Sri Lanka - country information

Our country information for Sri Lanka provides relevant facts and figures as well as useful links to resources, websites and local media. 

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's flag

Population: 20.9 million (2018)

Geography: An island consisting of 65, 610 square kilometres of mostly flat coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part

Climate: Tropical and warm

World heritage sites: Ancient cities of Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Anuradhapura, Golden Temple of Dambulla, Old town of Galle, Sacred city of Kandy, Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

Capital Cities: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo

Official languages: Sinhala, Tamil, English

Political system: A republic and unitary state governed by a semi-presidential system

Travel advisory information: For up-to-date travel advice for Sri Lanka from the New Zealand government visit safetravel.govt.nz

Useful websites

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi

• NZTE Sri Lanka Market Guide

• High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Canberra

• Lonely Planet

Media

• Daily News

• The Island

• Daily Mirror