Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million. The majority — about 75% — are Sinhalese, predominantly Buddhist, living mainly in the south, west, and central parts of the island. Tamils make up roughly 15%, divided between Sri Lankan Tamils (mostly Hindu, concentrated in the north and east) and Indian Tamils (brought as laborers by the British, concentrated in the tea-growing Hill Country). Sri Lankan Muslims account for about 9%, speaking Tamil but maintaining a distinct cultural identity. A small Burgher community — descendants of Dutch and Portuguese colonial administrators — is scattered mainly in Colombo.
This diversity has a complicated history. The civil war between the government and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), which ran from 1983 to 2009, left deep scars in the north and east. For visitors, the war's effects are most visible in the landscape of those regions — slow reconstruction, memorials, a certain wariness toward strangers from the wrong ethnic group in some communities. In general, though, travelers find Sri Lanka a warm and hospitable country across all communities.
Sinhalese and Tamil are the official languages. Sinhala is an Indo-Aryan language related to no other living language; Tamil belongs to the Dravidian family and is also spoken in South India. English is the language of government, higher education, and commerce, and it is spoken by a significant portion of the educated population, especially in cities. Getting by with English alone is easy almost everywhere on the tourist trail.
Sri Lanka has a high literacy rate — around 92% — and the population is generally well-educated, well-informed, and curious about the world. Travelers are often surprised by the quality of conversation they can have at a guesthouse or on a long train journey.
Buddhism pervades Sinhalese culture in ways you will notice constantly: the white dagobas (dome-shaped reliquary mounds) visible from the road, the sound of temples at dusk, the saffron-robed monks on public buses, the poya days (full moon holidays) when alcohol is difficult to buy and some businesses close. Dress modestly when visiting temples — shoulders and knees covered, shoes off at the entrance.