Last updated on June 20th, 2022
47. National Animal
Sri Lanka has no official national animal. People though consider the elephant, lion, and grizzled giant squirrel as such.
48. Embraces Free Education
The country offers free education from primary to university. However, free education in state universities is competitive and limited.
49. Its Largest City
Colombo is Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and largest city, with an estimated population of over 7.5 million residents. It’s best known for Dutch-colonial style buildings, and other historical attractions.
50. Has a National Flower
Sri Lanka recognizes the Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea nouchali) as its national flower. It is also the national flower of Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka – country at a glance
| Independence | 4 February 1948 (from the UK) |
|---|---|
| Capital City | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative) Colombo (executive and judicial) 6°56′N 79°52′E |
| Largest City | Colombo |
| Area | total: 65,610 sq km land: 64,630 sq km water: 980 sq km |
| Population | 23,044,123 (July 2021 est.) |
| Official Language | Sinhala Tamil |
| Borders | India and the Maldives (maritime borders) |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Demonym | Sri Lankan |
| Life expectancy | 77.75 years |
| Literacy | 92.3% |
| National anthem | "Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka) |
| National holiday | Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948) |
| Government type | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| President | Gotabaya Rajapaksa |
| Prime Minister | Ranil Wickremesinghe |
| 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 |
| Highest point | Pidurutalagala 2,524 m |
| Lowest point | Indian Ocean 0 m |
| Mean elevation | 228 m |
| Coastline | 1,340 km |
| National colors | maroon, yellow |
| National symbol | lion, water lily |
| Natural resources | limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land |
| Agricultural land | 43.5% (est. 2018) |
| Birth rate | 14.01 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Death rate | 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
| Industries | processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; tourism, shipping; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction |
| Exports | $19.41 billion (2019 est.) textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish |
| Imports | $24.56 billion (2019 est.) petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $12,500 note (2020 est.) |
| Time Zone | SLST (UTC+5:30) |
| Internet country code | .lk |
| Drives on the | left |
| Calling Code | +94 |
| Table last updated | May 16, 2022 |