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Sri Lanka

South Asia

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

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πŸ—ΊοΈ Colombo, Sri Lanka

Capital city

πŸ“ 6.9271Β°, 79.8612Β°View larger map β†’

πŸ“ Essential Info

CapitalColombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
TimezoneUTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Population22.1M
LanguagesSinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.)
Governmentpresidential republic

πŸ”Œ Practical Info

Driving SideLeft
Electrical PlugsVaries
Internet Code.lk
Internet Users51%
GDP per Capita$13,800

🌍 Geography

LocationSouthern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Size Comparisonslightly larger than West Virginia
Climatetropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrainmostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior

πŸ‘₯ People & Culture

Ethnic GroupsSinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)
ReligionsBuddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)
Median Age34.2 years
Life Expectancy76.8 years
National HolidayIndependence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948)

Cultural Information

Detailed cultural tips and phrases for Sri Lanka are not yet available. We're continually expanding our cultural guides. Check back soon!

Data sourced from the CIA World Factbook