Burgher people, also known simply as Burghers, are a small Eurasian ethnic group in Sri Lanka descended from Portuguese, Dutch, British and other European men who settled in Ceylon and developed relationships with native Sri Lankan women.
What is the race of a Sri Lankan?
Demographics of Sri LankaMajor ethnicSinhala (74.9%) (2012 census)Minor ethnicSri Lanka Tamil (11.1%) (2012 census) Moor (9.3%) (2012 census) Indian Tamil (4.1%) (2012 census)LanguageOfficialSinhala, Tamil24 more rows
Where did Sri Lankan Tamils originate from?
Modern Sri Lankan Tamils descend from residents of the Jaffna Kingdom, a former kingdom in the north of Sri Lanka and Vannimai chieftaincies from the east.
What are the 4 races in Sri Lanka?
The two main characteristics that mark a persons ethnic heritage are language and religion, which intersect to create four major ethnic groups--the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims, and the Burghers.
Do Sri Lankans have Portuguese ancestry?
Today, the Burgher community takes up 0.3% of the Sri Lankan population and consists of those who descend from any European origin such as Britain, Netherlands, Portugal, France, Germany and Spain. However, the majority of the Burghers are considered to be of Dutch and Portuguese origin.
Is Sri Lanka in Africa or Asia?
Sri Lanka is located in southern Asia, off the southeast coast of India. Sri Lanka is an island that is bordered by the Gulf of Mannar to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Indian Ocean to the south, and Palk Bay to the northwest. Sri Lanka is located in southern Asia, off the southeast coast of India.
Why do Sri Lankans have Portuguese?
When the Dutch took over Coastal Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), the descendants of the Portuguese took refuge in the central hills of Kandyan Kingdom under Sinhalese rule. Under Dutch rule Portuguese was banned, but the Portuguese speaking community was so widespread that even the Dutch started to speak Portuguese.
Who are native to Sri Lanka?
The Vedda are often seen as the native population of Sri Lanka. A 2011 study on dental characteristics suggested a close relation between Vedda and other South Asians as well as to western Eurasian populations.