The island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal. It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. According to Hindu mythology, a land bridge to the Indian mainland, known as Rama's Bridge, was constructed during the time of Rama. Often referred to as Adam's Bridge, it is now mostly submerged, with only a chain of limestone shoals remaining above sea level. According to temple records, this natural causeway was formerly complete, but was breached by a violent storm (probably a cyclone) in 1480.
General Information
Area: 65'610 sq km
Population: 20'064'780
Capital City: Colombo
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee LKR
TimeZone: GMT / UTC +1
Language: Sinhala, Tamil
Religion: Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu
Government: Republic