CEYLON 1946 PEACE ISSUE VICTORY MINT SC #293-294 SG #400-401 BLOCK OF 6 MNH KGVI

Description

CEYLON
1946 PEACE ISSUE
MINT NEVER HINGED (MNH) BLOCKS
2 BLOCKS of 6 with LARGE MARGINS
Era: George VI (1936 - 1952)
ISLAND COUNTRY IN SOUTH ASIA
Same Stamp with Different Stamp Numbering System:
Scott Number: 293-294  or SC #293-294
Stanley Gibbons: 400-401 or SG #400-401
CEYLON /
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
(
UK
:
/
s
r
i
ˈ
l
æ
ŋ
k
ə
,
ʃ
r
i
ː
-/
,
US
:
/-
ˈ
l
ɑ
ː
ŋ
k
ə
/
(
listen
)
;
Sinhala
:
ශ්‍රී
ලංකා
, romanized:
Śrī Laṅkā
;
Tamil
:
இலங்கை
, romanized:
Ilaṅkai
), formerly known as
Ceylon
,and officially the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
, isan
island country
in
South Asia
. It is situated on the
Indian Ocean
, southwest of the
Bay of Bengal
, and southeast of the
Arabian Sea
; while being separated fromthe
Indian subcontinent
bythe
Gulf of Mannar
andthe
Palk Strait
.
SriJayawardenepura Kotte
is its legislative capital, and
Colombo
is its
largest city
and
financial centre
.
Sri Lanka's documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidenceof prehistoric human settlements dating back at least 125,000 years.
[12]
It has a rich culturalheritage, and the first known
Buddhist
writingsof Sri Lanka, the
Pāli Canon
, date backto the
Fourth Buddhist council
in 29 BCE.
[13]
[14]
Its geographic location anddeep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the time of theancient
Silk Road
through to the modern
Maritime Silk Road
.
[15]
[16]
[17]
Its location as a majortrading hub made it known to both the Far East as well as to Europe from as farback as the
Anuradhapura period
.The country's trade in luxury goods and spices attracted traders of manynations, creating Sri Lanka's diverse population. During a period of
greatpolitical crisis
, the
Portuguese
, whose arrival in Sri Lanka waslargely accidental, sought to control the island's maritime regions and itslucrative external trade. The
Portuguese possessions
were later takenover by the
Dutch
. The
Dutch possessions
were then taken bythe
British
, wholater extended their control over the whole island,
colonising
it from 1815 to 1948. Anational movement for political independence arose in the early 20th century,and in 1948, Ceylon became a
republic
and adopted its current name in1972. Sri Lanka's recent history has been marred by a 26-year
civil war
,which ended decisively when the
Sri Lanka ArmedForces
defeated the
LiberationTigers of Tamil Eelam
in 2009.
[18]
Sri Lanka is a
multinational state
,home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The
Sinhalese
formthe majority of the nation's population; and the large minority of
Tamils
have also played an influentialrole in the island's history, while
Moors
,
Burghers
,
Malays
,
Chinese
,and the indigenous
Vedda
are alsoestablished groups.
[19]
It has had a long history ofinternational engagement, as a founding member of the
SAARC
, and a member of the
United Nations
, the
Commonwealth ofNations
, the
G77
, and the
Non-Aligned Movement
.Sri Lanka is the sole South Asian country rated high on the
Human DevelopmentIndex
, with the second highest
per capitaincome
in the region.
History
The pre-history of Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years andpossibly even as far back as 500,000 years.
[34]
The era spans the
Palaeolithic
,
Mesolithic
, and early
Iron Ages
. Among the
Paleolithic
human settlements discoveredin Sri Lanka,
Pahiyangala
(namedafter the
Chinese
traveller
monk
Faxian
), which dates back to 37,000 BP,
[35]
Batadombalena
(28,500 BP)
[36]
and
Belilena
(12,000 BP) are the mostimportant. In these caves, archaeologists have found the remains of
anatomically
modern
humans
which they have named
Balangoda Man
, and other evidence
[37]
suggesting that they may haveengaged in
agriculture
and kept domestic dogs fordriving game.
