Sri Lankan Tamils
| இலங்கை தமிழர் ஈழத் தமிழர் |
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|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 3,000,000 (estimated; excluding Sri Lankan Moors and Indian Tamils) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Sri Lanka |
2,270,924 (2012) |
 Canada |
143,000-200,000 |
 United Kingdom |
~120,000 (2006) |
 India |
~100,000 (2005) |
 Germany |
~60,000 (2008) |
 France |
~50,000 (2008) |
 Switzerland |
~35,000 (2006) |
 Australia |
~30,000 |
 Italy |
~25,000 |
 Malaysia |
~24,436 (1970) |
 Netherlands |
~20,000 |
 Norway |
~10,000 (2000) |
 Denmark |
~9,000 (2003) |
| Languages | |
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| Religion | |
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| Related ethnic groups | |
Sri Lankan Tamils (Tamil: இலங்கை தமிழர், ilankai tamiḻar ? also Tamil: ஈழத் தமிழர், īḻat tamiḻar ?) or Ceylon Tamils, also known as Eelam Tamils in Tamil, are members of the Tamil ethnic group native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. According to anthropological and archaeological evidence, Sri Lankan Tamils have a very long history in Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since at least around the 2nd century BCE. Most modern Sri Lankan Tamils claim descent from residents of Jaffna Kingdom, a former kingdom in the north of the island and Vannimai chieftaincies from the east. They constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Province, and are in the minority throughout the rest of the country. 70% of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka live in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Although Sri Lankan Tamils are culturally and linguistically distinct, genetic studies indicate that they are closely related to Sinhalese ethnic group in the island. The Sri Lankan Tamils are mostly Hindus with a significant Christian population. Sri Lankan Tamil literature on topics including religion and the sciences flourished during the medieval period in the court of the Jaffna Kingdom. Since the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War in the 1980s, it is distinguished by an emphasis on themes relating to the conflict. Sri Lankan Tamil dialects are noted for their archaism and retention of words not in everyday use in the Tamil Nadu state in India.
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