Located off the southeast coast of India, Sri Lanka is home to one of the highest rate of biological endemism (16% of fauna and 23% of flowering plants) in the world.

Shaped like a pearl, this tropical island consists mostly of flat to rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part, and its highest point at 2524 meters above sea level (Pidurutalagala).

103 rivers run across the country, with 51 natural waterfalls. Its coastline runs along 1,585 km and includes 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons, where a complex mangrove ecosystem spans over 7,000 hectares.

There are four main terrestrial eco-regions: Lowland rain forests; montane rain forests; dry-zone dry evergreen forests and Deccan thorn scrub forests.

Sri Lanka is characterized by a rich avifauna that stands at 453 species, with 240 resident breeders and 33 endemics.

This amazing country counts over 30 biodiversity hotspots distributed across 61 wildlife sanctuaries, 22 national parks, 4 nature reserves, 3 strict nature reserves, one jungle corridor and 65 conservation forests, with 26.5% of the total area legally protected.