The tropical island of Sri Lanka (Sanskrit:Resplendent Land), a derivation of the prehistoric and most ancient historic name 'Lanka' appeared in Hindu epic Mahabharata and Ramayana, with a shape of a pear, or as the ancient Indian poets and scholars loved to narrate as the in shape of a pearl pendent in the necklace of Indian subcontinent is replete with fine swathes of pristine beaches in the south western coastal belt, southern coastal belt and eastern coastal belt; punctured with wildlife sanctuaries, tropical rain forests and strict nature reserves.

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The ancient island of Sri Lanka is littered with ancient cultural ruins together with well preserved historical ruins; studded with renovated ancient historical and cultural monuments, renovated ancient irrigation systems consisting of massive man-made rainwater reservoirs some of which are like inland seas; ornamented with the natural beauty of the beaches and lagoons, varying and contrasting terrain of the plains, wet lands and Central Highlands that run up to an altitude of 2000 meters above sea-level.



ECO ZONE



Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri Lanka is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world.[156] Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity density in Asia. Remarkably high proportion of the species among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and 22% of the mammals, are endemic. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small loris, a variety of deer, the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and anteaters.



Flowering acacias flourish on the arid Jaffna Peninsula. Among the trees of the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. The wet zone is a tropical evergreen forest with tall trees, broad foliage, and a dense undergrowth of vines and creepers. Subtropical evergreen forests resembling those of temperate climates flourish in the higher altitudes.

The Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is an endangered subspecies of leopard native to Sri Lanka.

The Yala National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks. The Wilpattu National Park, the largest, in the northwest preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills. The island has four biosphere reserves: Bundala, Hurulu Forest Reserve, the Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya, and Sinharaja. Out of these, Sinharaja forest reserve is home to 26 endemic birds and 20 rainforest species, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie. The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous. Of the 211 woody trees and lianas within the reserve, 139 (66%) are endemic. The Total vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings, has been estimated at 240,000 individuals per hectare.

Sri Lanka is home to over 250 types of resident birds. It has declared several bird sanctuaries including Kumana.[162] During the Mahaweli Program of the 1970s and 1980s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of land totalling 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi) as national parks. However the country's forest cover, which was around 49% in 1920, had been fallen to approximately 24% by 2009.