"Colombo is a derivative of 'Kola-amba-thota', which means 'mango harbour'. The history of this vivacious city dates back nearly 2000 years, when the Muslims handled trade between Sri Lanka (known as Serendib) and rest of the world. The importance of Colombo was further enhanced when the British conquered the entire island and marked the city as the capital of Ceylon. Although the country's capital city was changed to Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, many still consider Colombo to be Sri Lanka's capital."