Sri Lanka

Full name of country: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Region: South Asia

Official language: Sinhala, Tamil

Population: 21,982,608 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Sri Lankan(s) (noun), Sri Lankan (adjective)

Land area: 64,630 sq km (24,954 sq miles)

Water area: 980 sq km (378 sq miles)

Capital: Colombo; note—Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital

National anthem: "Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka), by Ananda Samarkone

National holiday: Independence Day, February 4 (1948)

Population growth: 0.39% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +5.5

Flag: The flag of Sri Lanka is also known as the “Lion Flag.” It depicts a golden lion with a sword in its right front paw. The lion is featured on a crimson background and bordered in gold and by four fig leaves or “bo” leaves. The left section of the flag features two horizontal stripes of color: one green and one orange. The orange represents the Sri Lankan Tamils and the green represents Sri Lankan Moors.

Independence: February 4, 1948 (from the UK)

Government type: republic

Suffrage: Universal for those eighteen years of age

Legal system: based on a mixture of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean. The island lies southeast of India, from which it is separated by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. The Maldives lie to the west of the island, the Bay of Bengal lies to the east, and a chain of islands called Adam's Bridge lies to the north. Sri Lanka, known for its tea, has formerly been a colony of the Netherlands, Portugal, and Great Britain. Its people are known as Sri Lankans.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Sri Lanka's population is comprised of several ethnic groups, the largest of which is the Sinhalese. The largest minority group is the Tamil people, comprised of Sri Lankan Tamils and Indian Tamils. Sinhala and Tamil are the official and national languages. Nearly one-quarter of the population speaks English as well, and it is commonly used in government.

Other minorities include the Moors, a Muslim group descended from Arabs; the Berghers, who are descended from European inhabitants of Sri Lanka; the Malays, from modern Malaysia; and the Veddas, who are descended from the Wanniyala-Aettos, the earliest inhabitants of the island.

Long-standing ethnic tension exists between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. The Sinhalese are in control of Sri Lanka's government. Between 1983 and 2009, a civil war was fought between the Tamil separatist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government. The violence claimed the lives of an estimated 100,000 people. In May 2009, the Sri Lankan army declared an end to the fighting after killing LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. Although the war has been declared over, tension between the Sinhalese and the Tamils remains.

The Sinhalese people live in a caste system, which creates social divisions based on class. Marriages are typically arranged by families, and are usually determined on caste. Professions are usually chosen by family members as well, and it is rare that a Sinhalese person will choose a profession outside of their caste.

Colombo is the cultural and commercial capital of Sri Lanka, and the country's largest city. The legislative capital is Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte. The majority of the population lives in rural areas, with only 19.2 percent living in cities (2023 estimate). Most urban Sri Lankans live in or around Colombo. Other major cities are Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Maratuwa (an industrial center), Jaffna (a seaport), Kandy, and Galle.

Most Sri Lankans are farmers, many of whom live on farms with their extended families. In rural areas, most dwellings are mud huts with thatched roofs. Rural inhabitants typically wear traditional wrap clothing such as sarongs, saris, and redde-hattes. Some urban Sri Lankans wear Western-style business clothing and live in modernized housing.

Based on the 2012 census, 70.2 percent of all Sri Lankans are Buddhist. Most other Sri Lankans are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian.

Indigenous People: The earliest inhabitants of the island occupied by Sri Lanka were the Wanniyala-Aettos. These people remain in Sri Lanka today, but are known as Veddas. Traditionally forest dwellers, the Veddas have lived in Sri Lanka for nearly eighteen thousand years. However, in 1983, the government of Sri Lanka established a national park on the Veddas' ancestral lands and forced them to leave the area. The group faces the threat of annihilation due to the loss of their land.

The Sinhalese have inhabited Sri Lanka since the fifth century BCE. In the first century BCE, the Tamil people invaded Sri Lanka from India. Arabs first came to Sri Lanka as traders in the eighth century. After a period of invasions from China, Malaysia, and India, Sri Lanka was invaded by Portugal and the Netherlands in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Finally, Great Britain invaded Sri Lanka in 1795, and a long period of British rule followed until the island became independent in 1948. The effects of European colonialism have since dominated the politics and culture of Sri Lanka.

Education: At more than 92 percent in 2019, Sri Lanka's literacy rate is one of the highest in all of Asia. Education is compulsory and provided by the government for all students between ages five and thirteen. Most students attend school through the secondary level, and many continue at the university level.

The most popular curricula at Sri Lankan universities are engineering, medicine, and computer science. During the course of their university studies, many Sri Lankan students visit the United States through the Fulbright exchange program.

Health Care: Sri Lanka has an effective health care system. Residents receive free, government-provided health services. In addition to public hospitals, there are private hospitals and clinics. The average life expectancy in Sri Lanka is high, at 76.8 years (2024 estimate).

Although Western medicine is the standard at public hospitals and clinics, there are a number of facilities that practice traditional healing techniques as well. The country ranked 78 out of 193 countries on the 2022 United Nations Human Development Index.

