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🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

Flag of Sri LankaNational Flag
🎵 National Anthem
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Geography & Borders

IndiaIndia

Introduction & Background

Sri Lanka (UK: /sri ˈlæŋkə, ʃriː -/, US: /- ˈlɑːŋkə/ⓘ; Template:Lang-si (Template:IPA-si); Template:Lang-ta (Template:IPA-ta)), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and southeast of the Arabian Sea; it is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with India and Maldives. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is its legislative capital, and Colombo is its largest city and financial centre.

Sri Lanka has a population of around 22 million (2020) and is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. The Sinhalese are the majority of the nation's population. The Tamils, who are a large minority group, have also played an influential role in the island's history. Other long established groups include the Moors, the Burghers, the Malays, the Chinese, and the indigenous Vedda.14

Key Information
AttributeDetails
Official Name
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Capital
Colombo
Continent
Asia
Region / Subregion
Asia / Southern Asia
Population
21,763,170
Area
65,610 km²
Languages
Sinhala, Tamil
Currencies
Sri Lankan rupee (Rs රු) [LKR]
Cost of Living
36 / 100 (Moderate)
Price per Coffee
$1.80
Price per Meal
$5.30
Timezones
UTC+05:30 (IST)
Bounding Box
Min: (5.97° N, 79.7° E)
Max: (9.82° N, 81.79° E)
Climate
Temperate
Terrain
Indo-Gangetic plains in the north, Deccan plateau in the south, and Himalayas in the far north

Geography & Climate

Climate, weather, and air quality data are based on historical records for the coordinates of the capital city, Colombo.

Temperature (2025)

20°30°
Jan
25.5° / 27.7°
Feb
26.3° / 28.3°
Mar
26.6° / 28.9°
Apr
26.6° / 29.4°
May
27.4° / 29.6°
Jun
27° / 28.5°
Jul
26.8° / 27.9°
Aug
26.5° / 27.5°
Sep
26.7° / 28.3°
Oct
26.7° / 28.6°
Nov
26.2° / 28.2°
Dec
26° / 27.8°

Precipitation & Snow (2025)

198Jan
49Feb
82Mar
223Apr
148May
179Jun
67Jul
58Aug
132Sep
245Oct
560Nov
140Dec
Rain (mm) Snow (cm)

Atmospheric Pressure (2025)

1010+0.3Jan
1011+1.3Feb
1010.1+0.4Mar
1009.5-0.2Apr
1008.1-1.6May
1009.2-0.5Jun
1008.8-0.9Jul
1009.5-0.2Aug
1009.70Sep
1009.4-0.3Oct
1010.6+0.9Nov
1010.6+0.9Dec

Thunderstorm Days (2025)

0Jan
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
0Jun
0Jul
0Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec

Wind Speed (2025)

Jan
32
Feb
23.5
Mar
18.5
Apr
22.6
May
33.6
Jun
32.8
Jul
36.4
Aug
33.1
Sep
32.6
Oct
25.6
Nov
30.7
Dec
31.5

Air Quality — Monthly Averages (2025)

MetricJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PM2.5 μg/m³19.22218.710.410.510.711.812.110.510.512.518.9
PM10 μg/m³22.625.423.116.119.922.722.32118.919.216.522.5
O₃ μg/m³101.5121.8114.57555.853.955.254.550.462.191.9100.9
NO₂ μg/m³8.34.73.71.91.41.51.61.61.41.63.85.9
SO₂ μg/m³9.88.66.80.90.50.60.710.81.14.48.1
CO μg/m³289259239149104909110393111202263

Pollen Levels — Monthly (2025)

Pollen data is negligible or unavailable for this location.

⛰️ Highest Elevation

▲
Pidurutalagala on Sri Lanka2524 m / 8,281 ft

  • Map Locations: Google Maps | OpenStreetMap

People & Society

Total Population22,037,000Density: 356.24 / km²
Annual Growth Rate-0.65%Population Decline
Life Expectancy77.48 yrsAverage lifespan at birth
Fertility Rate1.97Births per woman



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