Sri Lanka is a tropical island located in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. The country, which has a rich history spanning more than 2,500 years, is known for its diverse cultures, languages, and religions.
Sri Lanka is famous for its tea, known around the world as “Ceylon Tea.” The major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka are Sinhalese, Tamil, and Moor. Sinhalese and Tamil are the official languages, while English is the link language.
Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, while Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the administrative capital. Tourism is one of the major income sources of Sri Lanka, which is blessed with beautiful beaches and significant biodiversity.
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Official name: |
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
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Government type: |
Republic |
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Location: |
Between 5° 55’ & 9° 50’ North Latitude |
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Dimensions: |
433 km (269 miles) North to South |
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Coastline: |
1,340Km |
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Area: |
65,610 Km2 |
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Currency (code): |
Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) |
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Independence: |
4 February 1948 |
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Administrative Capital: |
Sri Jayewardenepura |
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Commercial Capital: |
Colombo |
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Administrative Divisions: |
9 Provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western, and Eastern |
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Climate: |
Low country: min. 24.4° C – max. 31.7° C |
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Terrain: |
Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in South-Central interior |
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Highest mountain: |
Pidurutalagala, 2,524m |
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Highest waterfall: |
Bambarakanda, 263m |
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National Flower |
The Sky Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea Nouchali). |
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Population: |
22,181,000 (2022) |
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Population growth rate: |
0,11 % (2022) |
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Population Density: |
354 persons per km2 (2022) |
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Life Expectancy at Birth |
75.5 (2017) |
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Literacy rate: |
93.3 % (2021) |
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Ethnic groups: |
Sinhalese 74.9 % , Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2 % , Indian Tamil 4.1 %, Sri Lankan Moors 9.3 % , other 0,15 % ( 2012 Census) |
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Languages: |
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% |
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Religion: |
Buddhist 70.1%, Muslim 9.7 % Hindu 12.6%, Christian 7.6 % (2012 census) |
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Time zone: |
Sri Lanka Standard Time is five and a half hours ahead of GMT. (Allowance should be made for summer-time changes in Europe.) |
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International dialing: |
+94 |
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Electricity: |
230 . 240 volts, 50 cycles AC. If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer |
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Economy: |
Sri Lanka’s most dynamic sectors are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2006, plantation crops made up only 15% of exports (90% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for more than 60%. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% of them in the Middle East. They send home more than US$1 billion a year. |
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Labour Force Participation Rate |
49.8 % (2022) |
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Agriculture & products |
Rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconutsm milk, eggs, hides, beef, fish |
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Industries: |
Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining. |
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Exports: |
USD13,106 million (2022) |
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Imports: |
USD18,291 million (2022) |
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP): |
GDP Per Capita at current Market Price, Rs24,148 billion (2022) |
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Flag description: |
Yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels |