Sri Lanka

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

total:

12.95 cu km/yr (6%/6%/87%)

per capita:

638.8 cu m/yr (2005)

• 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

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

noun:

Sri Lankan(s)

adjective:

Sri Lankan

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.75 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne disease:

dengue fever

water contact disease:

leptospirosis

animal contact disease:

rabies (2013)

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

name:

Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the 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)

• several previous;
• latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978;
• amended many times, last in 2010 (2010)

chief of state:

• President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005);
• note - the president is both 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 Percy RAJAPAKSA re-elected president; percent of vote - Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA 57.88%, Sarath FONSEKA 40.15%, other 1.97%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 10 justices); note - the court has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation

judge selection and term of office:

• the chief justice appointed by the president;
• the other justices appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice;
• all justices hold office until age 65

subordinate courts:

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Designate Prasad KARIYAWASAM (since 2014)

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michele J. SISON (since 29 September 2012); note - also accredited to Maldives

embassy:

210 Galle Road, Colombo 3

mailing address:

P. O. Box 106, Colombo

telephone:

[94] (11) 249-8500

FAX:

[94] (11) 243-7345

• 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

• rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, vegetables, fruit, tea, rubber, coconuts;
• milk, eggs, hides, beef;
• fish

• processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities;
• telecommunications, insurance, banking;
• tourism, shipping;
• clothing, textiles;
• cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction

agriculture:

31.8%

industry:

25.8%

services:

42.4% (June 2012)

lowest 10%:

1.6%

highest 10%:

39.5% (2009)

• textiles and apparel, tea and spices;
• rubber manufactures;
• precious stones;
• coconut products, fish

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) (2011)

• 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)

total:

1,449 km

country comparison to the world: 80

broad gauge:

1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2007)

total:

114,093 km

country comparison to the world: 41

paved:

16,977 km

unpaved:

97,116 km (2010)

major seaport(s):

Colombo

container port(s) (TEUs):

Colombo (3,651,963)

• 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service;
• no conscription;
• 5-year service obligation (Air Force) (2012)

males age 16-49:

5,342,147

females age 16-49:

5,466,409 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

4,177,432

females age 16-49:

4,574,833 (2010 est.)

male:

167,026

female:

162,587 (2010 est.)

current situation:

• Sri Lanka is primarily a source and, to a much lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• some Sri Lankan adults and children who migrate willingly to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Singapore to work as domestic servants, construction workers, or garment factory workers face conditions indicative of forced labor;
• some Sri Lankan women are forced into prostitution in Jordan, Singapore, Maldives, and other countries;
• within Sri Lanka, women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels, while other children are forced to work in the agriculture, fireworks, and fish-drying industries

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List - Sri Lanka does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• law enforcement efforts and victim protection, particularly identification, are very weak, with no reported prosecutions or convictions under the country's penal code article prohibiting human trafficking;
• government employees' complicity in trafficking offenses remains a problem;
• the government has not approved its draft standard operating procedures for identifying trafficking victims and referring them to protective services, consequently, victims may have been punished for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked;
• the government adopted an anti-trafficking action plan in 2012 (2013)