National Profile & Geography

1. General Overview

  • Official Name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

  • Location: South Asia, island nation in the Indian Ocean at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

  • Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (administrative); Largest city: Colombo.

  • Coordinates: Between 5°55’ and 9°51’ N latitude and 79°41’ and 81°53’ E longitude.

  • Time Zone: UTC +5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time).

2. Geography & Climate

  • Total Land Area: About 65,610 km². (Length of the island is 432 km and the width is 224 km)

  • Sea Territory: Territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from the coastline; Exclusive Economic Zone ~230,000 km². (Coastline is approximately 1790 km long)

  • Terrain: Coastal plains rising to central highlands; highest point is Pidurutalagala (also known as Mount Pedro) (2524 m).

  • Climate: Four rainfall seasons during the year

    • South-west monsoon period: May to September

    • Intermonsoon period following the South-west monsoon: October to November

    • North-east monsoon period: December to February

    • Intermonsoon period following the North-east monsoon: March to April

  • Average Rainfall: ~2000 mm annually with significant spatial and seasonal variation.

  • Average Temperature: "~27.5 °C in lowlands; cooler in highlands ~18 °C".

 

Sources: The Department of Census and Statistics-2024, Central Bank of Sri Lanka-2024