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Sri Lanka
Background :
The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. In May 2009, the government announced that its military had finally defeated the remnants of the LTTE and that its leader, Velupillai PRABHAKARAN, had been killed.
Location :
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Geographic Coordinates Center :
7 00 N, 81 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 79.65 |
| North | 9.83 |
| East | 81.88 |
| South | 5.92 |
Map references :
Asia
Area :
| total | 65 610 | square km |
| land | 64 630 | square km |
| water | 980 | square km |
Coastline :
1340.00 km
Climate :
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain :
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 2 524 | metres |
Natural resources :
| clay | gems |
| graphite | hydropower |
| limestone | mineral sands |
| phosphates |
Land use :
| arable land | 13.96 | % |
| permanent crops | 15.24 | % |
| other | 70.80 | % |
Irrigated land :
7 430 square km
Total renewable water resources :
50 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| cyclones |
current issues :
deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Environmental Modification |
| Hazardous Wastes | Law of the Sea |
| Marine Life Conservation | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Wetlands |
Population :
21 324 791
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 0.90 | % |
| Birth rate | 16.26 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 1.99 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 6.13 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -1.09 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 23.90 | % |
| 15-64 years | 68.00 | % |
| 65 years and over | 8.10 | % |
Median age :
| total | 30.90 | years |
| male | 29.90 | years |
| female | 31.80 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 0.96 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.87 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.97 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 18.57 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 75.14 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 73.08 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 77.28 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.10 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 3 800 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 200 |
Religions :
| Buddhist | 69.10 | % |
| Muslim | 7.60 | % |
| Hindu | 7.10 | % |
| Christian | 6.20 | % |
| unspecified | 10.00 | % |
Languages :
| Sinhala | 74.00 | % |
| Tamil | 18.00 | % |
Literacy :
| total population | 90.70 | % |
| male | 92.30 | % |
| female | 89.10 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
| conventional short form | Sri Lanka |
| local long form | Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu |
| local short form | Shri Lamka/Ilankai |
| former | Serendib, Ceylon |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | LK |
| ISO Numeric | 144 |
| ISO3 | LKA |
| FIPS | CE |
| ccTLD | lk |
| English | Sri Lanka |
Administrative divisions :
8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western|
Capital :
| name | Colombo |
| geographic coordinates | 6 56 N, 79 51 E |
| time difference | 5.50 |
International organization participation :
| ADB | ARF |
| BIMSTEC | C |
| CP | FAO |
| G-15 | G-24 |
| G-77 | IAEA |
| IBRD | ICAO |
| ICC | ICRM |
| IDA | IFAD |
| IFC | IFRCS |
| IHO | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IMSO | IOC |
| IOM | IPU |
| ISO | ITSO |
| ITU | ITUC |
| Interpol | MIGA |
| MINURSO | MINUSTAH |
| MONUC | NAM |
| OAS (observer) | OPCW |
| PCA | SAARC |
| SACEP | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNIDO | UNMIS |
| UNWTO | UPU |
| WCO | WFTU |
| WHO | WIPO |
| WMO | WTO |
Independence :
1948-02-04
National holiday :
Independence Day
1948-02-04
Executive branch :
| President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA |
Legislative branch :
| UNP | 37.80 | % |
| TNA | 6.80 | % |
| JHU | 6.00 | % |
| SLMC | 2.00 | % |
| UPF | 0.50 | % |
| EPDP | 0.30 | % |
| other | 1.00 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 96 460 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 41 320 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 3.50 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 4 500 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 12.80 | % |
| industry | 29.20 | % |
| services | 58.00 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 32.70 | % |
| industry | 26.30 | % |
| services | 41.00 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 8 100 000 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 5.90 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 23.00 | % |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 49.00 | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.40 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 23.10 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | 100 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 5 200 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 19 450 000 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 4 326 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 2.60 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 82.90 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 1.10 | % |
| highest 10% | 39.70 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 6 224 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 9 801 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| beef | coconuts |
| eggs | fish |
| fruits | grain |
| hides | milk |
| oilseed | pulses |
| rice | rubber |
| spices | sugarcane |
| tea | vegetables |
Industries :
| banking | cement |
| clothing | coconuts |
| construction | information technology services |
| insurance | petroleum refining |
| processing of rubber | shipping |
| tea | telecommunications |
| textiles | tobacco and other agricultural commodities |
| tourism |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 9 901 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 8 417 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 89 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 968 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 87 690 | bbl/day |
Value :
7 000 000 000 $
Partners :
| United States (us) | 22.10 | % |
| United Kingdom (gb) | 12.10 | % |
| Germany (de) | 5.20 | % |
| Belgium (be) | 4.90 | % |
| Italy (it) | 4.80 | % |
| India (in) | 4.50 | % |
Commodities :
| coconut products | diamonds |
| emeralds | fish |
| rubber manufactures | rubies |
| tea and spices | textiles and apparel |
Value :
9 600 000 000 $
Partners :
| India (in) | 18.90 | % |
| China (cn) | 12.40 | % |
| Iran (ir) | 7.70 | % |
| Singapore (sg) | 7.50 | % |
| South Korea | 4.80 | % |
Commodities :
| foodstuffs | machinery and transportation equipment |
| mineral products | petroleum |
| textile fabrics |
Currency-code :
LKR
Currency-name :
Sri Lankan rupee
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 3 446 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 11 082 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 52 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 12 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | lk | |
| Internet Hosts | 6 090 | |
| Internet Users | 1 164 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 14 | |
| Roadways - total | 97 286 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 78 802 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 18 484 | km |
| Railways | 1 449 | km |
| Waterways | 160 | km |
Flag
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