Keyword Cloud

Geography of Sri Lanka – Wikipedia From the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation search This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this by adding reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October Learn how when remove template message LankaNative name Nickname Pearl Indian Ocean Map LankaSri LankaGeographyLocationIndian OceanCoordinates N E xfeff Area km sq mi Coastline Highest elevation m ft pointPidurutalagalaAdministrationSri LankaLargest settlementColombo pop DemographicsPopulation Pop density Ethnic groupsSinhalese Tamils Lankan Moors Asia showing location formerly called Ceylon is an island nation in southeast subcontinent a strategic near major sea lanes The has total area with land water Its coastline long main it twenty-fifth largest world Dozens offshore islands account remaining Mannar Island leads Adam’s Bridge connection mainland now mostly submerged only chain limestone shoals above level According temple records natural causeway was complete but breached violent storm probably cyclone formation also known as Rama’s according Hindu mythology constructed during rule Lord Rama Lanka’s climate includes tropical monsoons northeast monsoon December March southwest June terrain low flat rolling plain mountains south-central interior highest point Pidurutalagala at Natural resources include graphite mineral sands gems phosphates clay hydropower Contents Geology Topography Climate Ecological zones Land use settlement patterns Statistics Maritime claims See References edit More than surface lies on Precambrian strata some dating back billion years granulite facies rocks Highland Series gneisses sillimanite-graphite quartzite marbles charnockites make up most amphibolite granites granitic Vinjayan occur eastern southeastern lowlands Jurassic sediments are present today very small areas western coast Miocene limestones underlie northwestern part country extend south relatively narrow belt along west metamorphic rock created transformation ancient under intense heat pressure mountain-building processes theory plate tectonics suggests that these related forming India were single southern landmass Gondwanaland Beginning about million ago forces within Earth’s mantle began separate lands Southern Hemisphere crustal supporting both moved toward About collided Asian raising Himalayas northern continuing advance slowly time does not experience earthquakes or volcanic events because rides center contains limited sedimentation surrounding its uplands Aside from recent deposits river valleys two fragments sediment Puttalam District while more extensive found northwest overlain many Pleistocene deep Cauvery Kaveri River Basin which been collecting highlands since breakup Extensive faulting erosion over have produced wide range topographic features Three distinguishable Central Highlands plains coastal rugged heart core high plateau running north approximately kilometers At plateau’s end mountain ranges stretch Peak meters east Namunakula Flanking central ridges lower plateaus On Hatton Plateau deeply dissected series sloping downward Uva consists hills covered grasses traversed gorges To separated body broad Knuckles Massif steep escarpments peaks rising South lie parallel Rakwana Hills several descends ledges before down Most island’s between In rise gradually merge giving appearance worn deposited rich soil agriculture downstream red lateritic covers ground studded bare monolithic transition abrupt appear like wall granite shoal connecting Talaimannar district Dhanushkodi extinct Rameswaram Ramanathapuram Gulf Palk Strait A thirty surrounds Much scenic sandy beaches indented lagoons Jaffna Peninsula beds exposed waves low-lying cliffs few places where cuts across stratification crystalline rocky bays can conditions one world’s best harbors Trincomalee smaller harbor Galle southwestern rivers flow radial pattern short There principal longer length twelve them carrying mean discharge entire longest Mahaweli Ganga Malvathu courses frequently broken discontinuities they encounter numerous waterfalls rapids eroded passage Once reach slow waters meander flood deltas upper reaches wild usually unnavigable prone seasonal flooding Human intervention altered flows order create hydroelectric irrigation transportation projects feed artificial lakes reservoirs tanks store dry season During s large-scale dammed neighboring streams large their Several hundred canals built Dutch th century link inland waterways map K ppen classification described quite hot position latitude endows year-round warm weather moderated ocean winds considerable moisture average temperature C F Nuwara Eliya frost days winter temperatures yearly whole Day night vary January coolest month especially overnight fall May hottest period precedes summer rains rainfall influenced Bay Bengal marked four seasons first mid-May originate bringing When slopes unload heavy sector Some windward receive mm rain per leeward little second occurs November intermonsoonal months periodic squalls sometimes cyclones bring overcast skies parts third come northeastern inundated Another until light variable evening thundershowers An increase coupled heavier resulted recurrent damages infrastructure utility supply urban economy Humidity typically higher mountainous depends Colombo example daytime humidity stays all year percent Anuradhapura experiences Kandy’s Precipitation life directly availability rainwater wet zone ample annual millimeters comprise receives annually falls rest there precipitation living creatures must conserve precious arid coasts least amount concentrated vegetation adapted change drought typical cover scrub forest interspersed tough bushes cactuses driest Plants grow fast February stop growing August Various adaptations developed trees thick bark tiny leaves drop Also topmost branches tallest often interlace canopy against sun barrier wind absent dominated browns grays becomes available either through proximity