In 1948, British Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, Ceylon became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. It is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India.n 1948, when Sri Lanka achieved independence from Britain, the Governor was replaced with a Governor-General. The Governor-General was responsible not to London, but to the Monarch of Ceylon, the local government, and the local parliament. The Governor-General was a largely ceremonial figure.