Sri Lanka “Small Miracle”

Sri Lanka (Small Miracle) officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka known as Ceylon before 1972 and as Taprobane or Pearl of the Indian Ocean in ancient times, is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India.Because of its location in the path of major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia, and has been a center of Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times. Today, the country is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation: more than a quarter of the population follows faiths other than Buddhism, notably Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.Famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts and rubber, Sri Lanka boasts a progressive and modern industrial economy and the highest per capita income in South Asia. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination.

Official name

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Government type

Republic)

Location

Latitude 5° 55. to 9° 50. north, longitude 79° 42. to 81° 52., 650km north of the equator

Dimensions

430km north to south, 225km east to west

Coastline

1,340km

Area

65,525km

Currency (code)

Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

Independence

4 February 1948

Administrative capital

Sri Jayewardenepura

Commercial capital

Colombo

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Central, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western, Eastern Province.

Climate

Typically tropical, with anortheast monsoon (December to March) bringing unsettled weather to the north and east, and a southwest monsoon (June to October) bringing bad weather to the south and west

Terrain

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

Highest mountain

Pidurutalagala, 2,524m

Highest waterfall

Bambarakanda, 263m

National Flower

The Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea stellata)

National parks and nature

8,000sq.km

Population

21,128,773 (? Census)

Population growth rate

1.3%

Population Density

309 people per sq km

Life Expectancy at Birth

74 female, 64 male

Literacy rate

Female 87.9 Male 92.5

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)

Languages

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

Religion

Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census)

Time zone

Sri Lanka Standard Time isfive and a half hours ahead of GMT. (Allowance should be made for summer-time changes in Europe.)

International dialing

+94

Commercial capital

Colombo

Electricity

230 . 240 volts, 50 cycles AC. If you travel with a laptop computer bring a stabilizer

Economy

Sri Lanka.s most dynamic sectors are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2006, plantation crops made up only 15% of exports (90% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for more than 60%. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% of them in the Middle East. They send home more than US$1 billion a year.

Labour force

34.3% of the labour population is employed in agriculture, 25.3% in industry and 40.4% in services: 40.4% (30 June 2006 est.) The unemployment rate is 5.7% (2007 est.)

Agriculture & products

Rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconutsm milk, eggs, hides, beef, fish

Industries

Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining.

Exports

Textiles and apparel; tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish

Imports

Main import commodities are textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment: $10.61 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.). Percentage of main commodities from main import partners: India 19.6%, China 10.5%, Singapore 8.8%, Iran 5.7%, Malaysia 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2006)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Purchasing power parity: $81.29 billion (2007 est.). Official exchange rate: $30.01 billion (2007 est.) Real growth rate: 6.3% (2007 est.) Per capita: $4,100 (2007 est.) composition by sector: Agriculture: 16.5% Industry: 26.9%

Gross National Product (GNP)

Sri Lanka is placed in 76th place in GNP figures of the world.s nationswith $22.8billion (2005)

Flag description

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

Visa

Visa is a basic requirement for entry and in principle, a foreigner wishing to enter Sri Lanka must have a visa. Visa on arrival (30 days) is available on a reciprocal basis to travellers from Singapore and the Maldives. For more details and for online application, visit the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) website of the Department of Immigration and Emmigration: www.eta.gov.lk/