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About
Sri Lanka: |
 | Location: Asia
Status: UN Country
Capital City: Colombo
Main Cities: Jaffna, Kandy, Galle, Trincomalee
Population: 18,121,000
Area: 65,610 km2
Currency: 1 Sri Lanka rupee = 100 cents
Languages: Sinhalese, Tamil, English
Religions: Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian |
| More about
Sri Lanka: a republic in S Asia, occupying the island of Ceylon: settled by the Sinhalese from S India in about 550 BC; became a British colony 1802; gained independence in 1948, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth in 1972. Exports include tea, cocoa, cinnamon, and copra. Official languages: Sinhalese and Tamil; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Hinayana Buddhist majority. Currency: Sri Lanka rupee. Capital: Colombo (administrative), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative). Parts of the coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop.: 19 218 000 (2004 est.). Area: 65 610 sq. km (25 332 sq. miles) Official name (since 1978): Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Former name (until 1972): Ceylon |
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