city (1995 est. pop. 114,000), capital of Sri Lanka. A suburb of Colombo (the former capital) previously known as Kotte, the city was designated as the future capital of the country and renamed in 1977. A new parliament building was constructed, and its opening in 1982 inaugurated the new capital, but the president's house and many government ministries remain in Colombo. The Univ. of Sri Jayewardenapura is nearby. The city was the capital of the Kotte kingdom in the 15th and 16th cent.
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