The Sinhalese (Sinhala:සිංහල ජාතිය Sinhala Jathiya) are an ethnic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They constitute 74.9% 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.
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