Basic Facts in srilanaka

Basic Facts

Country name: Conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Conventional short form: Sri Lanka

Former: Serendib, Ceylon

Capital: Colombo. Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital

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

Area: total: 65,610 square kilometers; water: 870 square kilometers; land: 64,740 square kilometers.

Coastline: 1,340 kilometers

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 extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 meter; highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 meters.

Natural resource: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower.

Government type: republic

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces; Central, North, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western

Independence: 4 February 1948

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal.

Executive branch: -Chief of state and head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994) Prime Minister: Ranil WICKREMASINGHE

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.

People
Population: 19,576,783
Note: Due to the ethnic war between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand of Tamils fled the country. In the mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside Indian camp, and more than 200, 000 have sought refuge the Western countries. (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.6% (male 2,559,246; female 2,446,393)
15-64 years: 67.7% (male 6,446,230; female 6,802,515)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 628,398; female 693,911) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.85% (2002 est.)

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

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

Sex ratio: 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.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 72.35 years
Female: 75 years (2002 est.)
Male: 69.83 years

Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality: noun: Sri Lankan(s); adjective: Sri Lankan

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

Religions: Buddhists 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.2%
male: 934%
female: 87.2%

Economy
Currency: Sri Lanka rupee (LKR)

GDP real growth rate: 1% (2001 est.)

GDP per capita: purchasing power parity-$3,250 (2001 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agricultural 21%; industry 27%; services: 52%

Inflation rate: 14.2%

Labor force: 6.6 million (1998)

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

Time: + five hours and 30 minutes GMT

Telecommunications: Telephone IDD reaches the main town; the country's code is 94. Fax at hotels and GPO is available. Telegrams can be made from any post office. The telecommunication system in Sri Lanka was upgraded in the early 90s with a new international exchange and digital earth satellite system installed in 1992. The investment of telecommunication is planed, possibly involving foreign participation. Internet service is available in major cities.