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Today, Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean. It has no land borders with any other country. But millions of years ago, Sri Lanka was part of a large supercontinent called Pangea. Back then, Sri Lanka did not exist as an island. It was connected to several other landmasses that we now recognize as modern countries.
Pangea was a giant supercontinent that existed around 300 million years ago. All the landmasses on Earth were joined together as one. Over time, Pangea began to break apart. This process created the continents we know today, like Africa, South America, and Australia.
Scientists call this process “continental drift.” The movement of Earth’s tectonic plates caused Pangea to split. As a result, the lands that were once joined began to separate. This shifting of plates is still happening today, and it continues to shape the world we live in.
Around 100 million years ago, the process of continental drift caused Gondwana to split. Sri Lanka, which had been part of this giant landmass, began to drift away from its neighbors. First, Sri Lanka separated from Africa & Antarctica and moved northward, closer to the Indian subcontinent. Then, the landmass that included Sri Lanka and India began to break apart, forming the Indian Ocean. This process took millions of years, and Sri Lanka became the island we know today.
When Pangea was breaking apart, Sri Lanka was part of a landmass called Gondwana. Gondwana was a large landmass that included present-day South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and India. Sri Lanka was positioned near the southern part of Gondwana, close to the lands that would eventually become India and Madagascar.
At that time, Sri Lanka was not an island. It was connected to these landmasses by a land bridge. Sri Lanka shared borders with several other places, including India, Maldives, Madagascar, Mozambique, and even Antarctica. This is very different from Sri Lanka today, where it is isolated in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
One of the most significant land borders Sri Lanka would have shared in Pangea was with India. The Indian subcontinent was part of the same landmass as Sri Lanka. This land connection lasted for millions of years, even after Gondwana began to break apart.
As the continents drifted, India slowly moved northward, while Sri Lanka remained in its position. Around 100 million years ago, the landmass that included Sri Lanka and India began to split apart. This split caused Sri Lanka to eventually drift away from India. Over time, the Indian Ocean formed between the two landmasses, turning Sri Lanka into an island.
During the time of Pangea, Sri Lanka and the Maldives were both part of the supercontinent Gondwana. They shared a geographical connection as part of the larger landmass. At this time, the landmasses that would form Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, and other regions were all connected by land bridges.
As Gondwana began to break apart around 180 million years ago, the landmasses drifted apart due to tectonic forces. Over time, the land bridge connecting Sri Lanka and the Maldives with other regions of Gondwana was lost. As a result of these tectonic shifts, Sri Lanka and the Maldives became isolated from each other. Sri Lanka emerging as a larger landmass, while the Maldives became a small archipelago of low-lying islands.
Another fascinating connection is Sri Lanka’s relationship with Madagascar. These two lands were once part of the same larger landmass. As Pangea began to break apart, Madagascar and Sri Lanka drifted away from each other.
Today, the two islands are separated by the vast Indian Ocean. However, if you look closely at their shapes and geological features, you can see that they share many similarities. For example, both Sri Lanka and Madagascar have unique plants and animals that are found nowhere else in the world. This is because, millions of years ago, they were connected and evolved together.
Sri Lanka’s connection with the African continent, specifically with modern-day Mozambique, is another interesting aspect of its past. When Gondwana broke apart, Sri Lanka and parts of Africa were connected by a land bridge. This was long before the Indian Ocean opened up.Today, Sri Lanka is thousands of kilometers away from Africa, but it is possible to see the traces of their ancient connection. Similar rocks and fossils have been found in both Sri Lanka and parts of Mozambique, suggesting that these landmasses were once neighbors.
Perhaps the most surprising connection is Sri Lanka’s link to Antarctica. Yes, millions of years ago, Sri Lanka was much closer to Antarctica than it is today. During the time of Gondwana, Antarctica was not the cold, frozen landmass we think of today. It was located closer to the equator, with a much warmer climate.
As Gondwana broke apart, Antarctica began to move southward, becoming the icy continent it is now. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, stayed in its position in the Indian Ocean. The distance between Sri Lanka and Antarctica is now huge, but it was much smaller during the time of Pangea.
Sri Lanka’s geological past is incredibly interesting. It has a long history of being connected to other parts of the world. Today, Sri Lanka’s isolation has allowed it to develop a unique ecosystem with many species that are found nowhere else on Earth. Its biodiversity, in fact, is one of the richest in the world.
The island’s geology also tells a fascinating story. The rocks in Sri Lanka are some of the oldest on Earth, dating back over 500 million years. This gives scientists a window into the planet’s ancient past and the forces that shaped the land.
While Sri Lanka is now an island, its history as part of Gondwana and Pangea connects it to many other continents. These ancient connections have shaped Sri Lanka’s environment, plants, animals, and even its people. Understanding this history gives us a deeper appreciation for Sri Lanka’s unique place in the world.
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