Sri Lanka Geography Profile 2009

Location

Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Geographic coordinates

7 00 N, 81 00 E

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 65,610 sq km
land: 64,630 sq km
water: 980 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

1,340 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Natural resources

limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower

Land use

arable land: 13.96%
permanent crops: 15.24%
other: 70.8% (2005)

Irrigated land

7,430 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

50 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 12.61 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)
per capita: 608 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note

strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes