Sri Lanka

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

agricultural land:

43.5%;

• arable land 20.7%;
• permanent crops 15.8%;
• permanent pasture 7%

forest:

29.4%

other:

27.1% (2011 est.)

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:

0.86 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.74 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2015 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 Maithripala SIRISENA (since 9 January 2015);
• note - the president is both chief of state and head of government;
• Ranil WICKREMESINGHE (since 9 January 2015) holds the title of prime minister

head of government:

President Maithripala SIRISENA (since 9 January 2015)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 8 January 2015 (next to be held by January 2021);
• note - the January 2015 election was held nearly 2 years ahead of schedule

election results:

Maithripala SIRISENA elected president; percent of vote - Maithripala SIRISENA (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) 51.3%, Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) 47.6%, other 1.1%

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

• All Ceylon Muslim Congress [Rishad BAITHUTHEEN]
• Democratic National Alliance, led by General (Retired) Sarath FONSEKA
• Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE]
• Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU [Patali Champika RANAWAKA]
• Sri Lanka Freedom Party [Maithripala SIRISENA and Mahinda RAJAPAKSA claimed leadership as of January 2015]
• Sri Lanka Muslim Congress [Rauff HAKEEM]
• Tamil National Alliance [R. SAMPANTHAN]
• United National Party [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE]
• United People's Freedom Alliance or UPFA

chief of mission:

Ambassador Prasad KARIYAWASAM (since 14 July 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Atul KESHAP (since 21 August 2015); 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 maroon 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 Sri Lankan Moors, and maroon the Sinhalese majority;
• yellow denotes other ethnic groups;
• also referred to as the Lion Flag

name:

"Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka)

lyrics/music:

Ananda SAMARKONE

note: adopted 1951

• 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:

1,447 km

broad gauge:

1,447 km 1.676-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 80

total:

114,093 km

paved:

16,977 km

unpaved:

97,116 km (2010)

country comparison to the world: 41

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 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, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, and the US to work as domestic servants, construction workers, or garment factory workers subsequently face conditions of forced labor, including restrictions on movement, withholding of passports, abuse, and threats;
• some Sri Lankan women are forced into prostitution in Jordan, Singapore, Maldives, and other countries, while some foreign women are forced into prostitution in Sri Lanka;
• within Sri Lanka, women and children are also subjected to sex trafficking, and 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;
• modest trafficking prevention efforts in 2013 included updating a national action plan and launching awareness campaigns;
• law enforcement efforts were limited;
• no traffickers were convicted under the trafficking statute and none of those convicted under the procurement statute served prison time;
• labor recruitment regulations were rarely enforced;
• authorities did not approve guidelines developed in 2012 for the identification of victims and their referral to protective services;
• no government employees were investigated or prosecuted, despite allegations of complicity (2014)