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Country Description

A tiny island it may be but Sri Lanka, or the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, is surprisingly multi-faceted. Abounding with rich, natural wonders and ancient archaeological masterpieces, the island gradually unravels a myriad of charms, its people not the least. It's diversity in ethnicity, climate, culture, wildlife and landscape continue to woo travellers as it has done through the ages. A favourable location at the southern tip of India, intercepting the old, international trade routes meant the island was to be invaded many times over.

Colombo, the commercial and banking capital, lies on the west coast and was established by British colonists. Jayewardenepura is the political capital and lies a few kilometres west of the Colombo. The ruins of ancient royal capitals and an advanced ancient civilisation can be seen elsewhere, especially to the north. The legacy of a colonized past is also evident, e.g. from the Portuguese, Dutch and British periods.

The current population of just over 19 million, mostly rural people consists of Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moors 7% and approximately 1% others. Traditionally, the economy was agriculture-based with the main exports being spices, rubber, tea and coconut. Today, the manufacturing industries have taken the lead with the export of garments being the highest foreign exchange earner.

Location map

Annual average temprature   Jan-April May-August Sept-Dec   Max Min Max Min Max Min Colombo 30°C 22°C 30°C 24°C 29°C 22°C Kandy 31°C 17°C 29°C 21°C 28°C 18°C Nuwara Eliya 21°C 14°C 18°C 16°C 18°C 15°C Trincomalee 32°C 24°C 33°C 25°C 33°C 23°C

Climate and Weather

Due to its proximity to the equator Sri Lanka has a tropical climate which varies from the coastal plains to the central highlands though there no marked seasons. There are two major monsoon periods and two inter-monsoon periods during which there are regular, heavy daily downpours. At other times, the weather is generally hot and humid in the south west and hot and dry elsewhere.

Useful links

Sri Lanka tourist board http://www.srilankatourism.org

Oanda currency converter http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic