The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) is an island in the Indian Ocean about 28 kilometers (18 mi.) off the southeastern coast of India, in a strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes.

It has a total area of 65,610 km², with 64,740 km² of land and 870 km² of water. Its coastline is 1,340 km long. Sri Lanka's climate includes tropical monsoons: the northeast monsoon (December to March), and the southwest monsoon (June to October). Sri Lanka 's mean annual rainfall ranges between 900 mm to 6000 mm, with an island wide average about 1900 mm, which is about two and a half times more than the world annual mean of 750 mm. Its terrain is mostly low, flat to rolling plain, with mountains in the south-central interior. Hills and mountains in south-central Sri Lanka rise to more than 2,133 meters (7,000 ft.). Natural resources include limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower.

It has a population of about 21 million. Density is highest in the southwest where Colombo, the country's main port and industrial center, is located.

Over one-third of Sri Lanka’s population – 8.7 million people – partially derives their livelihoods from agricultural and fisheries-based activities and, for many, these provide the basis of household food security.  The recently ended civil war compounded by natural disasters such as the tsunami has left a legacy of suffering on the island. Twenty one percent of Sri Lankans are undernourished.