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Background:
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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. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007, but neither side has formally withdrawn from the cease-fire.
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Location:
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Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
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Geographic coordinates:
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7 00 N, 81 00 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 65,610 sq km
land: 64,740 sq km
water: 870 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than West Virginia
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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1,340 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
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Climate:
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tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
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Terrain:
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mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
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Natural resources:
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limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 13.96%
permanent crops: 15.24%
other: 70.8% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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7,430 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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50 cu km (1999)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 12.61 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)
Per capita: 608 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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occasional cyclones and tornadoes
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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Geography - note:
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strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
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Population:
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20,926,315
note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2007 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 24.3% (male 2,596,295/female 2,495,949)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 6,947,310/female 7,259,271)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 765,507/female 861,983) (2007 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 30 years
male: 29.2 years
female: 31 years (2007 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.982% (2007 est.)
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Birth rate:
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17 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Death rate:
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6.01 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-1.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.957 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.888 male(s)/female
total population: 0.971 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 19.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 74.8 years
male: 72.81 years
female: 76.88 years (2007 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.05 children born/woman (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3,500 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 200 (2003 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan
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Ethnic groups:
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Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
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Religions:
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Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
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Languages:
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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
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.7%
male: 92.3%
female: 89.1% (2001 census)
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This page was last updated on 24 January, 2008
- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook - |
