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Colombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, located on the west coast adjacent to the present administrative capital of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
Like many cities, Colombo's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single local authority. This is the Greater Colombo Region or the Metropolitan Region.
The name Colombo was introduced by the Portuguese, replacing the classical name "kalan thota", or "Kolon thota", meanining "portal" of the river Kelani. It has also been suggested, but mostly in non-acedemic circles, that the name is derived from the Sinhala name Kola-amba-thota which means "harbour with leafy mango trees". Traveller Ibn Batuta in the 14th century referred to it as Kalanpu. Today's Colombo is a busy vibrant city with a mixture of modern life and colonial ruins.
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