Editing Colombo (section)

{{Short description|Capital and largest city of Sri Lanka}}
{{distinguish|Columbo|Colombia}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Sri Lankan English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Colombo
| native_name              = {{nativename|si|කොළඹ}}<br />{{nativename|ta|கொழும்பு}}
| official_name            = 
| settlement_type          = [[Capital city]] ([[Executive (government)|executive]] and [[Judiciary|judicial]])
| image_skyline            = {{multiple image
  | total_width              = 250
  | border                   = infobox
  | perrow                   = 1/2/3/2
  | caption_align            = center
  | image1                   = Colombo skyline 2024.jpg
  | alt1                     = 
  | caption1                 = Skyline of [[Galle Face Green]] as seen from the [[Indian Ocean]] 
  | image2                   = Seema Malaka - Buddha statues.jpg
  | alt2                     = 
  | caption2                 = [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] statues at [[Seema Malaka]]
  | image3                   = Independence Commemoration Hall.jpg
  | alt3                     = 
  | caption3                 = [[Independence Memorial Hall]]
  | image4                   = Slave Island Murugan Temple.jpg
  | alt4                     = 
  | caption4                 = The [[Murugan]] Hindu temple in [[Company Roads]]
  | image5                   = LK-colombo-yorkstreet-1.jpg
  | alt5                     = 
  | caption5                 = the [[Grand Oriental Hotel]] in [[Fort (Colombo)|Fort]]
  | image6                   = The auditorium entrance 2.JPG
  | alt6                     = 
  | caption6                 = [[Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre|Nelum Pokuna]]
  | image7                   = LK-Colombo-altes-parlament.jpg
  | alt7                     = 
  | caption7                 = Skyline of Fort featuring [[Old Parliament Building, Colombo|Old Parliament Building]], [[Bank of Ceylon]] and [[World Trade Center (Colombo)|WTC twin towers]]
  }}
| image_seal               = Coat of arms of Colombo Municipal Council.svg
| image_map                = 
| map_caption              = 
| pushpin_map              = Sri Lanka Colombo District#Sri Lanka#Asia
| pushpin_map_caption      = 
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = [[Sri Lanka]]
| subdivision_type1        = [[Provinces of Sri Lanka|Province]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Western Province, Sri Lanka|Western Province]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[Districts of Sri Lanka|District]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Colombo District]]
| leader_title             = Municipal Council
| leader_name              = [[Colombo Municipal Council]]
| leader_title1            = Headquarters
| leader_name1             = [[Town Hall (Colombo)|Town Hall]]
| leader_title2            = [[Mayor of Colombo|Mayor]]
| leader_name2             = ''Vacant''
| area_total_km2           = 37.31
| area_total_sq_mi         = 14.41
| area_land_km2            = 699
| area_water_km2           = 
| population_total         = 752,993
| population_as_of         = 2011<ref name=census2011>{{cite web|title=A6 : Population by ethnicity and district according to Divisional Secretary's Division, 2012|url=http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop32&gp=Activities&tpl=3|work=Census of Population & Housing, 2011|publisher=Department of Census & Statistics, Sri Lanka|access-date=2014-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101151718/http://www.statistics.gov.lk/PopHouSat/CPH2011/index.php?fileName=pop32&gp=Activities&tpl=3|archive-date=1 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| population_urban         = 2,323,826
| population_metro         = 5,648,000
| population_density_km2   = 20182
| timezone                 = [[Sri Lanka Standard Time|SLST]]
| coordinates              = {{coord|6|56|04|N|79|50|34|E|region:LK|display=it}}
| utc_offset               = +05:30
| elevation_m              = 1
| postal_code_type         = [[Postal codes in Sri Lanka|Postal code]]
| postal_code              = 0xxxx
| area_code                = [[Telephone numbers in Sri Lanka|011]]
| website                  = {{URL|colombo.mc.gov.lk}}
| area_metro_km2           = 3,684
| image_flag               = Flag of Colombo MC.svg
}}

'''Colombo''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ə|ˈ|l|ʌ|m|b|oʊ}} {{respell|kə|LUM|boh}};<ref>{{Cite book|title=Collins English Dictionary|publisher=HarperCollins|year=2018|isbn=978-0-008-28437-4|edition=13th|chapter=Colombo}}</ref> {{langx|si|කොළඹ|translit=Koḷam̆ba}}, {{IPA|si|ˈkoləᵐbə|IPA}}; {{langx|ta|கொழும்பு|translit=Koḻumpu}}, {{IPA|ta|koɻumbɯ|IPA}}) is the executive and judicial [[Capital city|capital]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Colombo |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Colombo |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=12 May 2020 |archive-date=6 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306022806/https://www.britannica.com/place/Colombo |url-status=live }}</ref> and largest city of [[Sri Lanka]] by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kumarage A|first1=Amal|title=Impacts of Transportation Infrastructure and Services on Urban Poverty and Land Development in Colombo, Sri Lanka|url=http://www.globalurban.org/GUDMag07Vol3Iss1/Kumerage%20PDF.pdf|date=1 November 2007|publisher=Global Urban Development Volume 3 Issue 1|access-date=8 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051304/http://www.globalurban.org/GUDMag07Vol3Iss1/Kumerage%20PDF.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 10 Traits of Globally Fluent Metro Areas|url=http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Multimedia/Interactives/2013/tentraits/Colombo.pdf|website=2013|publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]|access-date=17 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111046/http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Multimedia/Interactives/2013/tentraits/Colombo.pdf|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Colombo: The Heartbeat of Sri Lanka/ Metro Colombo Urban Development Project|url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/03/21/colombo-heartbeat-sri-lanka|date=21 March 2013|publisher=The World Bank|access-date=17 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412070149/http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/03/21/colombo-heartbeat-sri-lanka|archive-date=12 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Turning Sri Lanka's Urban Vision into Policy and Action|url=http://www.unhabitat.lk/downloads/wburbanpolicy.pdf|publisher=UN Habitat|page= 7|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044031/http://www.unhabitat.lk/downloads/wburbanpolicy.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> and 752,993<ref name=census2011/> within the municipal limits. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.propertypost.lk/blog/colombo-the-famous-business-hub-of-sri-lanka/|title=Colombo, The Famous Business Hub of Sri Lanka – Stories & Advice|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220232155/https://www.propertypost.lk/blog/colombo-the-famous-business-hub-of-sri-lanka/|archive-date=20 December 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the [[Western Region Megapolis|Greater Colombo area]] which includes [[Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]], the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, and [[Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia]]. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is situated within the Colombo metro area. It is also the administrative capital of the [[Western Province, Sri Lanka|Western Province]] and the district capital of [[Colombo District]]. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments.<ref name="rweb1">{{cite web |last=Jayewarden |title=How Colombo Derived its Name |url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/colombo.html |access-date=2007-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205052615/http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/colombo.html |archive-date=2008-12-05 |url-status=live}}</ref>

It was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the [[British Empire]] in 1815,<ref name="HoC">{{cite web |title=History of Colombo |url=http://www.cmc.lk/History.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202185302/http://www.cmc.lk/History.asp |archive-date=2011-12-02 |access-date=2007-03-21}}</ref> retaining its capital status when Sri Lanka gained [[Sri Lankan independence movement|independence in 1948]]. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to [[Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]], Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.