Map of Sri Lanka | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced circa 250 B.C., and the first kingdoms developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century followed by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Prevailing tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in July 1983. Fighting between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued for over a quarter century. Although Norway brokered peace negotiations that led to a ceasefire in 2002, the fighting slowly resumed and was again in full force by 2006. The government defeated the LTTE in May 2009.


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

Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 81 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 65,610 km²
Land: 64,630 km²
Water: 980 km²
Rank: 123
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1340 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

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

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

Elevation
Mean elevation: 228 m
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 43.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 29.4% (2011 est.)
Other: 27.1% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 5,700 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Geography
Note: 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


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Population
Distribution: the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north: 22,576,592 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 57
Growth rate: 0.73% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 138
Below poverty line: 6.7% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Sri Lankan(s)
Adjective: Sri Lankan

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)

Languages:

Religions: Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.75% (male 2,734,114 /female 2,627,695)
15-24 years: 14.6% (male 1,677,547 /female 1,618,922)
25-54 years: 41.46% (male 4,596,388 /female 4,762,913)
55-64 years: 10.22% (male 1,067,258 /female 1,239,204)
65 years and over: 9.98% (male 951,213 /female 1,301,338) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 51.2 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 37.2 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.1 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 7.1 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 33.1 years (2018 est.)
Male: 31.8 years
Female: 34.4 years
Rank: 96

Population growth rate: 0.73% (2018 est.)
Rank: 138

Birth rate: 14.8 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 129

Death rate: 6.3 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 155

Net migration rate: -1.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 149

Population distribution: the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north

Urbanization
Urban population: 18.6% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.85% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 103,000 Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) (2018), 606,000 COLOMBO (capital) (2019)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 9.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 150

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.1 years (2018 est.)
Male: 73.7 years
Female: 80.8 years
Rank: 80

Total fertility rate: 2.05 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 109

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 61.7% (2016)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.5% of population
Rural: 5% of population
Total: 4.4% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 3.9% (2016)

Physicians density: 0.96 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 3.6 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 11.9% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 3.3% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 4.9% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: <.1% (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids: 3,500 (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 128
Deaths note: <200 (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: leptospirosis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.2% (2016)
Rank: 182

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 20.5% (2016)
Rank: 27

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 148

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 91.9%
Male: 93%
Female: 91% (2017)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2017)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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
Etymology: the name means resplendent island in Sanskrit

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
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

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western

Dependent areas

Independence: 4 February 1948 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948)

Constitution
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 2015; note - deliberations by a constitutional assembly tasked with revising the constitution in March 2016 stalled after the prime minister tabled an experts’ report on proposals for a new constitution in January 2019 (2019)

Legal system: mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA (since 18 November 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Mahinda RAJAPAKSA (since 21 November 2019)
Head of government: Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA (elected 16 November, sworn in 18 November 2019)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 16 November 2019 (next to by held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president from among members of Parliament for a 5-year term)
Election results: Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA elected president; percent of vote - Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA (SLPP) 52.2%, Sajith PREMADASA (UNP) 42%, other 5.8%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; 196 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote using a preferential method in which voters select 3 candidates in order of preference; remaining 29 seats allocated to other political parties and groups in proportion to share of national vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 17 August 2015 (next to be held by August 2020)
Election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - UNFGG 45.7%, UPFA 42.4%, JVP 4.9%, TNA 4.6%, SLMC 0.4%, EPDP 0.3% other 1.7%; seats by coalition/party UNFGG 106, UPFA 95, TNA 16, JVP 6, SLMC 1, EPDP 1; composition - men 214, women 11, percent of women 4.9%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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

Political parties and leaders: Crusaders for Democracy [Ganeshalingam CHANDRALINGAM] Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE]Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU [Karunarathna PARANAWITHANA, Ven. Hadigalle Wimalasara THERO] Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Maithripala SIRISENA]Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna or SLPP [G. L. PEIRIS]Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Rajavarothiam SAMPANTHAN] (alliance includes Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi [Mavai SENATHIRAJAH], People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam [D. SIDDARTHAN], Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization [Selvam ADAIKALANATHAN])United National Front for Good Governance or UNFGG [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE] (coalition includes JHU, UNP)United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE]United People's Freedom Alliance or UPFA [Maithripala SIRISENA] (coalition includes SLFP)

International organization participation: ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 3,025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-4,025 through 4,028
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-7,181
In the us consulate: Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alaina B. TEPLITZ (since 1 November 2018); note - also accredited to Maldives
From the us telephone: [94] (11) 249-8,500
From the us embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
From the us FAX: [94] (11) 243-7,345

