Sri Lanka
Asia ยท Capital: Colombo
How it is run: Sri Lanka is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Sri Lanka is home to 21.8 million people in Southern Asia, where people speak Sinhala, Tamil.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
21.8 million people
That is 0.3% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
65,610 kmยฒ
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
๐๏ธ How crowded
About 332 people per square kilometre โ busy towns with countryside in between.
๐ Size in its region
23rd most people in Asia
35th largest by land in Asia.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
Sinhala, Tamil
More than one language is used for official business.
๐ฐ Money
Sri Lankan rupee (Rs เถปเท)
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
77.7 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$5,002
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
๐ข Living in cities
20.5% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
21.7% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+94
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.lk
๐ง People here are called
Sri Lankan
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
เทเทโเถปเท เถฝเถเถเทเท ยท เฎเฎฒเฎเฏเฎเฏ
Also written: ilaแน kai, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
๐ Coast or inland
Has a coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
Sri Lanka touches 1 neighbour by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Sri Lanka
French
Sri Lanka
Arabic
ุณุฑููุงููุง
Chinese
ๆฏ้ๅ ฐๅก
Japanese
ในใชใฉใณใซ
Russian
ะจัะธ-ะะฐะฝะบะฐ
Portuguese
Sri Lanka
German
Sri Lanka
Put it in perspective ๐
- India โ the most populated country in Asia โ has about 67.3ร as many people as Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka covers roughly 625 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Sri Lanka lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 10,878 km.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: ๐ฑ๐ฐ is the flag of Sri Lanka. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is LK.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
๐๏ธ Capital
Colombo
๐ Region
Asia ยท Southern Asia
๐ค Country code
LK
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about Sri Lanka ๐
Sigiriya rock fortress
A palace on top of a 200 m rock, reached by stairs through a giant carved lion's paws.
See it in Street View๐งญ Where on the map
7.0ยฐ N, 81.0ยฐ E
๐ Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC+5 โ when it is noon in London it is about 17:00 in Colombo.
- Sri Lanka is close to the line of 0ยฐ longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Sri Lanka is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly โ the same as every other member, big or small.
- ๐ฑ๐ฐ is the flag of Sri Lanka. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is LK.
- The capital of Sri Lanka is Colombo โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- Sri Lanka shares its part of the world with Maldives. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- Sri Lanka has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Sri Lanka can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Sri Lanka spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
Colombo
Which money do people spend in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lankan rupee (Rs เถปเท)
How many countries share a land border with Sri Lanka?
1 โ India.
Roughly how many people live in Sri Lanka?
21.8 million people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.