Which forest in Sri Lanka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tropical biodiversity hotspot?

Sri Lanka’s major tropical biodiversity hotspot and UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

Sinharaja is the country’s last major area of relatively undisturbed primary rainforest. Its name means “Lion King,” and the reserve lies in Sri Lanka’s southwestern wet zone, where heavy rainfall supports dense evergreen vegetation.

The forest contains many endemic species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, trees, and other plants found nowhere else. Its rugged terrain and humid climate helped protect it from extensive conversion, although surrounding land use and illegal activities have created conservation pressures.

Sinharaja became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is sometimes confused with Sri Lanka’s montane forests in the central highlands, which have different vegetation and elevation patterns. Sinharaja is specifically a lowland rainforest reserve and is internationally important because of its high endemism.