Colombo vs Tartu

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Colombo (; Sinhala: කොළඹ, romanized: Kolamba, pronunciation [ˈkəlɐmbɞ]; Tamil: கொழும்பு, romanized: Kozhumpu, Tamil pronunciation: [koɻumbu]) is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo metropolitan area has a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 in the city proper. It is the financial centre of the island and a tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the Greater Colombo area which includes Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka and Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a suburb of, Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of the Western Province and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant city with a mixture of modern life, colonial buildings and monuments.Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East–West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago.

It was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Like many cities, Colombo's urban area extends well beyond the boundaries of a single local authority, encompassing other municipal and urban councils such as Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Municipal Council, Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Council, Kolonnawa Urban Council, Kaduwela Municipal Council and Kotikawatte Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha. The main city is home to a majority of Sri Lanka's corporate offices, restaurants and entertainment venues. Famous landmarks in Colombo include Galle Face Green, Viharamahadevi Park, Beira Lake, Colombo Racecourse, Planetarium, University of Colombo, Mount Lavinia beach, Dehiwala Zoological Garden, Nelum Pokuna Theatre, Colombo Lotus Tower as well as the National Museum.

Source: Wikipedia

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Tartu (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈtɑrtˑu], South Estonian: Tarto) is the second largest city of Estonia, after Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn. Situated 186 kilometres (116 miles) southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, the capital of Latvia. The distance to Estonia's summer holiday capital Pärnu in the west is 176 kilometres (109 miles) and the fastest route there by car is through Viljandi and Kilingi-Nõmme. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi ("Mother river"), which connects the two largest lakes of Estonia, Lake Võrtsjärv and Lake Peipus.

The city is served by Tartu Airport. Tartu is often considered the intellectual centre of the country, especially since it is home to the nation's oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu; Tartu itself is also the oldest city of Estonia and other Baltic countries. Tartu houses the Supreme Court of Estonia, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Estonian National Museum, and the oldest Estonian-language theater, Vanemuine. It is also the birthplace of the Estonian Song Festivals. Tartu is going to be the European Capital of Culture in 2024.

Source: Wikipedia