Ceylon is the former name of Sri Lanka, an island country located in South Asia within the Indian Ocean. It is situated southwest of the Bay of Bengal and is separated from the nation of India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.
The country shares maritime borders with the Maldives to the southwest and India to the northwest. Its primary urban center is Colombo, which serves as the executive and judicial capital, while neighboring Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte functions as the legislative capital. The population of the island consists of approximately 22 million people, primarily composed of Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups.