Sri Lanka at a Glance

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.

This is an island of magical proportions, once known as Serendib, Taprobane, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and Ceylon. Discover refreshingly Sri Lanka!

• 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: 65,525km²
• Currency (code): Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
• Independence: 4 February 1948
• Administrative Capital: Sri Jayewardenepura
• Commercial Capital: Colombo
• Highest Mountain: Pidurutalagala, 2,524m
• Highest Waterfall: Bambarakanda, 263m
• National Flower: The Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata)
• Population: 21,128,773
• Literacy Rate: Female 87.9 Male 92.5
• Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% Note: English (a link language commonly) is used in government and spoken competently by about 10% of the population
• Religion: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census)
• 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