sri lanka s environment an overview part ii blank page 9 with area of about 65 610 square kilometers lies between 6 o n and 10 latitude 80 e 82 longitude a central mountainous massif vast plain surrounding it define the topography island there is significant temporal spatial variation in climate annual temperature coastal belt ranges from 26 0 c while highlands 15 to 19 as tropical little average rainfall varies from1000 mm arid zones southeastern northwestern parts over 5000 few places on southwestern slopes 3000 isohyet divides country into wet zone covering dry which spread plains north east population 1981 was 14 8 million now estimated be near
