Background information on the ethnic groups of Sri Lanka...
SinhaleseThe Sinhalese are mostly Buddhists, and they speak Sinhala, a language spoken nowhere else in the world. In Sri Lanka, they have the majority of 77% and live in the southern part of the country. They have some tension with the Tamils.
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TamilsThe Tamils are the second largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka, with 11%. Most Tamils are Hindus and they obviously speak Tamil. Most Tamils live in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. There are two types of Tamils in Sri Lanka: one type where ancestors are from India (brought by British to work in the tea estates) and another where the ancestors where always from Sri Lanka. The Tamils have some tension with the Sinhalese.
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Muslim MoorsThe Muslims (also call Muslim Moors) are the third largest groups in the country of Sri Lanka, with the ethnic group consisting of 9% of the country.
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Sri Lankan BurgersThese are the descendants of the foreigners that settled in Sri Lank when the country was ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. They are the minority of Sri Lanka, and most of them are Christians and Catholics.
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