Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka was known as Tambapaṇṇĩ, meaning 'copper-red hands' or 'copper-red earth', named by the legendary Prince Vijaya.

The earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka were likely ancestors of the Vedda people, an indigenous group numbering approximately 2,500.

Sri Lanka was the first Asian country known to have a female ruler: Anula of Anuradhapura, who reigned from 47 to 42 BCE.

Sri Lanka's irrigation system was extensively expanded during the reign of Parākramabāhu the Great, who built 1,470 reservoirs.

Sri Lanka claims an exclusive economic zone extending 200 nautical miles, which is approximately 6.7 times its land area.