Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean is geographically situated towards to the south of the Indian subcontinent. It lies between 5O 55′ and 9O 55′ north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes of 79O 42′ and 81O 52′. Known as Taprobane, Serendib, Ceylon and the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, Sri Lanka is a tropical island nation located off the southern coast of India. Sri Lanka is well known for its natural beauty, climate and spices which attracted visitors, traders and tourists since ancient times. The island nation was an important trading post along the the historic spice route and the ancient maritime silk route, and is today strategically located along the East - West sea and air routes.

Few places in the world can offer the traveler such a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location.
Within an area of 65,610 sq.km. lie 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 1,330 km of coastline - much of it pristine, 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.Sri Lanka's documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of pre-historic human settlements dating back to at least 125,000 years.

COUNTRY PROFILE

• Official Name : Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  
• Currency (Code) : Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
  
• Independence : 4 February 1948
  
• Administrative Capital : Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte
  
• Commercial Capital :Colombo
  

GEOGRAPHY

• Climate : Typically tropical, with a northeast monsoon (December to March), and a southwest monsoon (June to October)
  
• Location North : Latitude 5° 55. to 9° 50., East Longitude 79° 42. to 81° 52.
  
• Dimension : 433km North to South, 226km East to West
  
• Area : 65,610 sq.km
  
• Coastline : 1,340km
  
• Highest Mountain : Pidurutalagala, 2,524m
  
• Highest Waterfall : Bambarakanda, 263m
  
• National Parks, Nature Reserves Area : 8,000sq.km

DEMOGRAPHY

• Population : 21,803,000 (2019)
  
• Population : Growth Rate 0.6% (2019)
  
• Population Density : 348 people per sq km (2019)
  
• Life Expectancy at Birth : 75.5 (2017)
  
• Literacy Rate : 92.5 (Female 91.6 Male 93.4) (2018)
  
• Ethnic Groups : Sinhala 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.1%, Sri Lankan Moor 9.3%, Indian Tamil 4.1%, Other 0.5% (2012)
  
• Religions : Buddhist 70.1%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic & Christian 7.6%, Other 0.03% (2012)

ECONOMY

• GDP at current market price : (US$ billion) 84.0 (2019)
  
• Per Capita GDP at Market Price : (US$) 3852 (2019)
  
• GDP - real growth rate 2.3% (2019)
  
• GDP - composition, by sector of origin : Agriculture : 7.0%, industry : 26.4%, services : 57.4% (2019)
  
• Labor force : 8,181,000 (2019)
  
• Labor force - by occupation : Agriculture : 25.3%, Industry : 27.6%, Services : 47.6% (2019)
  
• Unemployment rate : 4.8% (2019)
  
• Agriculture Exports : Tea, Rubber, Coconut, Spices, Vegetables, Unmanufactured Tobacco, Seafood
  
• Industrial Exports : Textiles & Garments; Rubber Products; Petroleum Products; Gems & Jewelry; Food, beverages & Tobacco; Machinery & Mechanical Appliances; Printing Industry Products; Transport Equipment; Leather, Travel goods & Footwear; Ceramic products
  
• Total exports : US$ 11.94 billion (2019)
  
• Exports Partners : US 26%, UK 8%, India 6%, Germany 5.4%, Italy 4.4% (2019)
  
• Total imports : US$ 19.94 billion (2019)
  
• Main Imports : Vehicles, Fuels, Textile & Textile Articles, Medical & Pharmaceuticals, Home Appliances, Food & Beverages, Diamonds, Precious stone, Metals, Chemical Products, Fertilizer, Building Materials, Transport equipment, Machinery & Equipment
  
• Import Partners : China 20.2%, India 19.6%, UAE 8.4%, Singapore 4.8%, Japan 4.4% (2019) 

Source: CIA World fact book