NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
former: Serendib, Ceylon
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning 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 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied 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 in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began a ceasefire in December 2001, with Norway brokering peace negotiations. |
GEOGRAPHY
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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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Asia |
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Area:
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total: 65,610 sq km
water: 870 sq km land: 64,740 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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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 13.43%
permanent crops: 15.78% other: 70.79% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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6,510 sq km (1998 est.) |
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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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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19,742,439 (2003 est.)
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; as of yearend 2000, approximately 65,000 were housed in 131 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,543,336; female 2,431,223)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 6,518,145; female 6,890,424) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 641,708; female 717,603) (2003 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 28.7 years
male: 27.7 years female: 29.7 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.83% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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16.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 16.45 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 72.62 years
male: 70.09 years female: 75.29 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.9 children born/woman (2003 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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4,800 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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250 (2001 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 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% |
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Religions:
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Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) |
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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: 92.3% male: 94.8% female: 90% (2003 est.) |