ABOUT SRI LANKA  Sri Lanka , formerly  Ceylon , island  country  lying in the  Indian Ocean  and separated from peninsular  India  by the  Palk Strait . It is located between latitudes 5°55′ and 9°51′ N and longitudes 79°41′ and 81°53′ E and has a maximum length of 268 miles (432 km) and a maximum width of 139 miles (224 km). Proximity to the Indian subcontinent has  facilitated  close cultural interaction between Sri Lanka and India from ancient times. At a crossroads of maritime routes  traversing  the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has also been exposed to cultural influences from other Asian civilizations. Ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane. Arabs referred to it as  Serendib . Later European mapmakers called it Ceylon, a name still used occasionally for trade purposes. It officially became Sri Lanka in 1972. The distinctive civilization of Sri Lanka, with roots that can be traced back to the 6th century  BCE , is characterized by two factors: the preserv

   Current Statistics of 25 Districts in 9 Provinces of  Sri Lanka. Note that although the Northern Province has Five Administrative Districts, it has only two Electorial Districts. Therefore there are only 22 Electorial Districts in Sri Lanka. In 1833 a legislative council was created, making the island a politically and administratively single unit. Five provinces were created, later expanded into nine, and these were subdivided into twenty-one districts. These districts were administered by officials known as Government Agents or Assistant Government Agents. In 1955, the district replaced the province as the country's main administrative unit. Ampara District was created in April 1961, followed by the creation of Mullaitivu and Gampaha districts in September 1978 through a new constitution, which also reintroduced the province as the main administrative unit. The last district to be created was Kilinochchi in Feb