Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations that shared a monarch with the United Kingdom. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. It is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India. In the early years of its independence Ceylon was described as a dominion while afterwards, especially after 1953, it was described as a realm.