 Sri Lanka
Facts and Figures
Source: CIA World Factbook |
| Coordinates |
7 00 N, 81 00 E |
| Area |
total: 65,610 sq km land: 64,740 sq km water: 870 sq km |
| Climate |
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) |
| Terrain |
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior |
| Population |
20,926,315 note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages |
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population |
| Imports |
textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment |
| Exports |
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish |
| Hazards |
occasional cyclones and tornadoes |
| Resources |
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower |
| Geography |
strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes |
| Nationality |
noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan |
| Capital |
name: Colombo geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) |
| Internet Country Code |
.lk |
| Internet Users |
280,000 (2005) |
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