Submission declined on 1 August 2026 by Spiderone (talk).

This draft appears to be a duplicate of an existing article. Wikipedia does not permit multiple articles on the same topic.

To improve the existing article, please edit it directly at Sri Lanka. If the article is protected and you cannot edit it, propose your changes on the article's talk page.
If you are writing about a different subject with the same name, ask the reviewer to rename your draft to distinguish it.

If you would like to continue working on the submission, click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window.
If you have not resolved the issues listed above, your draft will be declined again and potentially deleted.
If you need extra help, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors.
Please do not remove reviewer comments or this notice until the submission is accepted.

Where to get help

If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews.
If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed.

How to improve a draft

Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia – a basic overview on how to edit Wikipedia.
Help:Wikitext – how to use the markup
Help:Referencing for beginners – how to include references
Wikipedia:Article development – how to develop your article
Wikipedia:Writing better articles – how to improve your article
Wikipedia:Verifiability – make sure your article includes reliable third-party sources

You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article.

Improving your odds of a speedy review

To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags.

Add tags to your draft

Editor resources

Easy tools: Citation bot (help) | Advanced: Fix bare URLs

Declined by Spiderone 6 days ago. Last edited by Spiderone 6 days ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

Resubmit

Please note that if the issues are not fixed, the draft will be declined again.

Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Nirwan shinshi (talk) 14:08, 1 August 2026 (UTC)

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal. It lies southeast of India, separated by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Sri Lanka is known for its ancient civilizations, rich cultural heritage, biodiversity, tea plantations, tropical climate, and scenic landscapes.

Etymology

The name "Sri Lanka" means "Resplendent Island" in Sanskrit. Throughout history, the has been known by several names, including Lanka, Ceylon, Taprobane, and Serendib.

History

Human settlement in Sri Lanka dates back more than 100,000 years. The island became home to organized kingdoms such as Anuradhapura (377 BCE–1017 CE) and Polonnaruwa (1070–1232 CE), which developed advanced irrigation systems, architecture, and Buddhist culture.

European colonial rule began with the Portuguese in 1505, followed by the Dutch in 1658. The British took control of the island in 1815, unifying it as the Colony of Ceylon.

Sri Lanka gained independence from the United Kingdom on 4 February 1948. In 1972, it became a republic and adopted the name Sri Lanka. The country experienced a civil war from 1983 to 2009, after which reconstruction and economic development became major national priorities.

Geography

Sri Lanka covers an aisland rea of approximately 65,610 square kilometres (25,330 sq mi). The island features coastal plains, rolling hills, central highlands, rivers, forests, and wetlands.

The highest mountain is Pidurutalagala, rising to 2,524 metres (8,281 ft). Major rivers include the Mahaweli River, the country's longest river.

The climate is tropical, with monsoon seasons bringing rainfall to different parts of the island.

Biodiversity

Sri Lanka is recognized as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. It is home to many endemic species of plants and animals, including:

Sri Lankan elephant
Sri Lankan leopard
Purple-faced langur
Sri Lanka junglefowl (the national bird)

National parks such as Yala, Wilpattu, Udawalawe, and Horton Plains protect wildlife and natural ecosystems.

Government and Politics

Sri Lanka is a unitary republic with a democratic system of government. The country has an executive president, a prime minister, and a unicameral Parliament.

The capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, while Colombo serves as the commercial and financial centre.

Administrative Divisions

Sri Lanka is divided into:

9 Provinces
25 Districts

Economy

Sri Lanka has a mixed economy based on agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and services.

Major exports include:

Tea
Rubber
Coconut products
Apparel and textiles
Gems and jewellery
Spices

Tourism is an important industry, attracting visitors to beaches, wildlife parks, cultural heritage sites, and mountain regions.

Demographics

Sri Lanka has a population of over 22 million people.

Major ethnic groups include:

The official languages are Sinhala and Tamil, while English is widely used as a link language.

Religion

Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country.

Major religions include:

Buddhism has played a significant role in the country's history and culture for more than two millennia.

Culture

Sri Lankan culture reflects influences from Buddhism, Hinduism, colonial history, and local traditions.

Traditional cultural features include:

Kandyan dance
Low-country dance
Drumming traditions
Vesak celebrations
Sinhala and Tamil New Year

The country's cuisine includes rice and curry, hoppers, string hoppers, kottu, pittu, and seafood dishes.

Education

Sri Lanka has a long tradition of free education. Literacy rates are among the highest in South Asia. Major universities include the University of Colombo, University of Peradeniya, and University of Moratuwa.

Sports

Cricket is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka. The country won the 1996 Cricket World Cup and has also achieved success in athletics, volleyball, rugby, and other sports. Field hockey is also played in schools and clubs across the country.

Tourism

Popular tourist destinations include:

Sri Lanka is well known for its beaches, wildlife, tea plantations, waterfalls, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

National Symbols

Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Largest city: Colombo
Official languages: Sinhala and Tamil
Link language: English
Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
National flower: Blue Water Lily
National tree: Ironwood (Na)
National bird: Sri Lanka junglefowl
National animal: Sri Lankan elephant

References

Draft:Sri Lanka