Sri Lanka (capital Colombo) and neighboring India
World Factbook: "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."
Country Comparisons: chart
World Factbook: "Sri Lanka continues to experience strong economic growth, driven by large-scale reconstruction and development projects following the end of the 26-year conflict with the LTTE. Sri Lanka is pursuing a combination of government directed policies, private investment, both foreign and domestic, to spur growth in disadvantaged areas, develop small and medium enterprises, and increase agricultural productivity."
Economic growth rate
2011: 8%
2010: 8%
2009: 3.5%
Labor force in agriculture
2010: 32.7%
Unemployment
2011: 4.2%
2010: 4.9%
Public debt
201: 78.5% of GDP
Export commodities
Textiles and apparel, tea and spices; rubber manufactures; precious stones; coconut products, fish
Export/import ratio
2011: exports $10.98 billion, imports $20.02 billion
Income Distribution – gini index
Ranks 26th among 140 countries (higher rank number is more equal, lower rank number is less equal). Less equal than Britain, which ranks 94th, and the US, which ranks 45th.
Health expenditures
2009: 4% of GDP
Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP
2006: 2.6%
Living in an urban area
2010: 14%
Net migration rate
2012: Loss
of 1.95 persons per 1,000 population per year.
Ethnic groups
2001 census: Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10%
Religions
2001 census: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10%
Island 60 kilometers southwest of India. Tropical. Equivalent to 256 by 256 kilometers or roughly 160 by 160 miles.
Chief of state: Mahinda Rajapaksa (president) since 19 November 2009, Theravada Buddhist, Freedom Party (center-left economically). Head of government: D. M. Jayaratne (prime ministser) since 21 April 2010, Buddhist, Freedom Party.
President popularly elected to a six-year term as is both chief of state and head of the government. A unicameral parliament consists of 225 members popularly elected to serve six-year terms. Capital: Colombo.
Acquired independence from Britain in 1948.
July 2008: In the capital, journalists are demonstrating. Sir Lanka is ranked the third most dangerous country in the world by the World Association of Newspapers, based on the number of media workers killed in 2007. The World Association of Newspapers rank Sri Lanka the third most dangerous country in the world for media workers in 2007 based on the number who were killed.
Copyright © 2009-2011 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.
