ABSTRACT
Sinhala (also known as Sinhalese) is the native language of approximately 74 per cent of the population of Sri Lanka (estimated 18.5 million in 1998) or approximately thirteen and a half million speakers. It was made the official language of the country in 1956, a status extended to Tamil in 1987, with English given official recognition as a link language. Sinhala-speaking areas cover the major proportion of the island, including the southwest, the south-central highland, and most of the north-central dry zone. The northern part of the island and much of the east coast are predominantly Tamil-speaking, and there is a significant Tamil population in the highland regions as a result of imported labour for the tea (and earlier coffee) plantations.
