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Geographical information
Sri Lanka is shaped like a giant teardrop falling from the southern tip of the vast Indian subcontinent. It is separated from India by the 50km wide Palk Strait, although there is a series of stepping-stone coral islets known as the Adam Bridge which almost form a land bridge between the two countries. The island is just 350km long and only 180km wide, and is about the same size as Ireland. The southern half of the island is dominated by beautiful and rugged hill country. The highest mountain is the 2524m Mt Pidurutalagala near Nuwara Eliya. The best beaches can be found on the south-western, southern and south-eastern coasts.
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Nature
| Flora | Orchids are found in the dense south-western tropical rainforests of Sri Lanka. Grasslands, rhododendrons and forests predominate in the cooler highlands. | | Fauna | Animal life includes the elephant, as well as leopards, deer, monkeys, bears, cobras, crocodiles and turtles. The island is an important seasonal home to migrating birds, including flamingos, who flock to the lagoons and wetlands. The best time to see birds is between January and April. | | National parks | Sri Lanka is home to some large and numerous smaller national parks. These parks can be found in the dry district of Sri Lanka. The most famous parks are Wilpattu, north west of Anarudhapura (1908 sq km). Yala in the south east (1259 sq km) and Gal Oya in the east near to Amparai (606 sq km). Next to these large park Sri Lanka is also home to numerous smaller parks such as the bird parks. Interesting is the elephant care near to the village Pinnawela. |
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Climate
Sri Lanka has a tropical climate with distinct dry and wet seasons. However, the picture is somewhat complicated by the fact that there are two monsoons: the Yala season (May to August), and the Maha season (October to January). Sri Lanka is extremely hot and humid. The average annual temperature is 32 degrees Celsius in the lowlands and 21 degrees Celsius in the mountainous regions. The highest temperatures are from March through June while November to January is usually the coolest time of the year.
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