The official languages of Sri Lanka are:

Sinhala and Tamil are the official and national languages of Sri Lanka; English is recognised as a "link language".

History of language policy in Sri Lanka:

Under British rule, English was the main language of government and education.

The "Official Language Act" of 1956 (the "Sinhala Only Act"), passed by the government of Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, made Sinhala the sole official language.

This upset the Tamil-speaking minority and contributed to ethnic tensions, which later led to the civil war between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), from 1983 to 2009.

The "Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act" of 1958 gave Tamil some recognition.

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution (1987), following the India-Sri Lanka Accord, made Tamil an official language along with Sinhala, and English a "link language".

The 16th Amendment (1988) further strengthened the status of Tamil.

About Sinhala:

• It is an Indo-Aryan language, related to languages of northern India.
• It is spoken as a first language by the Sinhalese, who form about 75 per cent of the population.
• It has its own script, derived from the Brahmi script, with rounded letters.

About Tamil in Sri Lanka:

• It is a Dravidian language.
• It is spoken by Sri Lankan Tamils (mainly in the north and east), Indian Tamils (plantation workers in the central hills) and most Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims).

About Sri Lanka:

• It was called "Ceylon" until 1972, when it became a republic.
• It gained independence from Britain on 4 February 1948.
• Its currency is the Sri Lankan rupee.
• Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first woman Prime Minister in 1960.
• The Palk Strait separates it from India; Adam's Bridge (Ram Setu) is a chain of shoals between them.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Sinhala and English: English is a link language, not an official language.
• ✗Tamil and English: Sinhala is also official.
• ✗Sinhala only: this was the policy of 1956, later changed.