Sri Lanka flag

Sri Lanka

History

Sinhala Kingdom established ruled or strongly influenced the territory before the modern state.
Anuradhapura period appears in Sri Lanka's historical record.
Polonnaruwa period appears in Sri Lanka's historical record.
Transitional period appears in Sri Lanka's historical record.
Kandyan period appears in Sri Lanka's historical record.
British Ceylon period appears in Sri Lanka's historical record.
Sri Lanka became independent, marking the start of modern sovereign statehood.
Sri Lanka became a republic, replacing the previous constitutional arrangement.
Asia thumbnailPart ofAsiaMore countries, cities and routes.
CapitalSri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Population21.8M
Area65,610 km2
CurrencySri Lankan rupee

Short facts

RegionSouth Asia / Indian Ocean
LanguageSinhala, Tamil
Time zoneSLST (UTC+5:30)
Drives onLeft

Worth seeing

  • Sigiriya: UNESCO-listed 5th-century rock fortress with frescoes and water gardens, the eighth wonder.
  • Temple of the Tooth: Kandy's holiest Buddhist temple housing a relic of the Buddha's tooth.
  • Ella: Scenic highland village of tea estates, Nine Arch Bridge, and Little Adam's Peak.

Find a city in Sri Lanka

Showing all cities

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte thumbnailSri Jayawardenepura KotteCity

Planning questions

What is Sri Lanka known for?Sigiriya, Temple of the Tooth, Ella.
What is the capital?Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
Which language is useful?Sinhala, Tamil.
When is the national day?4 February.
How should I browse it here?Start with the facts, jump to linked cities, then check events and topics.

Upcoming events

No future Sri Lanka-linked events are active in the current dataset.

Food & drink

Street food thumbnailStreet foodSignature dishTea thumbnailTeaLocal drink

Known for

SigiriyaTemple of the ToothEllaSri Jayawardenepura KotteStreet foodTea
Eurovision Song Contest thumbnailMusic & CultureFestivals, concerts and cultural calendars.Asia thumbnailCoasts and islandsMarine calendars, islands, reefs and coastal travel timing.