The Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington DC played host to a record number of over 3600 US cultural enthusiasts during the 06th annual Passport DC –around the World Embassy Tour on Saturday, May 04th. In keeping with the Embassy’s ongoing efforts in promoting Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for tourism and business, a series of events were organized to showcase Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage, unique hospitality and spectacular natural beauty.

With a rapidly growing economy, big port projects and other infrastructure planned to capitalise on its geographical location next to the fast expanding Indian and Chinese economies, Sri Lanka is well placed to continue the momentum to become an integral part of South Asia’s drive to assume its position as one of the most important global economic areas!

Due to an unavoidable circumstances the Ranviru Real Stars’ live concert scheduled for the Saturday, May 19, 2013 at John F. Kennedy High school, Silver Spring, MD has been postponed to the end of June 2013.
The date will be notified later.

You heard of the two guys who recently opted in to a two-year, $1.5 million holiday? These are some of the sights they’ll be privy to. Luxury website VeryFirstTo.com unveiled its £990,000 ($1.5 million) trip just a month ago, a luxury expedition to all 962 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in what’s been billed as the world’s most expensive vacation.

Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya on Friday (April 26, 2013) met with Congressman Ed Royce, the Chairman of the United Sates House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington. Ambassador briefed Rep. Royce on the latest progress of the Sri Lanka’s post-conflict rebuilding and reconciliation activities and also made him aware of the opportunities present for the US companies at the upcoming Commonwealth Business Forum.

Members of the Embassy Staff and their families celebrated the traditional Sinhala & Tamil New Year on April 14, 2013 at the Sri Lanka Residence, Washington DC. Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Mrs. Priyanga Wickramasuriya hosted the traditional Avurudu Table and organized the main rituals of the festival.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris had discussions at Marlborough House in London with Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General of the Commonwealth, about the arrangements well under way for the meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in Sri Lanka in November this year.

  • SRI LANKAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON DC WINS THE HEARTS OF US CULTURAL ENTHUSIASTS!

    The Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington DC played host to a record number of over 3600 US cultural enthusiasts during the 06th annual Passport DC –around the World Embassy Tour on Saturday, May 04th. In keeping with the Embassy’s ongoing efforts in promoting Sri Lanka as an attractive destination for tourism and business, a series of events were organized to showcase Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage, unique hospitality and spectacular natural beauty.

  • Ambassador Wickramasuriya meets with Chair of US House Foreign Affairs Committee

    Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya on Friday (April 26, 2013) met with Congressman Ed Royce, the Chairman of the United Sates House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington. Ambassador briefed Rep. Royce on the latest progress of the Sri Lanka’s post-conflict rebuilding and reconciliation activities and also made him aware of the opportunities present for the US companies at the upcoming Commonwealth Business Forum.

  • THE ARTS PRESENT A GREAT MEDIUM TO LOOK PAST DIFFERENCES AND PROMOTE UNITY- AMBASSADOR WICKRAMASURIYA

    Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya delivering the keynote address at the annual South Asian Arts Festival at the American University in Washington DC stated that the arts are an excellent medium to promote unity and look past differences. “In the world we live in today, there is entirely too much focus on differences that we may share as humans, but not the things we have in common”,

  • TWENTY MILLION SMILES AWAIT YOU – AMBASSADOR WICKRAMASURIYA INVITES WASHINGTON YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TO VISIT SRI LANKA

    “Sri Lanka has many attractions for its visitors, the best being the twenty million smiles awaiting to greet you” opined Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya, Sri Lanka’s envoy to the United States. He highlighted that Sri Lanka affords a grand array of interesting and exciting opportunities for a traveler to experience from a single visit.

  • SRI LANKA EXPECTS UNSTINTING SUPPORT FROM ALL SRI LANKANS LIVING ABROAD – PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA TO SRI LANKAN- AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS

    His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa received a group of visiting Sri Lankan – American community leaders at Temple Trees, Colombo on Tuesday, March 26th, 2013. During the meeting the President stated that the he expects the unstinted support from all Sri Lankans living abroad to overcome the challenges before the nation.

