For a small island, Sri Lanka has many nicknames: Serendib, Ceylon, Teardrop of India, Resplendent Isle, Island of Dharma, Pearl of the Orient. This colourful collection reveals its richness and beauty, and the intensity of the affection it evokes in its visitors.

Head for the rolling hills to escape the heat of the plains in the cool of tea plantations. The entire island is teeming with bird life, and exotics like elephants and leopards are not uncommon. To top it all off, the people are friendly, the food is delicious and costs are low.

Marco Polo considered Sri Lanka the finest island of its size in all the world, and you'll likely agree after exploring the country's fabled delights. What takes your fancy? Beaches? The coastal stretch south of Colombo offers palm-lined sandy expanses as far as the eye can see. Culture? Try the Kandyan dances, a procession of elephants or the masked devil dances. Ruins? You'll find enough ancient and inspiring architecture in the cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa to satisfy that inner archaeologist.

Warning

• Sri Lanka lost tens of thousands of lives and received massive property damage in the 2004 tsunami. Though many areas are now slowly recovering, travellers are advised to keep abreast of our tsunami-specific information, stories and downloads at Tsunami Updates.

• Though the worst of Sri Lanka's civil war is past, numerous regions are still considered too dangerous to travel. Pockets of the northern and eastern areas are heavily mined. The security situation in the Jaffna Peninsula remains uncertain. The A9 road to Jaffna remains heavily mined.

  Areas north of Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Nilaveli, as well as the eastern side of the island south of Trincomalee, including Batticaloa, remain unsafe for travellers despite the easing political climate and the ongoing ceasefire that remains between the government and the LTTE ('Tamil Tigers').

• In Colombo and southern tourist resorts, theft and violent crime are often aimed at foreigners. That said, southwestern Sri Lanka is safer now than it has been in years.

Full country name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Area: 66,000 sq km
Population: 19 million
Capital City: Colombo
People: 74% Sinhalese, 18% Tamils, 7% Moor, 1% other
Language: Sinhalese, Tamil, English
Religion: 69% Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 8% Muslim, 8% Christian
Government: republic
Head of State: President Chandrika Kumaratunga
Head of Government: Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa

GDP: US$48.1 billion
GDP per capita: US$2,500
Annual Growth: 4.7%
Inflation: 9.3%
Major Industries: Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Major Trading Partners: US, UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, India, Iran, Taiwan, Belgium, Hong Kong, China, South Korea