Food: Many Sri Lankans eat food with their right hands, rolling rice into bite-sized balls to be dipped in sauces. Rice and curry are staples of Sri Lankan cuisine. Most meals incorporate these two ingredients, along with chili peppers.

Spices such as tamarind, turmeric, lemon grass, cinnamon and coriander are grown on most farms and used in the preparation of many common dishes. Vegetables, meat, fish, and eggs are often cooked in stews.

Katta sambol is a popular dish made with chilies, onions, fish, and lime. A fried fish meal called badung is common as well. A pancake-like food called hoppers, or stringhoppers, is a popular side dish. Fruits such as durians, coconuts, pineapples, mangoes and bananas are native to the island.

Tea is by far the most popular beverage in Sri Lanka. The country is famous for Sri Lankan tea, which is also known as Ceylon tea. Several popular beverages, such as tambili and kurumba, are extracted from coconuts. Arrack and kassippu are alcoholic drinks made from coconut palm.

Arts & Entertainment: Sri Lanka's caste system includes a separate caste for artists. Throughout history, the majority of Sri Lankan art has been produced by the members of this caste. However, the national government now allows any citizen, regardless of caste, to work in the arts professionally.

Many artists sell traditional crafts in city markets. Common craftworks include jewelry, pottery, baskets, mats, and wooden masks. Mask-making is an important art in Sri Lanka, because masks are widely used in entertainment and religious ceremonies.

Dance is an important aspect of Sri Lanka's art culture. Most festivals and religious ceremonies incorporate dance in some way. Exorcism dances are commonly performed to heal the sick. Baila, a kind of music similar to calypso, involves dancing accompanied by heavy drumming. Ananda Somarakone, a popular baila artist, wrote Sri Lanka's national anthem.

Sri Lankan theater has four distinct styles. Sokari theater focuses on rituals related to the harvest. Nadagam and kavi nadagam theater styles incorporate story-telling and masked actors. Kolam theater involves a performance that lasts all night and into the next morning. Theater is performed in urban areas at venues such as the Tower Hall theater in Colombo.

Cinema is a popular form of entertainment as well. Director Lester James Peiris was a noteworthy filmmaker from Sri Lanka.

Much of Sri Lankan literature is focused on political issues such as colonialism and civil war. One of the nation's most significant novelists is Michael Ondaatje, who received international acclaim for his novel The English Patient (1992). Other notable Sri Lankan authors include Ambalavaner Sivanandan and Shyam Selvadurai. Although science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke was born in England, he immigrated to Sri Lanka in the 1950s.

Architecture is also considered one of Sri Lanka's noteworthy art forms. Places of worship and religious significance, such as Buddhist dagobas and Hindu kovils, feature some of the nation's most revered architecture and sculptures.

Cricket is Sri Lanka's national sport. Other popular sports are tennis, field hockey, soccer, and golf. Cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan and gymnast Susanthika Jayasinghe are Sri Lanka's most famous athletes.

Holidays: Sri Lanka celebrates Independence Day on February 4, the day the nation obtained its status as an independent republic. May Day (May 1) is celebrated as a public holiday as well. On May Day, political parties stage rallies and parades in city streets. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is a two-day celebration that falls in mid-April.

Most holidays in Sri Lanka are religious observations. Buddhist holidays include Perahera, a festival that involves dancing and a parade of elephants, and Poya, a monthly celebration of the full moon. Hindus celebrate holidays such as Thai Pongal, the holiday of the harvest, and Deepavali, the festival of lights. One of the most significant Muslim celebrations is Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of the prophet Mohammed.

Environment and Geography

Topography: The northern areas of Sri Lanka are mostly covered with low plains. The southwest region contains a tropical rainforest, while the southern central region is a large mountain range. Among these mountains is Pidurutalagala, which at 2,524 meters (8,281 feet) is the highest point in Sri Lanka. The uplands region contains two large plateaus, Nuwara Eliya and Horton Plains. North of the mountain region is a vast, dry plain.

There are several rivers running through Sri Lanka. The largest of these is the Mahaweli Ganga. Others include the Kelani, the Kalu, and the Aruvi. The coastline has several natural harbors, such as the Trincomalee Harbor in the northeast, and several artificial harbors, such as the ones at Colombo and Galle.

Natural Resources: Sri Lanka's primary natural resources are timber, minerals, and hydropower. Timber trees include mahogany, fruit trees, ebony, and satinwood. Rubber trees provide a significant resource as well. Due to deforestation concerns, the exploitation of tree resources is limited.

Sri Lanka has the largest concentration of gems in the world. Among the fifty varieties of gems found on the island are sapphires, rubies, and amethysts. Sri Lanka's mines also produce graphite, zircon, limestone, and salt.

Plants & Animals: Palm trees such as coconut palms, arecas, and palmyras grow in the lowlands and along the coast. Large amounts of mangroves and screw pines are also found in coastal areas. Flowers such as hyacinths, acacias, and cypresses are found throughout Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan rainforest is home to several other varieties of orchid, bougainvillea, poinsettia, and several species of fern.

