Sri Lanka

• tropical monsoon;
• northeast monsoon (December to March);
• southwest monsoon (June to October)

• strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes;
• Adam's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between the southeastern coast of India and the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka;
• geological evidence suggests that this 50-km (31-mi) bridge once connected India and Sri Lanka;
• ancient records seem to indicate that a foot passage was possible between the two land masses until the 15th century, when the land bridge broke up in a cyclone

noun:

Sri Lankan(s)

adjective:

Sri Lankan

total:

34.2 years (2025 est.)

male:

32.2 years

female:

35.8 years

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.73 male(s)/female

total population:

0.94 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

7.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

6.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76.8 years (2024 est.)

male:

73.7 years

female:

79.9 years

total:

2.58 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

18.2% (2025 est.)

male:

36.3% (2025 est.)

female:

2% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

0.9% (2016)

women married by age 18:

9.8% (2016)

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• poaching;
• effects of urbanization;
• coastal degradation from mining activities and pollution;
• coral reef destruction;
• freshwater resources polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff;
• waste disposal;
• air pollution in Colombo

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation

• tropical monsoon;
• northeast monsoon (December to March);
• southwest monsoon (June to October)

urban population:

19.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

1.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2.632 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

24.5% (2022 est.)

municipal:

805 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

831 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

11.31 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

conventional short form:

Sri Lanka

local long form:

Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sinhala)/ Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu (Tamil)

local short form:

Shri Lanka (Sinhala)/ Ilankai (Tamil)

former:

Serendib, Ceylon

etymology:

• the name is composed of the Sanskrit words shri (happiness or holiness) and lanka (island);
• the former name Serendib was an Arabic derivation of the Sanskrit word simhaladvipa , or "island of the place of lions;" the former name Ceylon came from the Sanskrit simha , or "lion"

name:

Colombo (commercial capital); Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)

geographic coordinates:

6 55 N, 79 50 E

time difference:

UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• the origin of Colombo's name is unclear;
• it may derive from the Sinhalese words kola (leaves) and amba (mango), referring to local mango trees, or from the name Kelantotta, referring to a ferry that crossed the Kelani River;
• the name was corrupted to Kolambu by Arab traders, and 16th-century Portuguese settlers then called it Colombo, possibly referring to explorer Christopher COLUMBUS;
• the legislative capital's name, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, is composed of the Sanskrit honorific sri, the name of Sri Lankan President J.R. JAYEWARDENE, and the Hindi word pura (town)

history:

several previous; latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978

amendment process:

proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of its total membership, certification by the president of the republic or the Parliament speaker, and in some cases approval in a referendum by absolute majority of valid votes

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Sri Lanka

dual citizenship recognized:

no, except in cases where the government rules it is to the benefit of Sri Lanka

residency requirement for naturalization:

7 years

legislature name:

Parliament

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

225 (196 directly elected; 29 indirectly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

11/14/2024

parties elected and seats per party:

• National People's Power (Jathika Jana Balawegaya, NPP) (159);
• Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) (40);
• Other (26)

percentage of women in chamber:

9.8%

expected date of next election:

November 2029

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation

judge selection and term of office:

• chief justice nominated by the Constitutional Council (CC), a 9-member high-level advisory body, and appointed by the president;
• other justices nominated by the CC and appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice;
• all justices can serve until age 65

subordinate courts:

• Court of Appeals;
• High Courts;
• Magistrates' Courts;
• municipal and primary courts

• Crusaders for Democracy or CFD
• Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP
• Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF
• Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi or ITAK
• Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP
• Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU
• National People's Power or NPP (also known as Jathika Jana Balawegaya or JJB)
• People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE
• Samagi Jana Balawegaya or SJB
• Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP
• Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC
• Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance or SLPFA (includes SLPFP, SLPP, and several smaller parties)
• Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (Sri Lanka's People's Front) or SLPP
• Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO
• Tamil National Alliance or TNA (includes ITAK, PLOTE, TELO)
• Tamil National People's Front or TNPF
• Tamil People's National Alliance or TPNA
• United National Front for Good Governance or UNFGG (coalition includes JHU, UNP)
• United National Party or UNP

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mahinda SAMARASINGHE (since 13 January 2022)

chancery:

3025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-4025

FAX:

[1] 202-232-2329

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://slembassyusa.org/

consulate(s) general:

Los Angeles

consulate(s):

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Julie J. CHUNG (since 17 February 2022)

embassy:

210 Galle Road, Colombo 03

mailing address:

6100 Colombo Place, Washington DC 20521-6100

telephone:

[94] (11) 249-8500

FAX:

[94] (11) 243-7345

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://lk.usembassy.gov/

description:

• yellow with two panels;
• the smaller panel on the left has two equal vertical bands of green (left side) and orange;
• the larger panel has a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon field, with a yellow bo leaf in each corner

meaning:

• the sword stands for national sovereignty;
• the lion for Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery;
• the four bo leaves for Buddhism and the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity;
• orange stands for Tamils, green for Moors, and maroon for the Sinhalese majority;
• yellow represents other ethnic groups

note: the banner is sometimes referred to as the Lion Flag

title:

"Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka)

lyrics/music:

Ananda SAMARKONE (Sinhala),M. NALLATHAMBY (Tamil)/Ananda SAMARKONE

history:

adopted 1951

total World Heritage Sites:

8 (6 cultural, 2 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (c);
• Ancient City of Sigiriya (c);
• Sacred City of Anuradhapura (c);
• Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (c);
• Sacred City of Kandy (c);
• Sinharaja Forest Reserve (n);
• Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (c);
• Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (n)

• economic contraction in 2022-23 marked by increased poverty and significant inflation;
• IMF two-year debt relief program following 2022 sovereign default;
• structural challenges from non-diversified economy and rigid labor laws;
• heavy dependence on tourism receipts and remittances

agriculture:

8.3% (2024 est.)

industry:

25.5% (2024 est.)

services:

57.5% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

• processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities;
• tourism;
• clothing and textiles;
• mining

total:

22.3% (2024 est.)

male:

18.4% (2024 est.)

female:

29.6% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

27.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

3.1% (2019 est.)

highest 10%:

30.8% (2019 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

2.323 million metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

2.238 million metric tons (2023 est.)

• government operates 5 TV channels and 19 radio channels;
• multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available;
• 25 private TV stations and about 43 radio stations;
• 6 non-profit TV stations and 4 radio stations

total:

1,562 km (2016)

broad gauge:

1,562 km (2016) 1.676-m gauge

total ports:

6 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

2

small:

1

very small:

1

size unknown:

2

ports with oil terminals:

2

key ports:

Batticaloa Roads, Colombo, Galle Harbor, Hambantota, Kankesanturai, Trincomalee Harbor

refugees:

500 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

5,549 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

229 (2024 est.)