Colombo (
Sinhala:
කොළඹ, pronounced ; ) is the commercial capital and
largest city of
Sri Lanka. According to the
Brookings Institution, Colombo has a population of
5.6 million]metropolitan area, and 752,993 in the
City proper. It is the financial centre of the island and a popular tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a satellite city of, Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of
Western Province, Sri Lanka and the district capital of
Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant place with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins. It was the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982.