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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 14 usable: 13 with permanent-surface runways: 12 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

75,749 km total (1990); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887 km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth; several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft

Merchant marine [time series]

27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 276,074 GRT/443,266 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 3 oil tanker, 3 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)

Ports [time series]

Colombo, Trincomalee

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

1,948 km total (1990); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no electrification; government owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

very inadequate domestic service, good international service; 114,000 telephones (1982); broadcast stations - 12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $365 million, 4.7% of GDP (1992)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 4,779,221; fit for military service 3,730,737; reach military age (18) annually 178,032 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 26% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most important staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops - sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops - tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products - milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production

Budget [time series]

revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (1992)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369 million

Electricity [time series]

1,300,000 kW capacity; 3,600 million kWh produced, 200 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1 - 46.342 (January 1993), 43.687 (1992), 41.372 (1991), 40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: textiles and garments, teas, petroleum products, coconuts, rubber, other agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products, graphite partners: US 27.4%, Germany, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$5.7 billion (1991 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment partners: Japan, Iran, US 5.7%, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, UK

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 7% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP

Industries [time series]

processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

10% (1992)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $7.75 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$440 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

4.5% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing half of the labor force and accounting for one quarter of GDP. The plantation crops of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about one-third of export earnings. The economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s. Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in 1991-92 as domestic conditions began to improve and conditions for foreign investment brightened.

Unemployment rate [time series]

15% (1991 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 65,610 km2 land area: 64,740 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,340 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

occasional cyclones, tornados; deforestation; soil erosion

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

5,600 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 16% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 37% other: 23%

Location [time series]

South Asia, 29 km southeast of India across the Palk Strait in the Indian Ocean

Map references [time series]

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay

Note [time series]

strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Terrain [time series]

mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western

Capital [time series]

Colombo

Constitution [time series]

31 August 1978

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Ananda GURUGE chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 483-4025 through 4028 consulate general: New York

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 19 December 1988 (next to be held NA December 1994); results - Ranasinghe PREMADASA (UNP) 50%, Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE (SLFP) 45%, other 5%; note - following the assassination of President PREMADASA on 1 May 1993, Prime Minister WIJETUNGA became acting president; on 7 May 1993, he was confirmed by a vote of Parliament to finish out the term of the assassinated president Parliament: last held 15 February 1989 (next to be held by NA February 1995); results - UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%; seats - (225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

Independence [time series]

4 February 1948 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGA (since 7 May 1993) Head of Government: Prime Minister Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 7 May 1993)

Legal system [time series]

a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Ceylon

National holiday [time series]

Independence and National Day, 4 February (1948)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other smaller Tamil separatist groups; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP or People's Liberation Front and several other radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups); Buddhist clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

United National Party (UNP), Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGA; Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Sirimavo BANDARANAIKE; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), M. H. M. ASHRAFF; All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Kumar PONNAMBALAM; People's United Front (MEP, or Mahajana Eksath Peramuna), Dinesh GUNAWARDENE; Eelam Democratic Front (EDF), Edward SEBASTIAN PILLAI; Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), leader NA; Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), Velupillai BALAKUMARAN; New Socialist Party (NSSP, or Nava Sama Samaja Party), Vasudeva NANAYAKKARA; Lanka Socialist Party/Trotskyite (LSSP, or Lanka Sama Samaja Party), Colin R. DE SILVA; Sri Lanka People's Party (SLMP, or Sri Lanka Mahajana Party), Ossie ABEYGUNASEKERA; Communist Party, K. P. SILVA; Communist Party/Beijing (CP/B), N. SHANMUGATHASAN; Democratic United National Front (DUNF), Lalith ATHULATHMUDALI and Gamini DISSANAYAKE note: the United Socialist Alliance (USA) includes the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and CP/B

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Teresita C. SCHAFFER embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: [94] (1) 44-80-07 FAX: [94] (1) 43-73-45

People

Birth rate [time series]

18.71 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.84 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

22.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

6.6 million by occupation: agriculture 45.9%, mining and manufacturing 13.3%, trade and transport 12.4%, services and other 28.4% (1985 est.)

Languages [time series]

Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken by about 10% of the population

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 71.51 years male: 68.94 years female: 74.21 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 88% male: 93% female: 84%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

17,838,190 (July 1993 est.) note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid 1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of late 1992, nearly 115,000 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 95,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West; fewer than 10,000 Tamils have been successfully repatriated to Sri Lanka

Population growth rate [time series]

1.11% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 8%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.13 children born/woman (1993 est.)