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 long 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:

34.1 years (2024 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 (2024 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:

22% (2020 est.)

male:

41.4% (2020 est.)

female:

2.6% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

0.9%

women married by age 18:

9.8% (2016 est.)

• deforestation;
• soil erosion;
• wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization;
• coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution;
• coral reef destruction;
• 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, 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.)

widespread lack of access:

• due to unfavorable prospects for 2023 agricultural output and high prices of key food items - the 2023 cereal production is forecast below the five-year average, mostly reflecting constraints on farmers’ access to agricultural inputs;
• elevated prices of key food items are also constraining economic access to food for a large number of households (2023)

particulate matter emissions:

23.88 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

23.36 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

10.95 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2,631,650 tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

336,588 tons (2016 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

12.8% (2016 est.)

municipal:

810 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

830 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

11.31 billion cubic meters (2020 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 means "resplendent island" in Sanskrit

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:

• Colombo may derive from the Sinhala "kolon thota," meaning "port on the river" (referring to the Kelani River that empties into the Indian Ocean at Colombo);
• alternatively, the name may derive from the Sinhala "kola amba thota" meaning "harbor with mango trees";
• it is also possible that the Portuguese named the city after Christopher COLUMBUS, who lived in Portugal for many years (as Cristovao COLOMBO) before discovering the Americas for the Spanish crown in 1492 - not long before the Portuguese made their way to Sri Lanka in 1505;
• Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte translates as "Resplendent City of Growing Victory" in Sinhala

history:

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

amendments:

• 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;
• amended many times, last in 2020

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

chief of state:

President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024)

head of government:

Prime Minister Harini AMARASURIYA (since 24 September 2024)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 21 September 2024 (next to be held in 2029);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

2024: Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE elected president; percent of vote after reallocation - Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (JVP) 55.9%, Sajith PREMADASA (SJB) 44.1%; 2022: Ranil WICKREMESINGHE elected president by Parliament on 20 July 2022; Parliament vote - WICKREMESINGHE (UNP) 134, Dullas ALAHAPPERUMA (SLPP) 82

description:

unicameral Parliament (225 seats; 196 members directly elected in multi-seat district constituencies by proportional representation vote using a preferential method in which voters select 3 candidates in order of preference; remaining 29 seats, referred to as the "national list" are allocated by each party secretary according to the island wide proportional vote the party obtains; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 5 August 2020 (next to be held on 14 November 2024)

election results:

• percent of vote by party/coalition - SLFPA 59.1%, SJB 23.9%, JVP 3.8%, TNA 2.8%, UNP 2.2%, TNPF 0.6%, EPDP 0.5%, other 7.1%;
• seats by party/coalition - SLFPA 145, SJB 54, TNA 10, JVP 3, other 13;
• composition- men 213, women 12, percentage women 5.3%

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); note - the court 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/new/

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/

• 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

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

Fitch rating:

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating:

Caa1 (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: CCC+ (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

agriculture:

8.3% (2023 est.)

industry:

25.6% (2023 est.)

services:

59.9% (2023 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:

25.3% (2023 est.)

male:

20.9% (2023 est.)

female:

33.9% (2023 est.)

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

on food:

26.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

3.4% of household expenditures (2022 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:

2.084 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports:

(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

imports:

2.205 million metric tons (2022 est.)

general assessment:

• Sri Lanka’s fixed-line telephony market was one of the very few in the world to experience a significant upsurge in subscriptions in 2020;
• while the country suffers from a relatively poor fixed-line infrastructure and a correspondingly strong mobile sector, demand for traditional phone services increased 14% in 2020;
• preliminary results suggest a further jump of up to 13% can also be expected in 2021;
• this will take Sri Lanka’s fixed-line penetration to levels not seen since 2013;
• the most reason behind the market’s reversal of fortunes is the Covid-19 crisis and Sri Lanka’s ensuring lock downs;
• these forced much of the population back inside and reverting to ‘traditional’ methods of communication for both voice and data services;
• the fixed broadband market was equally robust, growing 20% in 2020 alone;
• Sri Lanka possesses a relatively low number of computers per household so the fixed broadband market’s success comes off a small base;
• the one area of the telecommunications market that experienced a fall was the mobile segment;
• up until the start of the pandemic, Sri Lanka had a very high mobile penetration rate of 155%;
• this near-saturation level reflected the preponderance for subscribers to carry multiple SIM cards to take advantage of cheaper on-net call rates;
• the reduction in demand and traffic because of the pandemic led to a sharp drop in the number of active subscriptions, down to just 135% – a 17% decline in just one year;
• the market is expected to bounce back quickly, as soon as the country eases back on its lock down measures and reduces travel restrictions;
• it will also be boosted, come 2022, by the anticipated launch of commercial 5G mobile services (2021)

domestic:

fixed-line is 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 143 per 100 (2022)

international:

• country code - 94;
• landing points for the SeaMeWe -3,-5, Dhiraagu-SLT Submarine Cable Network, WARF Submarine Cable, Bharat Lanka Cable System and the Bay of Bengal Gateway submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe;
• satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (2019)

• 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

number of registered air carriers:

3 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 34

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

5,882,376 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

436.2 million (2018) mt-km

total:

1,562 km (2016)

broad gauge:

1,562 km (2016) 1.676-m gauge

total:

114,093 km

paved:

16,977 km

unpaved:

97,116 km (2010)

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

• the military's inventory consists mostly of Chinese- and Russian-origin equipment with a smaller mix of material from countries such as India and the US, including donations;
• defense acquisitions have been limited over the past decade (2024)

• 110 Central African Republic (MINUSCA);
• 125 Lebanon (UNIFIL);
• 240 Mali (MINUSMA) (2024)