[38]
The earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka were probably ancestors ofthe
Vedda people
,
[39]
an indigenous people numberingapproximately 2,500 living in modern-day Sri Lanka.
During the protohistoric period (1000–500 BCE) Sri Lanka wasculturally united with southern India,
[40]
and shared the same megalithicburials,
pottery
,iron technology, farming techniques and
megalithicgraffiti
.
[41]
[42]
This cultural complex spreadfrom southern India along with Dravidian clans such as the
Velir
,prior to the migration of
Prakrit
speakers.
[43]
[44]
[41]
One of the first written references to the island is found inthe Indian
epic
Ramayana
,which provides details of a kingdom named
Lanka
thatwas created by the divine sculptor
Vishwakarma
for
Kubera
, the Lord of Wealth.
[45]
It is said that Kubera wasoverthrown by his demon stepbrother
Ravana
.
[46]
Geography
Sri Lanka is a pearl-shaped Island nation in South Asia, lyingon the
Indian Plate
, amajor
tectonic plate
thatwas formerly part of the
Indo-Australian Plate
.
[143]
It is in the Indian Oceansouthwest of the
Bay of Bengal
,between latitudes
5°
and
10° N
,and longitudes
79°
and
82° E
.
[144]
Sri Lanka is separated fromthe mainland portion of the
Indian subcontinent
bythe
Gulf of Mannar
and
Palk Strait
. According to
Hindu mythology
,
a land bridge
existed between the Indianmainland and Sri Lanka. It now amounts to only a chain of limestone shoalsremaining above
sea level
.
[145]
Legends claim that it waspassable on foot up to 1480 CE, until
cyclones
deepened the channel.
[146]
[147]
Portions are still as shallowas 1 metre (3 ft), hindering navigation.
[148]
The island consists mostly offlat to rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-centralpart. The highest point is
Pidurutalagala
, reaching 2,524 metres(8,281 ft) above sea level.
Sri Lanka has 103 rivers. The longest of these is the
MahaweliRiver
, extending 335 kilometres (208 mi).
[149]
These waterways give rise to51 natural waterfalls of 10 metres (33 ft) or more. The highest is
Bambarakanda Falls
,with a height of 263 metres (863 ft).
[150]
Sri Lanka's coastline is1,585 km (985 mi) long.
[151]
Sri Lanka claims an
exclusive economiczone
extending 200
nautical miles
, which is approximately 6.7times Sri Lanka's land area. The coastline and adjacent waters support highlyproductive marine ecosystems such as
fringing
coral reefs
and shallow beds of coastaland
estuarine
seagrasses
.
[152]
Sri Lanka has 45
estuaries
and 40
lagoons
.
[151]
Sri Lanka's
mangrove
ecosystem spans over 7,000
hectares
and played a vital role inbuffering the force of the waves in the
2004 IndianOcean tsunami
.
[153]
The island is rich inminerals such as
ilmenite
,
feldspar
,
graphite
,
silica
,
kaolin
,
mica
and
thorium
.
[154]
[155]
Existence of
petroleum
and gas in the Gulf of Mannarhas also been confirmed, and the extraction of recoverable quantities isunderway.
[156]
Government and politics
According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka's
GDP
interms of
purchasing powerparity
is the second highest in the South Asian region in termsof
per capita income
.In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a
plantation economy
famousfor its production and export of
cinnamon
,
rubber
, and
Ceylon tea
,which remains a trademark national export.
[235]
The
developmentof modern ports
under British rule raised the strategicimportance of the island as a centre of trade.
[236]
From 1948 to 1977, socialismstrongly influenced the government's economic policies. Colonial plantationswere dismantled, industries were nationalised, and a
welfare state
established. In 1977,the
free market economy
was introduced to thecountry incorporating privatisation, deregulation, and the promotion of privateenterprise.
[129]
While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar,and other commodities remain important, industrialisation has increased theimportance of food processing, textiles, telecommunications, and finance. Thecountry's main economic sectors are tourism, tea export, clothing, riceproduction, and other agricultural products. In addition to these economicsectors, overseas employment, especially in the Middle East, contributessubstantially in foreign exchange.
[237]
As of 2010, the service sector makes up 60% of GDP, theindustrial sector 28%, and the agriculture sector 12%.
