Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
This island off the southern tip of India,
with an area of just over 25,000 square
miles, was the seat of an ancient Sinhalese
civilization and a Buddhist culture when
the Portuguese made their first landfall
there in 1505. They quickly grasped its stra-
tegic significance as an extension of their
emerging power base in the western Indian
Ocean and a way station in their ever-
expanding Asian empire. The political divi-
sions within Ceylon facilitated Portuguese
tactics of divide and conquer and enabled
them to control the island with a relatively
modest military and naval presence. The
situation altered in the early 17th century
with the emergence of the Dutch Republic.
This former Spanish dependency in Europe
transformed itself into a colonial empire
builder, and Portugal, having become
attached to the Spanish Crown, became a
target of Dutch ambitions. Like many other
Portuguese outposts, Ceylon was repeat-
edly invaded by Dutch forces. The Portu-
guese and their local allies put up a dogged
resistance but were obliged to yield the
island in 1658. Ceylon was in turn captured
by British troops in 1796 and remained a
British possession until the coming of inde-
pendence in 1948.
by the Americans and detained at Ports-
mouth, New Hampshire, until the end of
the war. On his return home he was sub-
jected to a board of inquiry, which exoner-
ated him of blame for the defeat. In 1901
he was promoted to vice admiral and the
following year named chief of the naval
staff. He was a member of the Senate from
1903 until his death.
Cervera was the last in a long line of
Spanish admirals who created and defended
their nation's seaborne empire. It was his
misfortune to be sent on a hopeless mission
by a government that failed to provide ade-
quately for its soldiers and sailors and
demanded virtual suicide from them in
order to protect its political interests.
Ceuta
One of the last outposts of the Spanish
Empire, Ceuta is a port in North Africa,
across the Strait of G
IBRALTAR
from Spain. It
encompasses just under seven square miles,
containing a population of approximately
75,000. The site of a Phoenician trading
post, the city was held successively by
Romans, Vandals, and Arabs. Captured
from its Muslim rulers in the late Middle
Ages by Portugal, Ceuta was acquired by
Spain in 1580. Periodically besieged by
Moroccan rulers and still claimed by them,
Ceuta is nevertheless uncompromisingly
retained by Spain. During the early 21st
century Ceuta, along with her sister enclave
M
ELILLA
, became the target of many Afri-
can migrants seeking to gain entry into
Europe. A cosmopolitan city with a large
ethnic Berber Muslim minority, Ceuta is
known officially as an autonomous city,
having a rank between a standard Spanish
city and an autonomous community.
Charles I (Carlos I)
(1863-1908)
king of Portugal
Soon after succeeding his father, L
OUIS
I, in
1889, Charles displayed the contradictory
elements of his nature. Perceived by some
as extravagant and licentious, he was
widely admired as a patron of the arts, a
studious amateur scientist (with particular
commitment to oceanography), and the
promoter of handsome public works
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