- Officially » Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
- Capital » Colombo
Facts
- Population » 21.2 million
- Major languages » Sinhala, Tamil, English
- Major religions » Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity
- Life expectancy » 72 years (men), 78 years (women)
- Currency » Sri Lankan rupee
Geography
- Area » 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq miles)
- A tropical island off the southern tip of India in the Indian Ocean
Notes
- Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948, after nearly 150 years of British rule.
Overlanding
- Drive « Left side
- There is currently no ferry service to Sri Lanka. (April 2019)
Safety & Security
- Tensions are high within the country. On the morning of 21 April 2019 (Easter), at least 8 coordinated bombing attacks struck multiple hotels and churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa. More than 250 people were killed and 450 others wounded.