In world geography and colonial history, the island nation now known as Sri Lanka was formerly called by which of the following names?

Introduction / Context:
Many countries changed their official names after gaining independence from colonial powers. Knowing the old and new names is an important part of world general knowledge and helps in understanding historical maps and documents. Sri Lanka, a large island nation in the Indian Ocean south of India, had a different colonial era name. This question asks which name was used before the present one, which commonly appears in history books related to the British Empire and trade in the Indian Ocean region.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The modern country is Sri Lanka.
• We are asked for the former name of this island under colonial rule.
• Options include Maldives, Bali, Ceylon and Madagascar.
• Only one of these names is historically associated with Sri Lanka.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is recognising that Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon during periods of Portuguese, Dutch and especially British rule. By contrast, Maldives is a separate island nation, Bali is an island in Indonesia and Madagascar is a large island off the coast of Africa. A quick mental map of the Indian Ocean and South Asia allows us to match each historical name to the correct location. The approach is to recall which colonial term appears alongside Sri Lankan tea, cinnamon and plantation history in textbooks and on older postage stamps.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Sri Lanka was under British rule and known internationally as Ceylon until it became a republic and changed its name in the twentieth century.Step 2: Remember that famous products like Ceylon tea and Ceylon cinnamon are directly linked to Sri Lanka.Step 3: Identify Maldives as a separate archipelago southwest of Sri Lanka, with its own independent history and never used as the name for Sri Lanka.Step 4: Recognise Bali as a small island and province of Indonesia, famous for tourism and Hindu temples, not for being Sri Lanka.Step 5: Recognise Madagascar as a large island near Africa, completely separate from the Indian subcontinent.Step 6: Conclude that the only correct former name of Sri Lanka among the options is Ceylon.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick check in an atlas or history reference would show that older maps label the island as Ceylon and newer maps label it as Sri Lanka. Historical accounts of British colonial rule refer to the Crown colony of Ceylon, which gained independence in 1948. Government documents, cricket records and postage stamps from before the name change also use the word Ceylon. None of these sources use Maldives, Bali or Madagascar to refer to Sri Lanka. This confirms that Ceylon is the correct choice and that the other options describe separate islands or countries.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Maldives is wrong because it is a different island country, made up of many small atolls and best known today for tourism and fishing, not as a former name for Sri Lanka. Bali is wrong because it is part of Indonesia and is located far to the east in Southeast Asia. Madagascar is wrong because it is located off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean and has its own distinct history. None of these names were used as the colonial name for Sri Lanka, so they do not match the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse island names in the Indian Ocean, especially if they do not picture the map clearly. Another pitfall is to focus on which name sounds most familiar without linking it to the correct country. Ceylon may appear mainly in contexts like tea or spices, so learners might not immediately connect it to modern Sri Lanka unless they have seen both names together. To avoid mistakes, try to remember at least one strong association for each old name, such as Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka, and keep a mental picture of where each island lies relative to India and Africa.

Final Answer:
The island nation now called Sri Lanka was formerly known by the colonial era name Ceylon.