23 May 2013 Last updated at 10:18 ET

Sri Lanka profile

Elephant at temple A Sri Lankan mahout and a temple elephant take part in a ceremony
  • Full name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
  • Population: 21.2 million (UN, 2012)
  • Capital: Colombo (commercial), Sri Jayawardenepura (administrative)
  • Largest city: Colombo
  • Area: 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq miles)
  • Major languages: Sinhala, Tamil, English
  • Major religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 78 years (women) (UN)
  • Monetary unit: Sri Lankan rupee
  • Main exports: Clothing and textiles, tea, gems, rubber, coconuts
  • GNI per capita: US $2,580 (World Bank, 2011)
  • Internet domain: .lk
  • International dialling code: +94

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