Flag description: 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

National symbols: lion, water lily; national colors: maroon, yellow

National anthem
Name: Sri Lanka Matha (Mother Sri Lanka)
Lyricsmusic: Ananda SAMARKONE: note: adopted 1951

National heritage


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Economy overview: Sri Lanka is attempting to sustain economic growth while maintaining macroeconomic stability under the IMF program it began in 2016. The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service, which have contributed to historically high budget deficits, remain a concern. Government debt is about 79% of GDP and remains among the highest of the emerging markets. In the coming years, Sri Lanka will need to balance its elevated debt repayment schedule with its need to maintain adequate foreign exchange reserves.In May 2016, Sri Lanka regained its preferential trade status under the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences Plus, enabling many of its firms to export products, including its top export garments, tax free to the EU. In 2017, Parliament passed a new Inland Revenue Act in an effort to increase tax collection and broaden the tax base in response to recommendations made under its IMF program. In November 2017, the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering and terrorist financing listed Sri Lanka as non-compliant, but reported subsequently that Sri Lanka had made good progress in implementing an action plan to address deficiencies.Tourism has experienced strong growth in the years since the resolution of the government's 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In 2017, the government promulgated plans to transform the country into a knowledge-based, export-oriented Indian Ocean hub by 2025.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 61

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 106

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 121

Gross national saving:
Rank: 20

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 62% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 8.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 10.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 21.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -29.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.8% (2017 est.)
Industry: 30.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 61.7% (2017 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 64

Labor force: 8.937 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 55
By occupation agriculture: 27%
By occupation industry: 26%
By occupation services: 47% (31 December 2016)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 59

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 6.7% (2012 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 32.2% (2012 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 73

Budget
Revenues: 12.07 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 16.88 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -5.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 174

Taxes and other revenues: 13.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 204

Public debt:
Rank: 35

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 190

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 45

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 68

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 101

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 104

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 65

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 65

Current account balance:
Rank: 169

Exports:
Rank: 88
Partners: US 24.6%, UK 9%, India 5.8%, Singapore 4.5%, Germany 4.3%, Italy 4.3% (2017)
Commodities: textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish

Imports:
Rank: 74
Commodities: petroleum, textiles, machinery and transportation equipment, building materials, mineral products, foodstuffs
Partners: India 22%, China 19.9%, Singapore 6.9%, UAE 5.7%, Japan 4.9% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 78

Debt external:
Rank: 64

Stock of direct foreign investment at home
Note: $NA (31 December 2016)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: NA

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 95.6% (2016)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2016)
Access electrification rural areas: 94.6% (2016)
Production: 13.66 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 90
Consumption: 12.67 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 86
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 202
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 204
Installed generating capacity: 3.998 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 89
Generation sources fossil fuels: 52% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 146
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 187
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 42% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 49
Generation sources other renewable sources: 6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 103

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 203
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 199
Crude oil imports: 33,540 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 60
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 199

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 34,210 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 84
Products consumption: 116,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 74
Products exports: 3,871 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 96
Products imports: 66,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 70

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 200
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 189
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 192
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 197

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 25.19 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 80

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,603,178
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 53
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 28,199,083
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 46

Telephone system
General assessment: telephone services have improved significantly and are available in most parts of the country; 4G moving to 5G trials; strong growth anticipated as Sri Lanka is lagging behind other Asian telecoms; increase in mobile broadband penetration (2018)
Domestic: fixed-line 12 per 100 and mobile-cellular 126 per 100; national trunk network consists of digital microwave radio relay and fiber-optic links; fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems and mobile cellular subscribership is increasing (2018)
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)

Broadcast media: 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

Internet
Country code: .lk
Users total: 7,126,540
Users percent of population: 32.1% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 60

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,220,504
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 5 (2017 est.)
Rank: 67


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 57

Military and security forces: Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2019)

Space program

Terrorist groups
Home based Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam:


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 25 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,911,730 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 381,381,300
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 4R (2016)

Airports: 19 (2013)
Rank: 138
With paved runways total: 15 (2013)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2013)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6 (2013)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways total: 4 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 7 km refined products

Railways
Total: 1562 km (2016)
Broad gauge: 1562 km
Note: 1.676-m gauge (2016)
Rank: 82

Roadways
Total: 114,093 km (2010)
Paved: 16,977 km (2010)
Unpaved: 97,116 km (2010)
Rank: 43

Waterways: 160 km
Note: (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2012)
Rank: 100

Merchant marine
Total: 87
By type: bulk carrier 9, container ship 1, general cargo 11, oil tanker 11, other 55 (2018)
Rank: 94

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Colombo
Container port: Colombo (6,209,000) (2017)


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 37,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2018)

Illicit drugs