[237]
The private sector accountsfor 85% of the economy.
[238]
China, India and the UnitedStates are Sri Lanka's largest trading partners.
[239]
Economic disparities existbetween the provinces with the Western Province contributing 45.1% of the GDPand the Southern Province and the Central Province contributing 10.7% and 10%,respectively.
[240]
With the end of the war, theNorthern Province reported a record 22.9% GDP growth in 2010.
[241]
The per capita income of Sri Lanka doubled from 2005 to 2011.
[243]
During the same period,poverty dropped from 15.2% to 7.6%, unemployment rate dropped from 7.2% to4.9%,
market capitalisation
ofthe
Colombo StockExchange
quadrupled, and the
budget deficit
doubled.
[237]
Over 90% of the households inSri Lanka are electrified; 87% of the population have access to safe drinkingwater; and 39% have access to pipe-borne water.
[237]
Income inequality has alsodropped in recent years, indicated by a
Gini coefficient
of 0.36 in 2010.
[244]
The 2011
GlobalCompetitiveness Report
, published by the
World Economic Forum
,described Sri Lanka's economy as transitioning from the factor-driven stage tothe efficiency-driven stage and that it ranked 52nd in global competitiveness.
[245]
Also, out of the 142countries surveyed, Sri Lanka ranked 45th in health and primary education, 32ndin business sophistication, 42nd in innovation, and 41st in goods marketefficiency. In 2016, Sri Lanka ranked 5th in the
World Giving Index
,registering high levels of contentment and charitable behaviour in its society.
[246]
In 2010,
The New York Times
placedSri Lanka at the top of its list of 31 places to visit.
[247]
S&P Dow JonesIndices
classifies Sri Lanka as a
frontier market
as of 2018.
[248]
SriLanka ranks
well above other South Asian countries in the
Human DevelopmentIndex
(HDI) with an index of 0.750.
By 2016, the country's debt soared as it was developing itsinfrastructure to the point of near bankruptcy which required a bailout fromthe
InternationalMonetary Fund
(IMF)
[249]
The IMF had agreed to providea US.5 billion bailout loan in April 2016 after Sri Lanka provided a set ofcriteria intended to improve its economy. By the fourth quarter of 2016, thedebt was estimated to be .9 billion. Additional debt had been incurred inthe past by state-owned organisations and this was said to be at least .5billion. Since early 2015, domestic debt increased by 12% and external debt by25%.
[250]
In November 2016, the IMFreported that the initial disbursement was larger than US0 millionoriginally planned, a full US2.6 million (SDR 119.894 million). The agency'sevaluation for the first tranche was cautiously optimistic about the future.Under the program Sri Lankan government implemented a new Inland Revenue Actand an automatic fuel pricing formula which were noted by the IMF in its fourthreview. In 2018 China agreed to bail out Sri Lanka with a loan of .25 billionto deal with foreign debt repayment spikes in 2019 to 2021.
[251]
[252]
[253]
Demographics
Sri Lanka has roughly 21,670,000 people and an annual populationgrowth rate of 1.14%. The
birth rate
is 17.6 births per1,000 people, and the
death rate
is 6.2 deaths per1,000 people.
[237]
Population density is highestin western Sri Lanka, especially in and around the capital.
Sinhalese
constitute the largest ethnicgroup in the country, with 74.8% of the total population.
[254]
Sri Lankan Tamils
are the second majorethnic group in the island, with a percentage of 11.2%.
Moors
comprise 9.2%. There are also smallethnic groups such as the
Burghers
(of mixed European descent)and
Malays
fromSoutheast Asia. Moreover, there is a small population of
Vedda people
whoare believed to be the original indigenous group to inhabit the island.
[255]
Culture
The
culture of Sri Lanka
isinfluenced primarily by Buddhism and Hinduism.
[314]
Sri Lanka is the home to twomain traditional cultures: the Sinhalese (centred in Kandy and Anuradhapura)and the Tamil (centred in Jaffna). Tamils co-existed with the Sinhalese peoplesince then, and the early mixing rendered the two ethnic groups almostphysically indistinct.
