Sri Lanka Fact File
Set in the Indian Ocean in South Asia, the tropical island nation of Sri Lanka has a history dating back to the birth of time. It is a place where the original soul of Buddhism still flourishes and where nature’s beauty remains abundant and unspoilt.
Few places in the world can offer the traveller such a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location. Within a mere area of 65,610 kilometres lie 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometres of coastline - much of it pristine beach - 15 national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, 25,000 water bodies, to a culture that extends back to over 2,500 years.
Official Name: |
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
Government Type: |
Republic |
Location : |
Latitude 5° 55. to 9° 50. north, Longitude 79° 42. to 81° 52., 650km north of the equator |
Dimensions : |
430km North to South, 225km East to West |
Coastline : |
1,340km |
Area : |
65,525km |
Currency (code): |
Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) |
Independence: |
4 February 1948 |
Administrative Capital : |
Sri Jayewardenepura |
Commercial Capital : |
Colombo |
Administrative Divisions: |
Typically tropical, with a northeast monsoon (December to March) bringing unsettled weather to the north and east, and a southwest monsoon (June to October) bringing bad weather to the south and west |
Terrain: |
Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior |
Highest Mountain : |
Pidurutalagala, 2,524m |
Highest Waterfall :
National Anthem: |
Bambarakanda, 263m
"Sri Lanka Matha" composed by late Mr. Ananda Samarakoon. |
National Flower:
National Tree:
National Bird: |
The Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata).
The Ironwood (Na Tree), botanically known as ”Mesua Nagassarium”
Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl – Very colourful ground bird |
National Parks and Nature Reserves Area : |
8,000sq.km |
Population: |
21,128,773 |
Pop. Growth Rate: |
1.3% |
Population Density: |
309 people per sq km |
Life Expectancy at Birth |
74 female, 64 male |
Literacy Rate : |
Female 87.9 Male 92.5 |
Ethnic Groups: |
Sinhalese, 74%; Tamil, 18%; Muslim 7%; Burgher (descendants of Dutch and Portuguese colonist) and others 1% |
Languages: |
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% |
Religion: |
Buddhism 70%; Hinduism 16%; Christianity 7%; Islam 7% |
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.) |
International Dialing : |
+94 |
Electricity : |
230. 240 volts, 50 cycles AC. If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer |
Economy: |
Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, 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. |
Labour Force |
34.3% of the labour population is employed in agriculture, 25.3% in industry and 40.4% in services: 40.4% (30 June 2006 est.) The unemployment rate is 5.7% (2007 est.) |
Agriculture & Products |
Rice, Sugarcane, Grains, Pulses, Oilseed, Spices, Tea, Rubber, Coconuts, milk, Eggs, Hides, Beef, Fish |
Industries: |
Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities, telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles, cement, petroleum refining. |
Exports: |
Textiles and apparel; tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish |
Imports: |
Main import commodities are textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment: $10.61 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.). Percentage of main commodities from main import partners: India 19.6%, China 10.5%, Singapore 8.8%, Iran 5.7%, Malaysia 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2006) |
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): |
Purchasing power parity: $81.29 billion (2007 est.). Official exchange rate: $30.01 billion (2007 est.) Real growth rate: 6.3% (2007 est.) Per capita: $4,100 (2007 est.) composition by sector: Agriculture: 16.5% Industry: 26.9% |
Gross National Product (GNP): |
Sri Lanka is placed in 76th place in GNP figures of the world’s nations with $22.8 billion (2005) |
(Courtesy:www.gov.lk / Sri Lanka Tourism )
Flag description:
(Courtesy: www.gov.lk )