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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

5 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.lk

Internet users [time series]

121,500 (2001)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios [time series]

3.85 million (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999) domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999) international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

494,509 (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

228,604 (1999)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

21 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

1.53 million (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef

Budget [time series]

revenues: $2.8 billion expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

LKR

Debt - external [time series]

$9.9 billion (2000)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

34 (1995)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$577 million (1998) (1998)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000 with average growth of 5.3%. But 2001 saw the first contraction in the country's history, due to a combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

6.156 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production [time series]

6.619 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 32% hydro: 68% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates [time series]

Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 93.383 (January 2002), 89.383 (2001), 77.005 (2000), 70.635 (1999), 64.450 (1998), 58.995 (1997)

Exports [time series]

$4.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities [time series]

textiles and apparel 15%, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products

Exports - partners [time series]

US 39%, UK 13%, Middle East 8%, Germany 4%, Japan 4% (2000)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 21% industry: 27% services: 52% (2000)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

-1% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 28% (1995)

Imports [time series]

$6 billion f.o.b. (2001)

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs

Imports - partners [time series]

Japan 9%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2000)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

1.4% (2001)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

14.2% (2001 est.)

Labor force [time series]

6.6 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

22% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

7.7% (2001)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 65,610 sq km water: 870 sq km land: 64,740 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates [time series]

7 00 N, 81 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Irrigated land [time series]

6,510 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 13.43% permanent crops: 15.78% other: 70.79% (1998 est.)

Location [time series]

Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Map references [time series]

Asia

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Natural resources [time series]

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

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; note - North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern

Capital [time series]

Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital

Constitution [time series]

adopted 16 August 1978

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador E. Ashley WILLS embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: [94] (1) 448007 FAX: [94] (1) 437345

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Devinda R. SUBASINGHE consulate(s): New York consulate(s) general: Los Angeles FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028) chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005) election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%

Flag (Flag description) [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 around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

4 February 1948 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president

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 (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms) elections: last held 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2007) election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, Tamil National Alliance 3.89%, PLOTE 0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114, PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, Tamil National Alliance 15, PLOTE 1

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 4 February (1948)

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

All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D. GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader NA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [R. SAMPATHAN]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Upcountry People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils

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

Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century B.C. and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura (kingdom from c. 200 B.C. to c. 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796 and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$719 million (FY98)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

4.2% (FY98)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 5,347,153 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 4,148,825 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 193,522 (2002 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 25.6% (male 2,559,246; female 2,446,393) 15-64 years: 67.7% (male 6,446,320; female 6,802,515) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 628,398; female 693,911) (2002 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

16.36 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.07% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

490 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

7,500 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

15.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages [time series]

Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.35 years female: 75 years (2002 est.) male: 69.83 years

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.2% male: 93.4% female: 87.2% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population [time series]

19,576,783 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 mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.85% (2002 est.)

Religions [time series]

Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Transportation

Airports [time series]

15 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 11,285 km paved: 10,721 km unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 137,321 GRT/233,367 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, United Arab Emirates 1 (2002 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee

Railways [time series]

total: 1,463 km broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2001)

Waterways [time series]

430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft)