The
island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, to the southwest
of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea.
It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar
and the Palk Strait.
It’s climate can be described as tropical, and rather hot.
Its position between 5 and 10 north latitude endows the country
with a warm climate, moderated by ocean winds and considerable
moisture. The mean temperature ranges from a low of 16°C in
the areas of Nuwara Eliya located in the Central Highlands to
a high of 32° C in Trincomalee on the northeast coast where
temperatures may even reach up to 38 °C. The average yearly
temperature for the country as a whole ranges from 28 to 30 °C.
Day and night temperatures may vary while January is the coolest
month,
Sri Lanka known as the
pearl in the Indian ocean is described as a paradise on earth
and an Island of exotic beauty with warm friendly people. Marco
Polo the legendry traveler considered Sri Lanka to be the finest
island of its size on earth. The sheer variety of topography,
ecology and cultural diversity sets the island apart from many
other travel destinations in the world. The country can boast
of every conceivable landscape other than snow-capped habitats.
From golden palm fringed beaches caressed by the Indian ocean
to the Islands multitudinous layers that slope upwards to form
plains, paddy fields and dense rainforests. Streams cascade
in to waterfalls and rapids to become sedate rivers before flowing
in to the open expanses of the sea.
Sri Lanka is also a haven for an astonishing variety of flora,
fauna and avifauna. The many wildlife and nature reserves are
home to almost 100 species of mammals, such as Elephants, Leopards.
Sloath Bear, Sambur, Deer, Wild Boar, Buffalo, Porcupine and
monkeys to name a few, There are also over 100 amphibians and
almost 200 different reptiles to be seen, many of which are
endemic species, the list just goes on and on with almost 250
butterfly and over 100 dragonfly and fish species. The abundance
of Sri Lanka’s bird life makes it an ornithologists paradise.
Of over 400 recorded species, 226 of which are resident and
no less than 26 endemic to the Island. For the botanist this
is indeed a land of plenty, the diversified climate allows for
tropical as well as sub tropical trees to thrive. The luxuriant
undergrowth and the majestic trees of the wet-zone tropical
forest contrast with the acid scrub land talipot palms of the
dry North. The Islands culture one of the oldest in the world
spans more than 2,500 years. The remains of Sri Lanka’s
ancient and medieval civilizations, palaces, monasteries, shrines
and temples bear witness to thriving kingdoms of a bygone era.
Sri Lanka today retains many of its charms. Its rich cultural
heritage has for many centuries attracted visitors and conquerors
from all over the world, these reminders of the past are so
outstanding that UNESCO has attested no less than 7 world heritage
sites So come, explore and live all that can be life.
Sri Lanka. A land like no other.
For facts and statistics click Sri Lanka fact file
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