Sri Lanka

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	5,700 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