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Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya, Ilankai Sananayaka Sosalisa Kudiyarasu, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) is an island of south Asia, which occupies the entire island of Ceylon, located in the Indian Ocean north of equator and south of India. The Palk strait and the Gulf of Mannar separating the island from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The administrative capital of the country is the city of Columbo located along the south-western coast, legislative and judicial capital is Sri Jayewardenepura-Kotte.
 

Apart from the capital Colombo, are important cities along the south-western coast Negombo, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Galle, Matara, in the interior of the country is the city of Kandy, Jaffna lies in the north, and along the east coast are the ports of Trincomalee and Batticaloa. The island, mostly flat, consists of large coastal plains, the northern part is flat and covered with savannahs, and the only mountainous area of the country is the central-southern zone, made up of plateaus and mountain that rise above 2,000 meters, here are the Adams Peak (Sri Pada, 2243 meters) and Pidurutalagala, the highest mountain in Sri Lanka (2,524 metres). The largest river of Sri Lanka is the Mahaweli Ganga (332 km). At the base of Sri Lanka economy is agriculture, among the most important crops are rice, tea (one of the leading world producers), rubber, palm trees (nuts, oil and copra), spices (cardamom, citronella, pepper, cinnamon), cassava, batata, tobacco, cotton, coffee, vegetables and fruit. Important are the production of timber and fishing. Resources of subsoil are poor (graphite, precious stones (rubies, sapphires, beryl, topazes). Industry is largely related to the processing of agricultural products and textile industries. Important is tourism. 

 

Area: 65 610 sqkm. (Arable 29%, Pastures 7%, Forests and Woodlands 32%, Uncultivated and Unproductive 32%)

Population: 20 700 000 (2006 data) (Sinhalese 74%, Sri Lanka Tamil 12%, Moors 8%, Indian Tamil 5%, Burghers 0,4%)

State Capital: Colombo.

Languages: The official language are Sinhalese and Tamil. English is also spoken.

Religion: Buddhist 70%, Hinduist 13%, Muslim 9%, Christian 7% (Catholic 6%, Protestant 1%).

Currency: Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR)

Time: UTC +5,30 hours.

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