Wildlife in Sri Lanka includes bears, cheetahs, leopards, monkeys, elephants, crocodiles, and snakes. Sri Lanka is home to a population of Asian elephants (sources have conflicted on the exact number, ranging from around 5,000 to 7,000), which are endangered due to poaching. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a habitat dedicated to preserving the Asian elephant.

Inland water habitats are home to fish such as paradise fish. Ceylon blue magpies (considered vulnerable), golden orioles, and bee-eaters are some of the bird species native to Sri Lanka.

Climate: The climate of Sri Lanka is equatorial and tropical. Temperatures are generally high, averaging 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) in the lowlands and 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) in the mountains.

The weather is humid, and Sri Lanka receives an enormous amount of rainfall. The average annual rainfall in the northeast plains is 127 centimeters (50 inches), while the average in the southwest rainforest is upwards of 508 centimeters (200 inches).

The months between June and October constitute the monsoon season, during which Sri Lanka receives most of its rain. Occasional cyclones and tornadoes are significant natural hazards. In 2004, a tsunami that occurred in the Indian Ocean killed almost 40,000 Sri Lankans. An additional 500,000 Sri Lankans lost their homes.

Similar to other countries across the world, climate change had an increasing impact on the country in the form of temperature rises and more extreme weather events such as severe droughts and floods.

Economy

Sri Lanka has a developing economy that has faced many crises. The civil war and the tsunami have forced the government to take on large amounts of foreign debt. Increased economic aid is vital to Sri Lanka's economic future. The economy has been in the process of moving away from government-controlled socialism and allowing free enterprise and privatization. In 2023, the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$13,000, and the unemployment rate was 6.36 percent.

Industry: A large percentage of Sri Lanka's total workforce is employed in the service sector, while another relatively sizeable percentage of workers are employed in industry. The service sector is primarily concentrated in wholesale and retail sales but also includes communications, government, and transportation. The manufacturing sector involves the processing of agricultural goods and textiles.

Sri Lanka's major trading partners include the United States, India, China, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Imports include textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, cars, and broadcasting equipment. Sri Lanka's main exports are tea, rubber products, precious stones, and clothing.

Agriculture: Many Sri Lankasn also work in agriculture. Major tea plantations are on the plateaus at Nuwara Eliya and Horton Plains.

Sri Lanka mostly farms rice, sugarcane, grains, spices, tea, oilseed, fruits and vegetables, and coconuts. Livestock raised on Sri Lanka's farms have included dairy and beef cattle as well as poultry for eggs; however, the slaughter of cattle was banned in 2020. Rubber, tobacco, and hides are also produced.

Tourism: Many Sri Lankans employed in service jobs work in the tourism sector. However, revenues from tourism declined due to the nation's civil war, and tourism was greatly affected by the tsunami of 2004. Much of the island was destroyed by the tsunami, making Sri Lanka an undesirable tourist destination. By 2019, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), travel and tourism contributed, in total, 10.3 percent of the country's GDP. However, the industry was then also affected by the travel restrictions put in place during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The WTTC reported that tourism and travel contributed 5.2 percent of the country's GDP in 2022.

The island's tourist attractions include natural parks and animal sanctuaries, such as the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Many tourists visit Sri Lanka's ancient capital city, Anuradhapura. The city features the nation's former palace, which lies in ruins. Also in Anuradhapura is one of the world's oldest trees. The sacred bo tree, worshipped by Buddhists, is believed to have been brought from India while it was a sapling. It is now over two thousand years old.

Government

Sri Lanka is a presidential republic. The executive branch consists of a president and prime minister. The president is the chief executive and the head of state.

The president serves a term of five years, and holds the power of appointing cabinet members. Sri Lanka's legislative branch is a unicameral parliament with 225 members. The judicial branch is made up of a Court of Appeals and a Supreme Court. The president appoints the members of the courts. The president has the power to dismiss members of the parliament. The prime minister is elected when their party is elected.

The age of suffrage in Sri Lanka is eighteen. Like the president, parliament members are elected by popular vote. The highest law in Sri Lanka is the constitution, which was adopted on August 16, 1978. The country is divided into twenty-five administrative districts and nine provinces.

Prominent political parties include the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance, and the Tamil National Alliance.

Following a constitutional crisis in 2018 in which the president attempted to force out the current prime minister and install a replacement, citizen elections returned in 2019 following the intervention of the Supreme Court.

Left-leaning politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake won Sri Lanka's September 2024 presidential election after a historic second round of counting.

With his win, Sri Lanka has for the first time a government headed by a leader with a strong left-wing ideology.

Interesting Facts

• Adam's Peak, a mountain in Sri Lanka, is so named because Muslims believe that Adam and Eve lived atop the mountain after leaving the Garden of Eden.
• The first female prime minister in the world was Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, who became prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960.
• The word "Sri" is Sinhala for "auspicious."
• In 2015, Sri Lanka became the first nation to launch an initiative designed to protect all of its mangroves.

Bibliography

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