|
 |
 | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
|
|
| Location: |
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
|
|
| Area: |
65,610 sq km
|
|
| 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
|
|
| Population: |
19,144,875 (July 1999 est.)
|
|
| Religions: |
Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8% |
|
| Languages: |
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%
note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population
|
|
| Capital: |
Colombo |
|
|
 |
