Background: The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C. probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C. and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom 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 coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and 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. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009 the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict the government has enacted an ambitious program of economic development projects many of which are financed by loans from the Government of China. In addition to efforts to reconstruct its economy the government has resettled more than 95% of those civilians who were displaced during the final phase of the conflict and released the vast majority of former LTTE combatants captured by Government Security Forces. At the same time there has been little progress on more contentious and politically difficult issues such as reaching a political settlement with Tamil elected representatives and holding accountable those alleged to have been involved in human rights violations at the end of the war.

Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N 81 00 E

Area
Rank: 122
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1340 km

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

Natural resources: limestone graphite mineral sands gems phosphates clay hydropower

Irrigated land: 5,700 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 50 km³ (1999)

Natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes

Geography
Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

Population: 21,481,334 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 57
Growth rate: 0.913% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 122
Below poverty line: 8.9% (2010 est.)

Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 73.8% Sri Lankan Moors 7.2% Indian Tamil 4.6% Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9% other 0.5% unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Languages: Sinhala (official and national language) 74% Tamil (national language) 18% other 8%

Religions: Buddhist (official) 69.1% Muslim 7.6% Hindu 7.1% Christian 6.2% unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)

Population growth rate: 0.913% (2012 est.)
Rank: 122

Birth rate: 17.04 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 119

Death rate: 5.96 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 163

Net migration rate: -1.95 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 163

Environment
Current issues: 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

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 147

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 83

Total fertility rate: 2.17 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 107

Physicians density: 0.492 physicians/1000 population (2006)

Hospital bed density: 3.1 beds/1000 population (2004)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 155
People living with hivaids: 2,800 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 129
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 104

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 21.1% (2007)
Rank: 30

Education expenditures: NA

Government type: republic

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

Independence: 4 February 1948 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 4 February (1948)

Constitution: adopted 16 August 1978 certified 31 August 1978; amended 20 December 2001

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of an open-list proportional representation system by electoral district to serve six-year terms)

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

Political parties and leaders: Coalitions and leaders: Democratic National Alliance led by General (Retired) Sarath FONSEKA; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Somawansa AMARASINGHE]; Tamil National Alliance led by Illandai Tamil Arasu Kachchi [R. SAMPANTHAN]; United National Front led by United National Party [Ranil WICKREMESINGHE]; United People's Freedom Alliance led by Sri Lanka Freedom Party [Mahinda RAJAPAKSA]

International organization participation: ABEDA ADB ARF BIMSTEC C CD 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

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 dark red 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 the Sri Lankan Moors; dark red represents the European Burghers but also refers to the rich colonial background of the country; yellow denotes other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion Flag

National symbols: lion

Economy overview: Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth following the end of the 26-year conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ellam (LTTE). The government has been pursuing large-scale reconstruction and development projects supplemented with private investment in its efforts to spur growth in war-torn and disadvantaged areas develop small and medium enterprises and increase agricultural productivity. The government's high debt payments and bloated civil service have contributed to historically high budget deficits but economic reforms in recent years in line with IMF recommendations have helped bring down the government's fiscal deficit. The 2008-09 global financial crisis and recession exposed Sri Lanka's economic vulnerabilities and nearly caused a balance of payments crisis. Growth slowed to 3.5% in 2009. Economic activity rebounded strongly with the end of the war and an IMF agreement resulting in three straight years of high growth in 2010-12. Per capita income of $6,100 on a purchasing power parity basis is among the highest in the region.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 67

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 28

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 142

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

Industrial production growth rate: 8.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 23

Labor force: 8.194 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 60

Unemployment rate: 4.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 50

Population below poverty line: 8.9% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 46 (1995)
Rank: 25

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -6.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 183

Taxes and other revenues: 13.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 197

Public debt: 79% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 28

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 196

Central bank discount rate: 7% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 40

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.41% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 96

Stock of narrow money: $3.852 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 111

Stock of broad money: $18.88 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 83

Stock of domestic credit: $24.21 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 75

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 64

Current account balance: -$4.638 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 164

Exports: $10.54 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 94
Commodities: textiles and apparel tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products fish
Partners: US 19.8% UK 9.2% India 6.5% Italy 5% Germany 5% Belgium 4.4% (2011)

Imports: $20.27 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 78
Commodities: petroleum textiles machinery and transportation equipment building materials mineral products foodstuffs
Partners: India 25.6% China 15.9% Singapore 7.1% Iran 6.2% Japan 5% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $7.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 79

Debt external: $22.66 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 77

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 10.71 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 92
Consumption: 9.268 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 90
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 175
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 169
Installed generating capacity: 3.088 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 87
Generation sources fossil fuels: 47.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 160
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 62
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 52.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 40
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 81

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 118
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 93
Crude oil imports: 41,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 61
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 116

Refined petroleum
Products production: 50,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 83
Products consumption: 89,620 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 83
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 163
Products imports: 48,140 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 70

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 112
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 129
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 173
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 173
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 122

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 14.09 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 91

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.608 million (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 44
Mobile cellular: 18.319 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 49

Broadcast media: 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)

Internet
Country code: .lk
Hosts: 9,552 (2012)
Hosts rank: 136
Users: 1.777 million (2009)
Users rank: 77

Military expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 57

Military service age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for voluntary military service; 5-year service obligation (Air Force) (2012)

Airports: 18 (2012)
Rank: 140

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Railways
Rank: 80

Roadways
Rank: 49

Waterways: 160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2012)
Rank: 101

Merchant marine
Rank: 94

Ports and terminals: Colombo

Disputes international: none