Southern Asia · AsiaSri Lanka
Discover Sri Lanka - a compact island nation with ancient Buddhist ruins, misty tea plantations, pristine beaches, and more biodiversity per square kilometer than almost anywhere.
Where Is Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is a country in Southern Asia. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital and Colombo the executive and judicial capital.
- Capital Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo
- Population 21.8M
- Area 65,610 km²
Sri Lanka is proof that extraordinary things come in small packages. This teardrop-shaped island off the southern tip of India is smaller than Tasmania, yet it packs in an almost absurd amount of diversity. Ancient cities with Buddhist stupas that rival anything in Southeast Asia. Hill country carpeted in tea plantations where the mist rolls through emerald valleys. Pristine beaches that wrap around the entire coastline. Wild elephants, leopards, blue whales, and over 430 species of birds. Eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a country you can drive across in a few hours.
The island has been a crossroads for millennia. Arab traders called it Serendib - the origin of the word serendipity. The Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonized it in succession, each leaving their mark on the architecture, food, and culture. The Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority have a complex and sometimes painful shared history, including a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009. But Sri Lanka's appeal is timeless: the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, home to a sacred Buddha relic, the rock fortress of Sigiriya rising 200 meters above the jungle, the stilt fishermen of the southern coast, and a cuisine so fiery and flavorful that it stands shoulder to shoulder with any in Asia.
Then there is the tea. Sri Lanka is the world's fourth-largest tea producer, and the hill country around Ella and Nuwara Eliya is one of the most beautiful working landscapes on Earth. Train rides through the highlands, past waterfalls and tea pickers in bright saris, are regularly listed among the most scenic railway journeys in the world. For a tiny island, Sri Lanka delivers an extraordinary punch.
At a glance
Largest cities in Sri Lanka
Colombo
Kandy
Galle
Jaffna
Ella
Famous people from Sri Lanka
Arthur C. Clarke
LiteratureBritish science fiction legend who made Sri Lanka his home for over 50 years and was the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey
Muttiah Muralitharan
SportHolds the all-time record for most wickets in Test cricket with 800, widely regarded as the greatest spin bowler in cricket history
Michael Ondaatje
LiteratureSri Lankan-born author who won the Booker Prize for The English Patient, one of the most acclaimed literary novels of the 20th century
Kumar Sangakkara
SportOne of the greatest batsmen in cricket history with over 28,000 international runs, and the first non-British president of the MCC
Traditional cuisine of Sri Lanka
- Rice and Curry
- The staple Sri Lankan meal - a mound of rice surrounded by an array of curries, sambols, dhal, and pickles, eaten by hand
- Hoppers
- Bowl-shaped crispy crepes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk, often served with a runny egg in the center for breakfast
- Kottu Roti
- Chopped roti stir-fried on a hot griddle with vegetables, egg, and meat, the rhythmic chopping sound a hallmark of every Sri Lankan street corner
- Pol Sambol
- Fiery condiment of freshly grated coconut mixed with chili flakes, onion, lime, and Maldive fish, served alongside nearly every meal
- Ceylon Tea
- World-famous black tea grown in the misty highlands, Sri Lanka's most iconic export and the foundation of its hill country economy
Nature and landmarks in Sri Lanka
- SigiriyaLandmark
- Ancient rock fortress rising 200 meters above the jungle, with 5th-century frescoes, the Lion Gate, and one of Asia's most spectacular archaeological sites
- Yala National ParkNational Park
- Sri Lanka's most visited wildlife park with the highest density of leopards in the world, plus elephants, sloth bears, and crocodiles
- Adam's PeakMountain
- Sacred 2,243-meter mountain with a footprint-shaped mark at the summit revered by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians alike
- MirissaCoast
- Southern beach town and one of the best places in the world to see blue whales and sperm whales just kilometers offshore
- Horton PlainsNational Park
- Misty highland plateau at 2,100 meters with cloud forests, sambar deer, and World's End - a sheer 880-meter cliff drop
Sports in Sri Lanka
- Cricket
- Won the Cricket World Cup in 1996, defeating Australia in the final, producing legends like Muralitharan, Sangakkara, and Jayasuriya
- Volleyball
- The national sport of Sri Lanka, widely played across the island and a source of genuine grassroots sporting passion
- Athletics
- Susanthika Jayasinghe won a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Sri Lanka's greatest Olympic moment
Did you know?
The word serendipity was coined in 1754 from Serendip, the old Arabic name for Sri Lanka, meaning happy accident or fortunate discovery
Sri Lanka has the highest biodiversity density in Asia - more species per square kilometer than almost any country on the continent
The island was known by many names throughout history: Taprobane to the Greeks, Serendib to the Arabs, and Ceylon to the British
Sigiriya rock fortress was built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century as a palace in the sky, complete with gardens, pools, and frescoes
Sri Lanka is one of the top blue whale watching destinations in the world, with sightings possible just a few kilometers off the south coast
The Sri Lankan hill country train from Kandy to Ella is consistently ranked among the most scenic train journeys on Earth
Read more about Sri Lanka
Can you find Sri Lanka on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Sri Lanka and its neighbours without a second thought.