  • CAPTURING HEARTS WITH MUSICAL DIPLOMACY

    Sri Lankan master percussionist Jananath Warakagoda along with renowned musician Kapila Poogalaarachchi on Friday (March 8 ) unleashed the energy of exhilarating rhythms of ancient Sri Lankan music and drums before an appreciative audience of music enthusiasts in the United States. The colorful and elegant evening at the Sri Lanka Residence Washington, featured captivating fusion of Sri Lankan drums rhythms, folk songs by the duo and traditional dance items performed by choreographer Chathuri Wickramarachchi.

  • SRI LANKAN TRADITIONAL DANCE AND MUSIC DAZZLES THE WORLD BANK HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON

    Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington DC as part of its vigorous cultural diplomacy programme organized the fifth annual Sri Lanka cultural performance at the World Bank on Monday, February 11, 2013. The large and representative audience at the prestigious Preston Auditorium, World Bank, were in rapt attention and erupted in applause as they witnessed the spellbinding performance of the internationally renowned Visha School of Dance from Sri Lanka.

  • SRI LANKA’S 65TH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATED IN WASHINGTON DC HIGHLIGHTING POST CONFLICT DEVELOPMENTS & SHARING THE CORRECT STORY OF SRI LANKA

    The Embassy of Sri Lanka Washington DC celebrated the 65th Anniversary of the Independence of Sri Lanka with a spectacular cultural evening at the University of the District of Columbia on Saturday, February 9. Approximately one thousand Sri Lankan – American community members and distinguished invitees including United States Congressmen, senior government officials and Washington based Ambassadors witnessed the biggest Sri Lankan cultural event held outside of Sri Lanka.

  • AS A PART OF VIGOROUS NATION BUILDING PROCESS, SRI LANKA EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON DC HOSTS GLITTERING EVENING PROMOTING TOURISM, CEYLON TEA AND SRI LANKAN CUISINE

    Continuing its vigorous nation branding campaign in the US, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington DC embarked on yet another initiative on January 31 by hosting a glittering evening for over 100 guests who were keen to experience different cultures of the world, from the Greater Washington area. The primary objective of this well attended function jointly organized by the Embassy and the International Club DC was to promote Sri Lanka as a travel destination.

  • EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA CELEBRATES THAI PONGAL IN WASHINGTON DC

    Sri Lanka Embassy, Washington DC began its calendar of events for the year, with a colorful celebration of the Hindu harvest festival, Thai Pongal on Tuesday (Jan 15) amidst a large gathering of Hindu devotees of the Sri Lankan American community, representatives Sri Lanka associations and US officials. Swami Sivanatha Kurukkal recited prayers and conducted religious activities according to Hindu traditions.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island of no great size, yet it has an extraordinary number of facets. As Sir Arthur C Clarke remarked: “The Island of Sri Lanka is a small universe; it contains as many variations of culture, scenery, and climate as some countries a dozen times its size . . . I find it hard to believe that there is any country which scores so highly in all departments – which has so many advantages and so few disadvantages.” Lovely beaches, beautiful landscapes, impressive ruins, a vibrant culture and charming people.

Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Government type: republic
Location: Latitude 5° 55. to 9° 50. north, longitude 79° 42. to 81° 52., 650km north of the equator
Dimensions: 430km north to south, 225km east to west
Coastline: 1,340km
Area: 65,525km2
Currency (code): Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Independence: 4 February 1948
Administrative capital: Sri Jayewardenepura
Commercial capital: Colombo
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western, Eastern Province.
Climate: Typically tropical, with a northeast monsoon (December to March) bringing unsettled weather to the north and east, and a southwest monsoon (June to October) bringing bad weather to the south and west
Terrain: Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Highest mountain: Pidurutalagala, 2,524m
Highest waterfall: Bambarakanda, 263m
National Flower The Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata).
National parks and nature reserves area: 8,000sq.km

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Washington DC 20008

Telephone Nos
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(202) 352 0355 (Emergencies/After hours)

Fax Nos
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E-mail
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