General background: Occupied by the Portuguese
in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century,
the island was ceded to the British in 1802. As Ceylon
it became independent in 1948; its name was changed
in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and
Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s.
Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues
to fester.
Area comparative: Slightly
larger than West Virginia.
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
Population: 19,576,783
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor
7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Religions: Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian
8%, Muslim 7% (1999)
Language: Sinhala (official and national language)
74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%
note: English is commonly used in government
and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Government type: republic
Capital: Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura
Kotte is the legislative capital
Legal system: A highly complex mixture of
English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese,
and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction.
Economic overview: In 1977, Colombo abandoned
statist economic policies and its import substitution
trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented
trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food
processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages,
telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By
1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of exports
(compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments
accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average annual rate
of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a
deteriorating security situation lowered growth to
3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000 with
average growth of 5.3%. But 2001 saw the first contraction
in the country's history, due to a combination of
power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global
slowdown, and continuing civil strife.
Communication/Telephone system: Very inadequate
domestic service, particularly in rural areas; likely
improvement with privatization of national telephone
company and encouragement to private investment; good
international service (1999).
Places of interest: Head for the hill country
to escape the heat of the plains, where the coast
fades away to reveal gorgeous rolling hills often
carpeted with tea plantations. The entire island is
teeming with bird life and exotics like elephants
and leopards are not uncommon.
Travel tips: The people are friendly, the food
is delicious and costs are low.
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