Slave Island

For the episide of the 1992 animated television series X-Men of the same name, see Slave Island (X-Men).

Slave Island කොම්පඥ්ඥ වීදිය கொம்பனித்தெரு
—  Suburb  —
Slave Island
Coordinates: 6°55′37″N 79°50′55″E / 6.92694°N 79.84861°E / 6.92694; 79.84861Coordinates: 6°55′37″N 79°50′55″E / 6.92694°N 79.84861°E / 6.92694; 79.84861
Country	Sri Lanka
Province	Western Province
District	Colombo District
Government
– Mayor
Time zone	Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30)
Postal Code

Slave Island is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located directly south of the Fort area of Colombo. The name Slave Island was given during the period of British occupation and administration, and refers to the situation under Portuguese and Dutch administration when slaves were held there, most of them from Africa. Most of the slaves later returned to Africa. However, a very small group of African descendants are scattered throughout Sri Lanka and are collectively known as Sri Lankan Kaffirs. The suburb contains Beira Lake, a large lake and its esplanade is visited by many for recreation. Slave Island is mostly a commercial area with hotels and shopping centres.

The Seema Malakaya Temple

The Seema Malakaya of the Gangarama Temple in the Beira Lake in the Slave Island area, is one of many religious structures in Colombo

Demographic

Slave Island is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic area. The larger ethnic communities in Slave Island are Sinhalese and Tamils. There are also various minorities such as Burghers, Arab descendants and others. Religions include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and,, to a lesser extent, various other religions and beliefs.

Military

• Rifle Barracks
• Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME)

References