Interesting Sri Lanka Facts
Sri Lanka is an island country located in Southern Asia where it is bordered by the Indian Ocean. It spreads across 65,610 km2 of land. The estimated total population of Sri Lanka is over 20,876,917.
Learn interesting Sri Lanka facts and information about this Asian country with our fact file for kids. Identify important facts about the population, location, size, climate, currency, flag, continent, language, people, culture, geography, landscape and landmarks of Sri Lanka.
Learn key information about Asia with our interesting Sri Lanka facts for kids based on questions such as: What continent is Sri Lanka in? What is the main language of Sri Lanka? What is the culture of Sri Lanka like? What are the major cities of Sri Lanka? What is the geography of Sri Lanka like?
Sri Lanka Fact File: Continent: Asia * Country Name(s): Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka * Location: Southern Asia * Bordering: the Indian Ocean * Capital City: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte * Size: 65,610 km2 * Estimated Population: over 20,876,917 * Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) * Language(s): Sinhalese and Tamil * Country Code: +94
Interesting Sri Lanka Facts for Kids
Interesting Facts for Kids 1: Size & location facts
Sri Lanka belongs to the continent of Asia, it is classed as an island country and is positioned in the Indian Ocean in Southern Asia. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Asia is the largest continent in the world, it has 48 countries, with some countries belonging to both Asia and Europe. It spans a total area of 43,820,000 km2 and forms 29.5% of the world's landmass. Sri Lanka is an island country that spreads over a total area of approximately 65,610 km2. It is one of the smaller countries of Asia. Sri Lanka is larger than Egypt but smaller than Georgia.
Interesting Facts for Kids 2: Population facts
The population of this Asian country is thought to be more than 20,876,917 people. The majority of Sri Lanka's inhabitants reside in Colombo which is the country's most populous city. Sri Lanka has a fairly high population when compared to most other countries across the world, its overall population density is approximately 315 people per sq km. The estimated population of Asia is approximately 4,393,296,000 inhabitants, making it the continent with the largest population in the world. The continents in order of population, starting with highest population first, are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia (Oceania Region) and Antarctica. The total population of the entire world is in excess of 7.6 billion people.
Interesting Facts for Kids 3: Capital & major cities
The capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte. The names of other major cities located in this country are Colombo, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Galkissa, Moratuwa and Jaffna.
Interesting Facts for Kids 4: Country borders
The following guideline provides details on the approximate border lengths of Sri Lanka:
Coastline 1,340 km.
Interesting Facts for Kids 5: Climate and geography facts
Sri Lanka receives a hot tropical climate with two monsoon periods. The northeast monsoon occurs from December to March, and the southwest monsoon occurs from June to October. The geography of Sri Lanka consists of mountainous regions, lowland areas and rolling plain. The lowest point of Sri Lanka is the Indian Ocean at 0m, and the highest point of elevation is Pidurutalagala at 2,524m.
Interesting Facts for Kids 6: Natural Resources of Sri Lanka
Natural resources can be defined as materials and substances that occur naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of natural resources present in an individual country depends on varying factors which are influenced by the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, have many natural resources, where as some other countries have limited to none. Food, construction and transport are three primary examples of uses of natural resources. The following information provides examples of these uses: fish occurs naturally in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans, and can be caught for food consumption. Wood/timber can be extracted from forests for construction purposes, i.e. to build homes and furniture. Crude oils can be refined into different kinds of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. The natural resources of Sri Lanka include limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower (water power), and arable land suitable for growing crops.
Interesting Facts for Kids 7: Language facts
The official languages of Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil. Most of the population speaks Sinhala as their first language, and around 18 percent communicate in Tamil.
Interesting Facts for Kids 8: Religion facts
The main religion of Sri Lanka is Buddhist at approximately 70% of the population. Around 12% are Hindu, 9% Muslim and 6% Roman Catholic. The remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.
Interesting Facts for Kids 9: Symbols of Sri Lanka
Each country across the world has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, emblems, symbols, colors, mottos, anthems and songs are used to symbolize the pride and individuality of a nation. These national symbols are created through the unique history of a nation and can portray both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, songs, mottos and colors reflect the past, present and future hopes of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can represent a combination of things that are important to a country such as birds, animals, plants, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. The following facts and information provide a guide to some of the most important national symbols, songs and colors of Sri Lanka:
National symbol(s): lion, water lily
National colors: maroon and yellow
National Anthem/Song: Sri Lanka Matha (Translation: Mother Sri Lanka)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948)