[315]
Ancient Sri Lanka is markedfor its genius in
hydraulicengineering
and
architecture
.The British colonial culture has also influenced the locals. The rich culturaltraditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the country's longlife expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate.
[316]
Food and festivals
Dishes include rice and curry,
pittu
,
kiribath
, wholemeal
roti
,
string hoppers
, wattalapam (a rich pudding ofMalay origin made with
coconut milk
,jaggery, cashews, eggs, and spices including cinnamon and nutmeg),
kottu
,and
appam
.
[317]
Jackfruit
may sometimes replace rice.Traditionally food is served on a
plantain leaf or lotusleaf
. Middle Eastern influences and practices are found intraditional Moor dishes, while Dutch and Portuguese influences are found withthe island's Burgher community preserving their culture through traditionaldishes such as
lamprais
(ricecooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf),
breudher
(Dutch holiday biscuit), andbolo fiado (Portuguese-style layer cake).
In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the
Buddhist
and
Hindu
newyear festivals.
[318]
Esala Perahera
is a symbolic Buddhistfestival consisting of dances and decorated elephants held in Kandy in July andAugust.
[319]
Fire dances, whip dances,Kandian dances and various other cultural dances are integral parts of thefestival. Christians celebrate
Christmas
on 25 December to celebrate thebirth of Jesus Christ and
Easter
to celebratethe resurrection of Jesus. Tamils celebrate
Thai Pongal
and
Maha Shivaratri
, and Muslims celebrate
Hajj
and
Ramadan
.
Sport
While the
national sport
is
volleyball
, by far the most popular sport inthe country is
cricket
.
[334]
Rugby union
also enjoys extensivepopularity,
[335]
as do
association football
,
netball
and
tennis
. Aquatic sports such as boating,surfing, swimming, kitesurfing
[336]
and
scuba diving
attract many Sri Lankans andforeign tourists. There are two styles of martial arts native to SriLanka:
Cheena di
and
Angampora
.
[337]
The
Sri Lankanational cricket team
achieved considerable success beginningin the 1990s, rising from
underdog
statusto winning the
1996 Cricket WorldCup
.
[338]
They also won the
2014 ICC WorldTwenty20
played in Bangladesh, beating India in the final. Inaddition, Sri Lanka became the runners-up of the
Cricket World Cup
in
2007
[339]
and
2011
,
[340]
and of the
ICC World Twenty20
in
2009
and
2012
.
[341]
Former Sri Lankan
off-spinner
Muttiah Muralitharan
hasbeen rated as the greatest
testmatch
bowler
everby
WisdenCricketers' Almanack
,
[342]
and four Sri Lankancricketers ranked 2nd (
Sangakkara
),4th (
Jayasuriya
),5th (
Jayawardene
)and 11th (
Dilshan
)highest ODI run scorers of all time, which is the second best by a team. SriLanka has won the
Asia Cup
in
1986
,
[343]
1997
,
[344]
2004
,
[345]
2008
[346]
and
2014
.
[347]
Sri Lanka once held highestteam score in all three formats of cricket.
[348]
The country co-hosted theCricket World Cup in
1996
and
2011
, andhosted the
2012 ICC WorldTwenty20
.
Sri Lankans have won two medals at
Olympic Games
: one silver, by
Duncan White
at
1948 London Olympics
formen's
400 metres hurdles
;
[349]
and one silver by
Susanthika Jayasinghe
at
2000 Sydney Olympics
forwomen's
200 metres
.
[350]
In 1973,
Muhammad Lafir
won the
World Billiards Championship
, the highest featby a Sri Lankan in a
Cue sport
.
[351]
Sri Lanka has also won theCarrom World Championship titles twice in 2012,
2016
[352]
and 2018, men's team becomingchampions and women's team won second place.
Old Collection
Postage Stamps Blocks
International Shipping will cost more.
Item sold for more than needs to have tracking.
2021 USPS Postage Rates and Prices
REGISTERED MAIL FEE is .30
INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE is .24 (2 oz)
INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE is .28 (3 oz)
TOTAL POSTAGE and FEES equal .58
Please check cost with seller before buying.
Thank you!
Combined Shipping for Multiple Purchases.
Shipped with USPS First Class Mail.