| Official name: | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
| Government type: | Republic |
| Location: | Latitude 5° 55. to 9° 50. north, longitude 79° 42. to 81° 52., 650 km north of the equator |
| Dimensions: | 430 km north to south, 225 km east to west |
| Coastline: | 1,340 km |
| Area: | 65,525 km |
| Currency (code): | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Independence: | 4 February 1948 |
| Administrative capital: | Sri Jayewardenapura |
| Commercial capital: | Colombo |
| Administrative divisions: | 9 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western, Eastern Province |
| Climate: | Tropical, with a northeast monsoon (Dec–Mar) affecting north and east, and a southwest monsoon (Jun–Oct) affecting south and west |
| Terrain: | Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior |
| Highest mountain: | Pidurutalagala, 2,524m |
| Highest waterfall: | Bambarakanda, 263m |
| National Flower: | The Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata) |
| National parks and nature reserves area: | 8,000 sq.km |
| Population (Mid 2021): | 22,156,000 |
| Population growth rate (2021): | 1.1% |
| Population Density: | 353 people per sq km |
| Life Expectancy at Birth: | Female 80, Male 77 |
| Literacy rate: | Female 92.2%, Male 93.8% |
| Ethnic groups: | Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, other 0.5% |
| Languages: | Sinhala 87%, Tamil 28.5%, English 23.8% |
| Note: | English is used in government and spoken competently by 23.8% of the population |
| Religion: | Buddhist 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% |
| Time zone: | Sri Lanka Standard Time is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT |
| International dialing: | +94 |
| Electricity: | 230-240 volts, 50 Hz. Bring a stabilizer for laptops |
| Economy: |
Growth of 3.7% in 2021. All sectors grew: agriculture 2.0%, industry 5.3%, services 3.0%.
Key sectors: food processing, textiles/apparel, IT/BPO, construction, telecom, banking.
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| Labour force: |
Agriculture 27.3%, Industry 26%, Services 46.7%; Unemployment 5.1% (2021).
1.7 million migrants abroad; ~200,000 annual outflow.
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| Agriculture & products: | rice, coconuts, sugar cane, plantains, milk, tea, cassava, maize, poultry, coir |
| Industries: | rubber, tea, tobacco, telecom, insurance, banking, tourism, textiles, cement, IT, construction |
| Exports: |
Apparel, shipbuilding, Ceylon tea, coconut products, gems, food/beverages, rubber, spices.
Export partners: USA 25%, UK 7.6%, India 6.7%, Germany 6%, Italy 4.7%
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| Imports: |
Textiles, petroleum, food, machinery, transport equipment.
Import partners: China 24%, India 22%, UAE 6.5%, Malaysia 4%, Singapore 3.6%
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| GDP: |
2021 GDP at constant prices: Rs. 9,881.4 bn (+3.7%), at current prices: Rs. 16,809.3 bn (~US$84.5 bn).
GDP per capita: Rs. 758,680 (US$3,815)
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| GNI: |
GNI grew 12.3% in 2021, driven by improved net primary income and GDP growth
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| National Flag: |
First hoisted March 3, 1950; design approved by a committee appointed by PM D. S. Senanayake
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