Sri Lanka
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri LankaShri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya/
republicIndependence 4 February 1948 (from the UK)
Sri Lanka as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 159 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 formally 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, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects, many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy, the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces.
At the same time, there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations at the end of the war.
Geography
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
20 fieldsLand useshare of 65,610 sq km
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 12.61 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)
- per capita:
- 608 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment - 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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- Marine Life Conservation
People and Society
31 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Languages
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English, spoken competently by about 10% of the population, is commonly used in government and is referred to as the link language in the constitution
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:
- 0.75 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
- vectorborne disease:
- dengue fever and chikungunya
- water contact disease:
- leptospirosis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies (2009)
Government
Republic; President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005); President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament, elected 8 April 2010 with a repoll in two electorates held on 20 April 2010percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
- conventional short form:
- Sri Lanka
- local long form:
- Shri Lanka Prajatantrika Samajavadi Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
- local short form:
- Shri Lanka/Ilankai
- former:
- Serendib, Ceylon
Capital
- name:
- Colombo
- geographic coordinates:
- 6 55 N, 79 50 E
- time difference:
- UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
Legal system
mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and Jaffna Tamil customary law
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005);
- note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government;
- Dissanayake Mudiyanselage JAYARATNE holds the largely ceremonial title of prime minister (since 21 April 2010)
- head of government:
- President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a six-year term, eligible for a second term; election last held on 26 January 2010 (next to be held in 2016)
- election results:
- Mahinda RAJAPAKSA reelected president for second term; percent of vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSA 57.88%, Sarath FONSEKA 40.15%, other 1.97%
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of an open-list, proportional representation system by electoral district to serve six-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 8 April 2010 with a repoll in two electorates held on 20 April 2010 (next to be held by April 2016)
- election results:
- percent of vote by alliance or party - United People's Freedom Alliance 60.93%, United National Party 29.34%, Democratic National Alliance 5.49%, Tamil National Alliance 2.9%, other 1.94%;
- seats by alliance or party - United People's Freedom Alliance 144, United National Party 60, Tamil National Alliance 14, Democratic National Alliance 7
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court;
- Court of Appeals;
- judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders
- Coalitions and leaders:
- Democratic National Alliance, led by General (Retired) Sarath FONSEKA;
- Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Somawansa AMARASINGHE];
- Tamil National Alliance led by Illandai Tamil Arasu Kachchi [R. SAMPANTHAN];
- United National Front led by United National Party [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE];
- United People's Freedom Alliance led by Sri Lanka Freedom Party [Mahinda RAJAPAKSA]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [P. SIVAPARAN, Chief of International Secretariat; V. RUDRAKUMARAN, legal advisor];
- note - this insurgent group suffered military defeat in May 2009;
- some cadres remain scattered throughout country, but there have not been any incidents in Sri Lanka since May 2009
- other:
- Buddhist clergy;
- labor unions;
- hard-line nationalist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism;
- Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
International organization participation
ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Jaliya Chitran WICKRAMASURIYA
- chancery:
- 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 483-4025 through 4028
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 232-7181
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles
- consulate(s):
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michele J. SISON
- embassy:
- 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 106, Colombo
- telephone:
- [94] (11) 249-8500
- FAX:
- [94] (11) 243-7345
Flag description
- yellow with two panels;
- the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange;
- the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion holding a sword on a dark red rectangular field that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each corner;
- the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels;
- the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery;
- the sword demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation;
- the four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its influence on the country - stand for the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity;
- orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils, green the Sri Lankan Moors;
- dark red represents the European Burghers, but also refers to the rich colonial background of the country;
- yellow denotes other ethnic groups;
- also referred to as the Lion Flag
National anthem
- name:
- "Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka)
- lyrics/music:
- Ananda SAMARKONE
note: adopted 1951
Economy
Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth following the end of the 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ellam (LTTE).
39 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth following the end of the 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ellam (LTTE). The government has been pursuing large-scale reconstruction and development projects supplemented with private investment in its efforts to spur growth in war-torn and disadvantaged areas, develop small and medium enterprises and increase agricultural productivity.
The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service have contributed to historically high budget deficits, but economic reforms in recent years in line with IMF recommendations have helped bring down the government's fiscal deficit. The 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession exposed Sri Lanka's economic vulnerabilities and nearly caused a balance of payments crisis.
Growth slowed to 3.5% in 2009. Economic activity rebounded strongly with the end of the war and an IMF agreement, resulting in three straight years of high growth in 2010-12. Per capita income of $6,100 on a purchasing power parity basis is among the highest in the region.
Public debt
79% of GDP (2012 est.) · 79% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 28 note: covers central government debt, and excludes debt instruments directly owned by government entities other than the treasury (e.g. commercial bank borrowings of a government corporation); the data includes treasury debt held by foreign entities as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement; sub-national entities are usually not permitted to sell debt instruments
Central bank discount rate
7.5% (19 December 2012 est.) · 7% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Commercial bank prime lending rate
11.5% (31 December 2012 est.) · 9.41% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Stock of narrow money
$3.834 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $3.852 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 111
Stock of broad money
$21.89 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $18.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Stock of domestic credit
$24.42 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $24.21 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Agriculture - products
- rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, vegetables, fruit, tea, rubber, coconuts;
- milk, eggs, hides, beef;
- fish
Current account balance
-$4.737 billion (2012 est.) · -$4.638 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Exports - commodities
- textiles and apparel, tea and spices;
- rubber manufactures;
- precious stones;
- coconut products, fish
Imports - commodities
petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7.4 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $7.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Debt - external
$22.82 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $22.66 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 77
Exchange rates
Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar - 127.3 (2012 est.) · 110.57 (2011 est.) · 113.06 (2010 est.) · 114.95 (2009) · 108.33 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 3.088 million kW(2010 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
14.09 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- telephone services have improved significantly and are available in most parts of the country
- domestic:
- national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay;
- fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and fixed wireless local loops have been installed;
- competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing
- international:
- country code - 94;
- the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cables provide connectivity to Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, US;
- satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Broadcast media
- government operates 8 TV channels and a radio network;
- multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available;
- 35 private TV stations and about 50 radio stations (2012)
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 21 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Air Force (2010)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; 5-year service obligation (Air Force) (2012)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 5,342,147
- females age 16-49:
- 5,466,409 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: at least 115,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 470,000 IDPs registered as returnees had not reached durable solutions as of September 2012)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Sri Lanka.” The World Factbook 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/sri-lanka/2012.