The Landscape of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, an island country lying in

the Indian Ocean and separated from peninsular India by the Palk Strait.

It is located between latitudes 5°55′ and 9°51′ N and longitudes 79°41′

and 81°53′ E and has a maximum length of 432 km (from Point Pedro to

Dondra head) and a maximum width of 224 km(from Colombo to Point

Sangamankanda) with a land area about 65610km2

Landscape of the Hilly Region

The central mountain zone in above 300m

Mountain ranges and plateaus, rivers flowing through valleys, waterfalls

and gaps are the main physical features in this region

Mountain Ranges

Physically the hill country is in shape of an anchor. It consist of four

major mountain ranges

The stem of the anchor

is Pidurutalagala

mountain range. East of

the base is Haputale and

Namunukula mountain

ranges. Samanala peak is

in the West and

Knuckeles range are

situated to the North of

Pidurutalagala mountain

range

Activity

1. Trace an outline map of central hills in Sri Lanka. Mark and name the

major mountain ranges on it

Plateaus

Another special feature of these highlands is the plateaus.

A plateau is a relatively flat land at a higher level with sloping boundaries

Activity

1. Trace an outline map of central hills

2. Draw the mountain ranges in Brown and name them

3. Identify the plateaus from above map and mark and name them

4. Shade the plateaus in Yellow

Major rivers and waterfalls starting from the central hills

Major rivers like Mahawali, Kelani, Kalu, Walawe originate from the

central hills

When these rivers flow through deep slopes they create water falls

Below map shows waterfalls in the upcountry. Diyaluma, Dunhinda,

Lakshapana, Aberdeen are some of those beautiful waterfalls in the hill

country

These waterfalls which enrich the beauty of the hill country have become

tourist attractions. These are used for generating electricity

Activity

1. Name the waterfalls in the hill country

2. With the aid of an atlas prepare a table of waterfalls shoeing their

heights

Human Activities

Tea Plantation

Tea plantation is the most suitable form of

agriculture in the hill country.

Although, tea can be grown in other areas,

better and tasty tea produced in the hill

country because of the presence of better

physical conditions such as well distributed

rainfall and low temperatures

Highest land area under tea plantation is in

the Nuwara Eliya. Tea Research Institute

at Talawakale also in this district.

Activity

1. Take an outline map of Sri Lanka

a) Shade in Dark Green the district of Nuwara Eliya where Tea is

mostly grown

b) Shade in Light Green the other tea growing districts of Kandy,

Matale, Badulla

c) Mark and name the Tea Research Institute

Commercial vegetable and livestock farming

The landscapes of the hill country shows tea plantation on one side and

commercial vegetable cultivation on the other side

A large number quantity of commercial vegetables are grown in the

upcountry particularly in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Bandarawela and

Walimada areas

Most important varieties grown are Carrot, Beat, Leeks, Cabbage,

potatoes, Beans and Salad leaves

In addition fruit and flower cultivation done on a commercial basis and

livestock farms associated with grasslands are found

Both local and foreign tourists like to visit the hill country. Hence tourist

industry and features connected to it such as hotels, tourist bungalows

are prominent features of this landscape

Activity

1. Name significant physical features of the Hill country with three

examples

2. List out human activities found in the region with a hilly landscape

3. Draw a landscape of hill country