Sri Lanka: flag, capital, currency and history

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is a country in Southern Asia, Asia. Its capital is Colombo. The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee. Languages spoken include Sinhala and Tamil.

Quick facts about Sri Lanka

Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Capital: Colombo
Region: Asia, Southern Asia
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR, Rs)
Languages: Sinhala, Tamil
Calling code: +94
Internet domain: .lk
Area: 65,610 km² (25,332 sq mi)
Land borders: India
Demonym: Sri Lankan
National day: Independence Day, February 4

Flag of Sri Lanka

Download the flag of Sri Lanka as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇱🇰.

SVG (vector)

History of Sri Lanka

The island's early history is recorded in chronicles such as the Mahavamsa, which describe the Anuradhapura Kingdom and the arrival of Buddhism around the third century BC. Later kingdoms included Polonnaruwa and Kandy. Portuguese forces arrived in 1505, followed by the Dutch in the seventeenth century, and the British took the coastal areas in 1796. Britain conquered the Kandyan kingdom in 1815 and ruled the island as Ceylon. Independence came on 4 February 1948. The country became a republic named Sri Lanka in 1972, and a civil war lasted from 1983 to 2009.

Key dates

c. 3rd century BCBuddhism is introduced to the island during the Anuradhapura period.
1505Portuguese ships reach the island.
1796British forces take over the Dutch-held coastal areas.
1815The British annex the Kingdom of Kandy.
1948Ceylon becomes independent on 4 February.
1972The country becomes a republic and is renamed Sri Lanka.
2009The civil war that began in 1983 ends.