The Sinhalese are an ethnic group forming the majority in Sri Lanka, constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population. They number approximately 15 million in the world. They live mainly in central, south and west Sri Lanka. According to legend they are the descendants of the exiled Prince Vijaya who arrived from North-East India to Sri Lanka in 543 BCE. The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The vast majority of Sinhalese are Theravada Buddhists and speak Sinhala, an Indo-European language belonging to the sub group of Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian branch.