ABOUT SRI LANKA (Please refer to the Internet for a more in-depth overview)
Capital city
Colombo is the financial and cultural heart of Sri Lanka. It was the
country's legislative capital until 1982 when this function was
transferred to nearby Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, which is now the
administrative capital.
Currency
Sri Lanka's official currency is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR),
represented by the symbol Rs.
Language
Sri Lanka's official languages are Sinhalese and Tamil. English and
Mandarin are also prevalent and widely spoken.
Religion
Buddhism is the state religion of Sri Lanka. According to the 2011
census, 70.2% of Sri Lankans are Theravada Buddhists, 12.6% are
Hindus, 9.7% are Muslims (mostly Sunni), and 7.4% are Christians.
Location and size
Previously known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian
Ocean. It is located south of the southernmost point of India and is
separated from India by the 23 km-wide Palk Strait. Sri Lanka covers
a total area of 65,610 sq km and stretches 435 km from north to
south and 225 km from east to west.
Population
According to the 2012 census, Sri Lanka had a population of
20,359,439 with a density of 325/km², making it the 58th most
populated country.