Which island country south of India has a total area of 65,610 square kilometers? Sri Lanka is the answer. The island nation lies in the Indian Ocean, just southeast of the Indian subcontinent, and its commonly cited total area is 65,610 square kilometers.
That figure includes about 64,630 square kilometers of land and roughly 980 square kilometers of inland water. The main island accounts for most of the territory, while smaller offshore islands—including Jaffna Island and Mannar Island—make up the remainder. Sri Lanka was formerly known internationally as Ceylon, a name still encountered in historical and cultural contexts.
Sri Lanka’s shape and location have influenced its history. It sits near important Indian Ocean sea routes and has long been connected to South India through trade, migration, religion, and warfare. The legendary Adam’s Bridge, a chain of shoals between India and Sri Lanka, is sometimes confused with a modern land bridge; it is not a continuous natural roadway today.
The country is more than a coastal plain. Its south-central interior rises into a mountainous region, where Pidurutalagala reaches 2,524 meters, the island’s highest elevation.