Colombo is a metropolitan city with a population of nearly one million. It is the commercial Capital of Sri Lanka, which keeps pace with modern developments while preserving the Old World charms. Among the many places of interest in the City are the Fort, the Old Parliament House (presently the Presidential Secretariat), Buddhist temples, Old Churches, Hindu temples, Mosques, the National Museum, Independence Hall, Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall and the Zoological Gardens.