About Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It is located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, and is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka shares a maritime border with the Maldives to the southwest and India to the northwest, and lies across the Bay of Bengal from Bangladesh and Myanmar to the northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India to the east. Its executive and judicial capital is Colombo, which is also its largest city and the political, financial and cultural centre of the country; neighboring Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital. Sri Lanka's population is 22 million. About 74% of the population are Sinhalese, who speak the Sinhala language, and about 15% are Tamils who speak the Tamil language. Other long-established ethnic groups include the Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Chinese, and Vedda.
Climate in Colombo
Warmest March, coolest December, driest January, sunniest March. Best time to visit: January, February, March, April, August, October, December.
Monthly climate normals for Colombo, 2020| Month | High | Low | Rainfall | Sunshine |
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| January | 30.6°C | 23.1°C | 20mm | 351h |
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| February | 32.2°C | 24°C | 24mm | 337h |
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| March | 31.6°C | 24.7°C | 49mm | 357h |
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| April | 31.3°C | 24.8°C | 153mm | 331h |
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| May | 29.9°C | 25.8°C | 287mm | 254h |
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| June | 29.2°C | 25.9°C | 264mm | 293h |
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| July | 28.7°C | 25.2°C | 252mm | 250h |
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| August | 28.7°C | 25.3°C | 209mm | 303h |
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| September | 27.9°C | 24.6°C | 387mm | 209h |
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| October | 28.7°C | 25°C | 109mm | 328h |
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| November | 29.3°C | 23.8°C | 374mm | 250h |
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| December | 28.8°C | 23°C | 152mm | 267h |
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Avg. high/low, °C (left axis) Rainfall, mm (bar maxes out at 250mm/month)
Daily normals for 2020. Hover a month for exact figures.
Travel guide
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island in the Indian Ocean, just south of India. It is known for its natural beauty, with stunning beaches all along its coastline, great wildlife and biodiversity, tea plantations, orchards, temples, monuments, and a cultural heritage dating back several millennia. Sri Lanka's cultural landscape includes the Sinhalese and the Tamil ethnic groups, with substantial Muslim and Christian communities.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Anuradhapura
- Atamasthana
- Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
- Dambulla cave temple
- Kandy
- Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
- Polonnaruwa
- Sigiriya
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Full source list on About.
Sri Lanka
Bouvet Island
