The beautiful and culturally rich nation of Sri Lanka is in economic and political collapse. With its President fleeing the country on a military jet amid mass protests, we take a look at the foundations of Sri Lanka, it's recent political history, and how one powerful family brought the nation to its knees.

Our recommendations for further reading/watching/looking:

A photo gallery of the President's official residence in Colombo during the mostly peaceful protests

How one powerful family wrecked a country - Washington Post