government elections held once in four years. It has 16 standing committees on various subjects. Officers The Colombo Municipal Council under the ''Municipal Council Ordinance'' have several elected and appointed officers. These are: #Mayor #Deputy Mayor #Municipal ...
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Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia (; ), population 245,974 (2012), is a large municipality in Sri Lanka, covering . It lies south of the Colombo Municipal Council area and is separated from it by the Dehiwala canal which forms the northern boundary of DMMC. Its southern limits lie in Borupana Road and the eastern boundary is Weras Ganga with its canal system and it includes some areas to its east (Pepiliyana, Gangodawila and Kohuwala). This town has experienced extensive population growth and rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in recent years. It is home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens, which remains one of Asia's largest. Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila and Colombo Airport, Ratmalana are some important landmarks in this area. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte being two large suburban centres of the city of Colombo function together as one large urban agglomeration in the Region ( Western Province). The overspill from the City in residentia ...
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Mayor Of Colombo
The Mayor of Colombo is the elected head of the Colombo Municipal Council. The post was created in 1866 when the Colombo Municipal Council was established by the Legislative Council of Ceylon. The mayor is assisted by the deputy mayor and a Municipal Commissioner (Sri Lanka), Municipal Commissioner.The current mayor is Vraîe Cally Balthazaar, who took office on 16 June 2025. Election The mayor is elected in a general election held under the ''Local Authority Election Ordinance'' from the party gaining the highest number of seats in the municipal council. Once elected the mayor may hold office for four years. Powers and functions Most powers are derived from the ''Municipal Council Ordinance No. 29 of 1947''. The Mayor serves as the chief executive of the municipal council. The municipal council is responsible for: *Social service *Public health, Health and Environmental health, environmental issues *Emergency services (not Sri Lankan Police, policing, which is the responsibilit ...
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Western Region Megapolis
The Western Region Megapolis is an urban planning, zoning, and development area stretching from Negombo in the north to Beruwala in the south. It is designed to create a megapolis in Sri Lanka's Western Province by 2030. The plan was created by Surbana in cooperation with local experts. It hopes to create a Megacity that can match other economic hubs, such as Dubai, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo, and solve the issues of traffic congestion, garbage, slums, and environmental pollution. The project aims to foster economic growth and prosperity, good governance, the creation of an efficient and well-planned region, social equity and harmony, and environmental sustainability. The project includes social infrastructure development such as housing, healthcare, education, spiritual development, safety and security, transportation and traffic management, airport and port development, water- and energy-related infrastructure development, and the development of SMEs, industries and tourism ...
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Colombo District
Colombo District ( ''kol̠am̆ba distrikkaya''; ''Koḻumpu Māvaṭṭam'') is one of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary (previously known as a Government Agent) appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The capital of the district is the city of Colombo. The district of Colombo was officially recorded in 2016 as having the highest income on average, per household. History Colombo District was part of the pre-colonial Kingdom of Kotte. The district then came under Portuguese, Dutch and British control. In 1815 the British gained control of the entire island of Ceylon. They divided the island into three ethnic based administrative structures: Low Country Sinhalese, Kandyan Sinhalese and Tamil. Colombo District was part of the Low Country Sinhalese administration. In 1833, in accordance with the recommendations of the Colebrook ...
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Galle Face Green
Galle Face Green is a ocean-side urban park, which stretches for along the coast, in the heart of Colombo, the financial and business capital of Sri Lanka. The promenade was initially laid out in 1859 by Governor Sir Henry George Ward, although the original Galle Face Green extended over a much larger area than is seen today. The Galle Face Green was initially used for horse racing and as a golf course, but was also used for cricket, polo, football, tennis, and rugby. History Galle Face Green originally extended over a much larger area than exists today. Records indicate that it was bounded to the north by Beira Lake, the ramparts of Colombo Fort and the city's cemetery (established in 1803), to the west by the Indian Ocean, while to the south by the Galle Face Hotel (established in 1864, although the original building on the site was a Dutch villa) and to the east by St. Peter's Church (consecrated in 1821). The Galle Face Green was initially laid out by the Dutch as ...
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Town Hall (Colombo)
The Town Hall of Colombo (, ) is the headquarters of the Colombo Municipal Council and the office of the mayor of Colombo. Built in front of the Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo, Sri Lanka, it is the meeting place for the elected municipal council. In 1921 renowned Scottish town planner Professor Patrick Geddes recommended that the Council should construct a large central and dignified municipal building to house the council, a public reception hall, the mayor's office and a public library. The need for the Colombo Public Library was addressed by a philanthropic donation of a building by Dr. W. Arthur Silva in 1925. This building, Sirinivasa, is now the official residence of the mayor. In 1922 the Colombo Municipal Council held an international architectural design competition and in November that year of the 32 plans submitted, the winning design was drawn by S. J. Edwards, of the architectural firm Ralph Booty & Co. In awarding the prize the Government Architect of the Ceylon ...
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Vraîe Cally Balthazaar
Vraîe Cally Balthazaar (born 9 April 1985) is a Sri Lankan politician, media personality, activist and researcher serving as Mayor of Colombo since 16 June 2025. She is a member of the National People's Power and is the second woman to hold the office, after Rosy Senanayake. Early life and education Balthazaar was born in 1985 and completed her primary and secondary schooling at Methodist College, Colombo. She earned a bachelor's degree in fashion/apparel design from Northumbria University in 2010. She then received a postgraduate diploma and a Master's degree in Gender and Women's Studies from the University of Colombo in 2020. Career From 2005 to 2014, Balthazaar spent nearly a decade as a television presenter, notably hosting ''Good Morning Sri Lanka'' on MTV. Following 2018, she became actively involved in NGOs and research projects focused on women's and children's rights. As a researcher in urban development, her work examined the impact of city planning on low-i ...
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Grand Oriental Hotel
Grand Oriental Hotel or GOH (also previously known as the Taprobane Hotel) is a 3 star heritage hotel, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. History The original building on the site was a simple, single-storey structure with open verandah to the street, inhabited by a List of governors of Dutch Ceylon, Dutch Governor. In 1837 it was converted into barracks for the British Army. In 1873 it was converted into a hostelry, with reconstruction commencing on 23 February and completing 27 October, the same year. The task of converting the Army hostel into a hotel was undertaken by the then Governors of British Ceylon, Governor Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton, engaging the architect of Public Works Department, James Smither, James George Smither, who was also responsible for the National Museum of Colombo, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo General Hospital and the old Colombo Town Hall. The estimated cost to build the hotel was 2,007 pounds but is noteworthy that the hotel was constructed wi ...
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