World Context: Sri Lanka

Source and mapping status

This page maps the site registry entry “Sri Lanka” to the supplied dataset entity “Sri Lanka.” Mapping status: exact-name. The source is a frozen 2025 snapshot; dates embedded in individual fields remain controlling.

• Source entity count: 1.
• Selected public fields present: 19.
• Independent corroboration in this page: none.

Place and environment

Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India Area: total : 65,610 sq km; land: 64,630 sq km; water: 980 sq km Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior Natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes Environmental issues: deforestation; soil erosion; poaching; effects of urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and pollution; coral reef destruction; freshwater resources polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo

Population, settlement, and language context

Population: total: 22,050,561 (2025 est.); male: 10,668,528; female: 11,382,033 Population distribution: the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north Urbanization: urban population: 19.2% of total population (2023); rate of urbanization: 1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) Languages: Sinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.); note: data represent main languages spoken by the population aged 10 years and older; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; English is commonly used in government and is referred to as the "link language" in the constitution

Public and legal context

Capital: name: Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital); geographic coordinates: 6 55 N, 79 50 E; time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); etymology: the origin of Colombo's name is unclear; it may derive from the Sinhalese words kola (leaves) and amba (mango), referring to local mango trees, or from the name Kelantotta, referring to a ferry that crossed the Kelani River; the name was corrupted to Kolambu by Arab traders, and 16th-century Portuguese settlers then called it Colombo, possibly referring to explorer Christopher COLUMBUS… Government type: presidential republic Legal system: mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law

Economy and connectivity context

Economic overview: economic contraction in 2022-23 marked by increased poverty and significant inflation; IMF two-year debt relief program following 2022 sovereign default; structural challenges from non-diversified economy and rigid labor laws; heavy dependence on tourism receipts and remittances Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; tourism; clothing and textiles; mining Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) Internet users: percent of population: 51% (2023 est.) Airports: 18 (2025) Ports: total ports: 6 (2024); large: 0; medium: 2; small: 1; very small: 1; size unknown: 2; ports with oil terminals: 2; key ports: Batticaloa Roads, Colombo, Galle Harbor, Hambantota, Kankesanturai, Trincomalee Harbor

Interpretation and freshness boundary

Use these fields to ask better questions about material conditions, access, distance, public administration, and information availability. Do not use them to infer intelligence capability, government intent, personal loyalty, protected traits, or a permanent national character. Reverify any time-sensitive claim before publication or comparison.