Fact file

• The Weather
• Sri Lanka Tourist Board

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  Map of Sri Lanka

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  Adam's Peak

  Sri Lanka's holy mountain sacred since ancient times to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.
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  Sigiriya

  One of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka, Sirigiya is the ancient rock fortress and palace ruin surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures built in the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495).
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  Taprobane Island

  Located just off the south coast Taprobane Island is now available for hire via this site.
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  Drummers

  Performing at the annual Perahara in Kandy that takes place over the full moon in August.
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  Aukana

  The village of Aukana is home to the most perfectly preserved ancient 12m high statue in Sri Lanka. The magnificent free-standing statue carved out of a single rock is the tallest Buddha statue in existence today. Following the destruction of similar but much larger statues at Bamiyan in Afghanistan, the Aukana Buddha has gained even greater significance in the Buddhist World
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  Ice cream seller

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  Buduruvagala

  A Buddhist monk stands in front of the complex consisting of seven statues belonging to the Mahayana school of thought dating back to 10 century AD. The gigantic Buddha statue still bears traces of its original stuccoed robe.
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  Tea Pluckers

  Since the introduction of tea to Sri Lanka in mid 19th century Sri Lanka has become one of the world's largest exporters of tea. For many miles prior to reaching Nuwara Eliya from either direction you will find acres and acres of tea plantations, infact nothing but tea plantations.
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  Elephants

  The Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), originally from India, is the nominate subspecies of the Asian Elephant and is the largest of the subspecies. The main park in SL is Yala, situated 309 km south of Colombo, and approx 1,259 sq.km.
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  Silt fishermen

  An iconic sight along the south coast around Galle stilt fishing might die out with the current generation.
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  Flag

  The lion represents bravery, and the four bo leaves represent meththa, karuna, muditha and upeksha. The orange stripe represents the Sri Lankan Tamils, the green stripe represents Sri Lankan Moors, the crimson background represents European Burghers and is also a reference to the rich colonial background of the country and the yellow border represents other ethnic groups such as Sri Lankan Malays

Introduction

Country name

long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Background

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century.

The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. In May 2009, the government announced that its military had finally defeated the remnants of the LTTE and that its leader, Velupillai Prabakaran had been killed.

Location

Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India. 7 00 N, 81 00 E

Area

total:65,610 sq km

Max length: 432 km

Max width: 224 km

Population

21,324,791: Population density is 308 people per sq km. (UK is 254, Australia is 2.9, and Macau is 18.5m)  

Life Expectancy

75.14 years

Ethnic groups

Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Religions

Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Literacy

defined as age 15 and over who can read and write: 90.7%

Government

President: President Mahinda P Rajapakse (since 19 November 2005)

Dissanayake M Jayaratne holds the largely ceremonial title of prime minister (since 21 April 2010)

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister

GDP (per capita)

$4,500 (2009 est.) - country comparison to the world: 150

Internet users

1.164 million (2008) - country comparison to the world: 83

Voltage

230/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 3-pin plugs are usual with bayonet lamp fittings.

GSM network

900

Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs) 100 cents = Rs 1. Change money on arrival (Rs are not available outside SL).

ATMs in major towns. Credit cards accepted in main towns.