Ceylon, as a country name
- Cause of death
- Killed by regulation
The country became a republic in 1972 and the new constitution changed its official name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka.
Ceylon was the European mapmakers' name for the island, extended over the whole of it when the British united it under one administration in 1833, and kept through independence in 1948. In 1972 the country became a republic and adopted the name Sri Lanka. The old name is not entirely gone: it still turns up in trade, which is why tea from a country that has not been called Ceylon in more than fifty years is still sold as Ceylon tea.
Replaced by Sri Lanka.
Standing in the archive
Rank 3 of 127 by lifespan. Ceylon, as a country name outlasted 98% of everything else on file.
Cite this entry
"Ceylon, as a country name." How Long It Lasted, https://www.howlongitlasted.com/thing/ceylon.
Died nearby
- Alert Energy Caffeine Gum9 days · killed by regulation
- Boeing 767 Freighterabout 31 years · killed by regulation
- Cape Kennedyabout 9 years · killed by regulation
- Czechoslovakia, as a country nameabout 74 years · killed by regulation
- Dodge Viperabout 25 years · killed by regulation
Sources
- Sri Lanka | History, Map, Flag, Population, Capital, & Facts — Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Sri Lanka country profile — BBC News
Last checked by a human on 24 July 2026