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Story: Sri Lankans

18th century map of Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This map of Ceylon was drawn with European traders in mind. The topography of the island is shown by cross-section drawings of hill country, and its resources are indicated by place names such as ‘Cinnamon Coast’.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: MapColl F100aj/1798/Acc.24351

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Sri Lankans – Immigration, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/1133/18th-century-map-of-ceylon-sri-lanka (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.