Sri Lanka
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
- Population
- 22,050,561 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 65,610 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Languages
- Sinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.)
- Religions
- Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)
- Currency
- Sri Lankan rupees (LKR)
- Life Expectancy
- 76.8 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .lk
- 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
- Natural Resources
- limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land
- Major Exports
- garments, tea, precious stones, used rubber tires, rubber products (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced circa 250 B.C., and the first kingdoms developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (from about 200 B.C. to about A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about A.D.