explodes into shades green variety beautiful flowers Varieties flowering acacias well flourish Among dry-land forests valuable species such satinwood ebony ironwood mahogany dominant evergreen tall foliage dense undergrowth vines creepers Subtropical resembling those temperate climates altitudes Montane tends stunted windswept Forests nearly late classified reserves one-fifth remnants original government attempted preserve sanctuaries animal however Ruhunu National Park protects herds elephant deer peacocks Wilpattu preserves habitats birds storks pelicans ibis spoonbills Program set aside totalling national parks Diagrammatic section D Wadia human last consisted village farming communities Even majority people lived villages worked agricultural pursuits Traditional techniques life-styles revolve around types farming– depending upon rice-growing compact group houses neighborhood religious centers serve focus communal activities Sometimes situated road shops outlying hamlets life-sustaining rice fields begin distance irrigated other cash crops sugarcane groves coconut Palmyra borders roads paths Individual vegetable gardens compounds rainy thereafter environment intensely verdant nature changed centuries depended arable earlier times villagers had access plentiful settlements each slash-and-burn standard technique As expanding population commercial pressures reduced forestland cultivation steadily declined favor permanent private owners Until mainly then Polonnaruwa later shifted expanses sparsely populated scattered huddled lake although densely intensively cultivated clustered unused Kandy faced intricately terraced hillsides rapidly implemented restore productivity drained inhabited region similar Through planned recreate lush landscape associated works culminating British plantation came dominate sections Plantation drastic reduction substitution domesticated rubber tea cinnamon It brought life-style hunting-and-gathering societies retreated laborers work plantations workers line rooms containing ten units landholders included attached addition independent Aerial view Province different evolved older fishing Separate expanded laterally linked highway railway mobility colonial after independence led size number development outside contacts possible drive without finding break string bazaar merging towns Irrigated Total renewable cubic hazards occasional tornadoes Environmental issues deforestation wildlife populations threatened poaching urbanization degradation mining increased pollution freshwater being polluted industrial wastes sewage runoff waste disposal air contiguous nmi continental shelf edge margin exclusive economic territorial Environment Extreme points Wikimedia Commons media Joshua Calder’s World Info Largest Islands Worldislandinfo com Retrieved Pathirana H relation Plate Tectonics L Natn Sci Coun v p Integrating forestry action plans Lessons Marielle Dubbeling RUAF Foundation Darashaw Nosherwan Records Department Mineralogy Cite journal requires Coordinates incorporates public domain Library Congress Country Studies website http lcweb loc gov frd cs CIA Factbook https www cia library publications the-world-factbook index html vteGeography LankaClimate Climatic regions Dry Zone Wet disasters Gems Hanthana Mountain Range North East West Landforms Beaches Lagoons Lakes Mountains Rivers Valleys Waterfalls Bordering entities Subdivisions Provinces Districts Divisional Secretariats Divisions Grama Niladhari Settlements Cities Towns Eastern Northern Western Sabaragamuwa environmental ecoregions Deccan thorn dry-zone lowland montane Southwestern protected fauna flora AsiaMountains Mount Everest Ghats Aravalli Nilgiris Vindhya Satpura Garo Shivalik Himachal Khasi Anaimalai Cardamom Sulaiman Toba Kakar Karakoram Kush Chittagong Hill Tracts Thar Desert Makran Chota Nagpur Naga Mysore Ladakh Gandhamardan Malwa Lushai Lowlands Indo-Gangetic Doab Indus Valley Delta Ganges Terai Atolls Maldives Coromandel Coast Konkan Lakshadweep Andaman Nicobar Sundarbans Rann Kutch Protected Tamil Nadu By Pakistan Nepal Bhutan Bangladesh AsiaSovereign states Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Cambodia China Cyprus Timor Timor-Leste Egypt Georgia Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Oman Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen States recognition Abkhazia Artsakh Palestine Ossetia Taiwan Dependencies territories Territory Christmas Cocos Keeling Hong Kong Macau Book Category portal vteClimate Sovereign vteWorld’s greater Greenland New Guinea Borneo Madagascar Baffin Sumatra Honshu Victoria Canada Great Britain Ellesmere Sulawesi Java Luzon Newfoundland Cuba Iceland Mindanao Ireland Hokkaido Hispaniola Sakhalin Banks Tasmania Devon Alexander Severny Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego Berkner Axel Heiberg Melville Southampton Maraj Spitsbergen Kyushu Prince Wales Yuzhny Hainan Vancouver Sicily Somerset Kotelny Sardinia Bananal en wikipedia org w php title amp oldid Categories LankaGeography OceanHidden categories CS errors missing periodicalArticles needing references All articles referencesCommons category WikidataCommons locally definedCoordinates WikidataWikipedia incorporating text StudiesWikipedia Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged inTalkContributionsCreate accountLog Namespaces ArticleTalk Variants Views ReadEditView history Search Main pageContentsCurrent eventsRandom articleAbout WikipediaContact usDonate Contribute HelpLearn editCommunity portalRecent changesUpload file Tools What links hereRelated fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkPage informationCite pageWikidata item Print export Download PDFPrintable version Languages AsturianuAz rbaycanca Espa ol Fran ais PolskiPortugu Sloven ina Ti ng Vi t Edit page edited UTC Text Creative Attribution-ShareAlike License terms apply using site you agree Terms Use Privacy Policy registered trademark Inc non-profit organization policy Disclaimers Contact Mobile Developers Cookie statement