Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka .

Country statistics

area:	65,610sq km (25,332sq mi)
population:	18,732,255
capital (population):	Colombo(642,020)
government:	Multi-party republic
ethnic groups:	Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor (Yonaka) 7%
languages:	Sinhala and Tamil (both official)
religions:	Theravada Buddhist 69%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7%
currency:	Sri Lankan rupee = 100 cents

Republic in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) is a pear-shaped island, separated from se India by the Palk Strait. A chain of coral islands (Adam's Bridge) almost joins the two countries. Most of Sri Lanka is low-lying. cliffs and lagoons fringe the coastal plain. On the sw coast lies the capital, Colombo. The s central core of Sri Lanka is a highland region. The highest peak is Pidurutalagala, at 2524m (8281ft). Nearby, Adam's Peak, at 2243m (7359ft), is a pilgrimage centre. The major highland city is Kandy.

Climate and Vegetation

Western Sri Lanka has high temperatures and heavy rainfall. The n and e are drier. The monsoon season is between May and October. More than 30% of Sri Lanka is tropical rainforest or woodland. The highlands are open grassland. More than 14% of land is cultivated for tea and spice gardens, rice fields, and sugar plantations.

History and Politics

Sinhalese settlers from n India forced the native Veddahs into the mountains c.2400 years ago. Some Veddahs remain in remote regions. The Sinhalese founded Anuradhapura in 437 bc, which acted as their capital and a centre of Theravada Buddhism, until the arrival of the Tamils in the 8th century ad. In the 11th century, the Chola dynasty conquered the island and the Sinhalese were gradually forced s.

The Portuguese landed in 1505, and formed coastal settlements. In 1658, Portuguese lands passed to the Dutch East India Company. In 1796, the British captured the Dutch colonies, and in 1802 Ceylon became a Crown Colony. In 1815, Britain captured Kandy. Colonial settlers developed the plantations. In 1948, Ceylon achieved self-government within the Commonwealth of Nations. In the late 1950s, following the declaration of Sinhalese as the official language, communal violence flared between Tamils and Sinhalese. In 1958, Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike was assassinated. In 1960, his widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became the world's first woman prime minister. Following a brief period in opposition, she was re-elected in 1970. In 1972, Ceylon became the independent republic of Sri Lanka (‘Resplendent Island’). The new republic faced resurgent demands for a separate Tamil state (Tamil Eelam) in n and e Sri Lanka. In 1983, secessionist demands spiralled into civil war between government forces and the Tamil Tigers. In 1987, the Sri Lanka government sought Indian military assistance. Unable to enforce the peace, Indian troops withdrew in 1989. In 1993, President Ranasinghe Premadasa was assassinated. In 1994, Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga was elected president, and her mother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became prime minister for the third time. In 1995, government forces recaptured Jaffna from the Tamil Tigers. The Tamil Tigers refused to accept devolution and the war, which has so far claimed more than 40,000 lives, continued. Kumaratunga was re-elected in 1999. In 2001, the National Unity Party won elections and Ranil Wickramasinghe became prime minister. In December 2004, more than 30,000 people on the southern and eastern coast died in the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Economy

Sri Lanka is a low-income developing country (2000 GDP per capita, US$3200). Agriculture employs 50% of the workforce. Sri Lanka is the world's third-largest producer of tea It is also a leading producer of coconuts and rubber. Manufacturing has increased rapidly and contributes 67% of exports. Products include ceramics, textiles and clothes. Tourism is also important.

Political map

Physical map

Websites

http://www.lanka.net/home/