Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) is an island nation south of India in the Indian Ocean. Its diverse landscapes range from rainforest and arid plains to highlands and sandy beaches. It’s famed for its ancient Buddhist ruins, including the 5th-century citadel Sigiriya, with its palace and frescoes. The city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's ancient capital, has many ruins dating back more than 2,000 years.
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%
Ethnic Groups: Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10%
Belief Systems: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10%
Demographics:
Population: 21.6 million people (World Rank: 55th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 864 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 44th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 0.803 %/yr (World Rank: 147th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 74.3 years (World Rank: 110th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 30.5 years (World Rank: 71st) (2010 estimate)
Sites for More Information:
Map of Sri Lanka
Worldatlas.com
Sri Lanka
World Factbook
Sri Lanka - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress
Sri Lanka - General Information
Encyclopedia.com
Travel Info for Sri Lanka
Travelnotes.org
Sri Lankan Embassy
in Washington D.C.
Sri Lankan Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger
