Geography

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean, located in South Asia, southeast of India, in a strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes. It lies to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea and is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. The width of the Palk Strait is small enough for the coast of Sri Lanka to be visible from the furthest point near the Indian town of Rameswaram.

According to Hindu mythology, a land bridge to the Indian mainland, known as Rama's Bridge, was constructed during the rule of Rama. Often referred to as Adam's Bridge, it now amounts to 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.

Sri Lanka has a total area of 65,610 sq km, with 64,740 sq km of land and 870 sq km of water, making it about half the size of Greece, and twice the size of Belgium. Its coastline is 1,340 km long.

The pear-shaped island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. Amongst these are Sri Pada and the highest point Pidurutalagala (also known as Mt Pedro), at 2,524 metres (8,281 ft). The Mahaweli ganga (Mahaweli river) and other major rivers provide fresh water.

Topography

Extensive faulting and erosion over time have produced a wide range of topographic features, making Sri Lanka one of the most scenic places in the world. Three zones are distinguishable by elevation: the Central Highlands, the plains and the coastal belt.

Central Highlands

The south-central part of Sri Lanka - the rugged Central Highlands - is the heart of the country. The core of this area is a high plateau, running north-south for approximately 65 kilometres. This area includes some of Sri Lanka's highest mountains; Pidurutalagala is the highest at 2,524 m. At the plateau's southern end, mountain ranges stretch 50 kilometres to the west toward Adams Peak (2,243 metres) and 50 kilometres to the east toward Namunakula (2,036 m).

Flanking the high central ridges are two lower plateaus. On the west is the Hatton Plateau, a deeply dissected series of ridges sloping downward toward the north. On the east, the Uva Basin consists of rolling hills covered with grasses, traversed by some deep valleys and gorges. To the north, separated from the main body of mountains and plateaus by broad valleys, lies the Knuckles Massif: steep escarpments, deep gorges, and peaks rising to more than 1,800 metres. South of Adams Peak lie the parallel ridges of the Rakwana Hills, with several peaks over 1,400 metres. The land descends from the Central Highlands to a series of escarpments and ledges at 400 to 500 metres above sea level before sloping down toward the coastal plains.

Coastal Plains

Most of the island's surface consists of plains between 30 and 200 metres above sea level. In the southwest, ridges and valleys rise gradually to merge with the Central Highlands, giving a dissected appearance to the plain. Extensive erosion in this area has worn down the ridges and deposited rich soil for agriculture downstream. In the southeast, a red, lateritic soil covers relatively level ground that is studded with bare, monolithic hills. The transition from the plain to the Central Highlands is abrupt in the southeast, and the mountains appear to rise up like a wall. In the east and the north, the plain is flat, dissected by long, narrow ridges of granite running from the Central Highlands.

Coastal Belt

A coastal belt about thirty metres above sea level surrounds the island. Much of the coast consists of scenic sandy beaches.