Sri Lanka’s gem industry has a very long and colorful history. Sri Lanka was affectionately known as Ratna-Dweepa which means Gem Island. The name is a reflection of its natural wealth. Because island had the best sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems in the world. Main species of Gemstones found in Sri Lanka are as follows.
The spices from Sri Lanka mainly include Ceylon Cinnamon, Ceylon Pepper, Ceylon Cloves, Ceylon Cardamom, Ceylon Nutmeg, as well as mace, Vanilla.
Tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka, and accounts for 2% of GDP, contributing over US$1.3 billion in 2021 to the economy of Sri Lanka. It employs, directly or indirectly, over 1 million people, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. In addition, tea planting by smallholders is the source of employment for thousands whilst it is also the main form of livelihood for tens of thousands of families. Sri Lanka is the world's fourth-largest producer of tea. In 1995, it was the world's leading exporter of tea (rather than producer), with 23% of the total world export, and Sri Lanka ranked second on tea export earnings in 2020 after China. The highest production of 340 million kg was recorded in 2013, while the production in 2014 was slightly reduced to 338 million kg. India has additionally guaranteed Sri Lanka a shipment of 65,000 metric tons of urea. Sri Lanka's troubled execution of an organic agriculture initiative had pushed the country perilously close to an agricultural crisis. Given the surge in global fertilizer prices, it is improbable that Sri Lanka could procure fertilizer at prevailing market rates.
The Batik industry in Sri Lanka is a small scale industry which can employ individual design talent and creativity. Its economic benefit is profit from dealing with foreign customers. It is now the most visible of the island's crafts with galleries and factories, large and small, having sprung up in many tourist areas.
The wildlife of Sri Lanka includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of biological endemism (16% of the fauna and 23% of flowering plants are endemic.
The mountains and the south-western part of the country, known as the "wet zone", receive ample rainfall (an annual average of 2500 millimeters). Most of the southeast, east, and northern parts of the country comprise the "dry zone", which receives between 1200 and 1900 mm of rain annually.
Sri Lanka is the Best for Big Game Safaris outside Africa. Its Big Five are the Elephant, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Blue and Sperm Whale. Few countries can rival its combination of Big Game safari animals, species densities and tourism infrastructure. It is undoubtedly the Ultimate Island Safari.
The largest seasonally recurring concentration of wild elephants takes place between July to September at Minneriya (and Kaudulla) National Park. Over 300 elephants may gather on the seasonally drying lake bed. Listed by Lonely Planet as among the Top Ten wildlife spectacles in the world. Uda Walawe National Park is the only site in the world where wild elephants are guaranteed on every game drive.
Yala National Park is the best place in the world for seeing and photographing leopards. Some areas in Block 1 have an average density of a leopard per square kilometer.
The Sinharaja Bird Wave is the largest, longest studied and offers the longest viewing of bird waves.
