The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon before 1972) is a tropical island nation off the southeast coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known in ancient times as Lanka, Lankadweepa (meaning "Resplendent Land" in Sanskrit), Taprobane and Serendib (derived from the Sanskrit name Sinhala-dweepa) and Selan, the island became known as Ceylon in colonial times, a name still used on occasion. Its current name is Sri Lanka. Life on the island has been marred by nearly two decades of ethnic conflict, mainly between the national government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) insurgency; in early 2002 there was agreement on a ceasefire.

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