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{Sinhalese People}

The Sinhalese (Sinhala: සිංහල ජාතිය Sinhala Jathiya, also known as Hela or Sinhale) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They constitute 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number greater than 15 million. The Sinhalese identity is based on language, historical heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language, and are predominantly Theravada Buddhists, although a small percentage of Sinhalese follow branches of Christianity. The Sinhalese are mostly found in North central, Central, South, and West Sri Lanka. According to Mahavamsa, an ancient treatise written in Pali, the Sinhalese are the descendants of settlers who came to the island in 543 BCE from Sinhapura in India, led by Prince Vijaya.

Modern genetic investigations suggest that the Sinhalese are most closely related to the Bengali people. However, the original hunter - gatherer inhabitants of Sri Lanka, also called "Vedda" or "Vanniya-Laeto" predate them.