Yet Another Sri Lanka Page

FACTS ABOUT SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean southeast of the Indian sub-continent. Sri Lanka belongs to the South Asia sub category.
  Name:
    Full Name:       Democratic Socialist Repubic of Sri Lanka.
    Short Name:      Sri Lanka
    Former Names:    Ceylon, Taprobane, Serendib 

  Location:
    Latitude    5'55" -  9'51"
    Longitude  79'42" - 81'52"
    29 Km southeast of India

  Size:
    Length:      432Km (270 miles)
    Width:       224Km (140 miles)
    Area:        65,610 Sq.Km. (25,332 sq.miles)
    Landarea:    65,610 Sq.Km.
    Comparative: equal to the size of West Virginia or Ireland

  Capital:
    Capital:                Sri Jayawardenapura
    Commercial Center:      Colombo
    International Airport:  Colombo (Katunayake)
    Intl Seaport:           Colombo

  Tel Conuntry code:        94
  Time Zone:                GMT+6:00

  Population:
    Literacy Rate:          87%+
    Total Population:       18 million
    Labor force:            6.6 million
    Population growth rate: 1.2%
    Life expectancy:        69 (male), 75 (Female)
    Infant Mortality:       21.9 deaths / 1000 live births

  Climate:
    Tropical Climate
    Monsoon Seasons:      Northeast monsoon (December to March)
                          Southwest monsoon (June to October)

    Average temps   Max C(F)      Min C(F)       Elevation m(ft)
    Colombo         30.4(87.7)    24.0(75.2)     0(0)
    Kandy           28.7(83.7)    20.2(68.4)     305(1000)
    Nuwara Eliya    20.2(68.4)    11.4(52.5)     1890(6200)

  Daily Weather:  Colombo

  Languages:           Ethnic Groups:            Religions:  
    Sinhala  (74%)       Sinhalese (74%)           Buddhism (69%)
    Tamil    (25%?)      Tamil     (18%)           Hindusm  (15%)
    English  (20%)       Moor       (7%)           Christian (8%)
                         Burgher, Malay, ...       Muslim (8%)

  Currency:
    Sri Lanakan Rupee (US$1 ~= Rs. 100), Rs.1 = 100 cents
    Banknotes:     2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 Rupees
    Coins    :     1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 Cents
                   1, 2, 5, 10 Rupees

  Government:
    Executive:     Elected President (Mrs. Chandrika B. Kumaratunga) 
                   Prime Minister (Mrs. Sirima Bandaranayake, CBK's mother)
                   Cabinet - appointed by Prez from the Parliament
    Legislative:   Elected Parliament
    Judicial:      Supreme Court

  Economic Indicators:
    GDP (1992):    $7.75 billion (est)
    per capita:    $440 (est)
    inflation:     10%
    unemployment:  15%
More information can be found on CIA world fact book (includes a map)