deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean.’ Located at the bottom of the continent of India, due to it’s unique location it has always been a major trading hub. It is on the ‘Maritime Silk Road’.

Human settlements have been found dating back 125,000 years. It is another land that had such natural advantages that European nations attempted to grab it. First the Portuguese, then the Dutch and finally, of course, The British. It was a Colony of the UK until 1948 when it became The Dominion of Ceylon. With independence in 1972 it changed it’s name to ‘Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka.’ Then in 1978 it changed to its current name: ‘The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The flag, also known as ‘The Lion Flag’ or the Sinha Flag was adopted in 1948. It is a golden lion (representing the Sinhalese) holding a Kastane Sword on a maroon background. There are 4 bo leaves (representing Buddhism), one in each corner. The two stripes on the hoist side are orange (representing the Sri Lankan Tamils) and green (for the Sri Lankan Muslims). It makes the flag quite inclusive.

Here is the connection, as loose as it is: I was a Docent at the Denver Zoo for 11 years. I spent hours in the Pachyderm house and outside the elephant yard introducing people of all ages to Dolly the elephant. Dolly was, you guessed it, born in Sri Lanka.