About Sri Lanka

Discover the amazing diversity of our culture, the natural beauty of the landscape and a complex history stretching back to 543 BC. Choose between a variety of experiences from lazing on the beach to driving in coral reefs, observing wildlife, mountain hikes through tea estates or wandering through the ruins of ancient temples and palaces. Welcome to the isle of serendipity.

All this is contained in a compact, tropical island whose people have been justifiably renowned for their warmth and hospitality.

The Aryans arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning 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 seized power in the north.  Occupied 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.

Geographically, Sri Lanka is an island situated in the Indian Ocean, at the base of the Indian Sub-Continent, 880 km north of the equator. Sri Lanka has a pleasant tropical climate. The average temperature of the low lands ranges between 25-30 degrees Celsius. It is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country with a diverse and rich culture with a total population of 19 million.

Statistics of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka History Since 16,000 BC	Literacy PercentMale: 92.3%  Female: 89.1% (2001 census)
CapitalColombo (Administrative) , Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte (Legislative)	LanguageSinhala, Tamil, English
Geography & MapsTotal: 65,610 sq km Land: 64,740 sq km Water: 870 sq km	Climate Pleasant tropical climate. Tropical monsoon, northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
GDP per CapitaU.S. $4,700	CurrencySri Lankan Rupees (Rs)
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)	ReligionBuddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Agriculture - products Rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish	Legal System Mixture of English Common Law, Roman-Dutch, Islamic, Sinhalese, and Customary Law
Sri Lanka History
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