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ABOUT
SRI
LANKA |
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Sri Lanka
is a small island in the Indian Ocean, lying off the Indian subcontinent.
The total area of the island is 65,610 sq km. |
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The greatest length,
from north to south, is 440 km. The greatest width, from east to
west across the island’s broad southern portion, is 220 km. |
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Sri Lanka’s coastline
extends a length of about 1,340 km. |
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Geography
and Climate |
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The
land of Sri Lanka is varied and we can divide into three geographic
zones according to elevation. They are the central highlands, the
lowland plains, and the coastal belt. |
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There
are 103 major rivers flowing in the island, many of them are originating
from the highlands and active through out the year. There are hundreds
of beautiful Waterfalls mainly in the hill country. Although there
are no natural lakes in the country, there are more than 30,000
man made tanks or “wewa”s found in the country. |
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Sri
Lanka has a tropical climate with two monsoons. The temperature
variation in the country is determined by elevation rather than
season, with cooler temperatures at higher elevations. The monsoons
bring two distinct periods of heavy rainfall to Sri Lanka, from
May to August and October to January. There are two climatic zones
in the country, a wet zone in the southwest and a dry zone in the
north and east. |
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People
and the country |
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The
population of Sri Lanka is over 19 million. The population density
is 308 persons per sq km and it is higher in the wet zone, the southern
part of the country. Although urbanization is increasing, still
the majority (77%) of the Sri Lankan population are living in rural
areas. |
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Sri
Lanka is a multi ethnic and multi religious country. The ethnic
groups include the Sinhalese, the majority of the population, and
the Tamils who are the largest minority group. Muslims are the third
largest ethnic group of the country. There are minorities including
Malays, Burghers etc. |
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Buddhism
is the religion of the majority, followed by Hinduism, Christianity
and Islam. |
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Sinhala
and Tamil are the official languages of Sri Lanka. English is widely
used in the country, especially in commercial activities. |
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Sri
Lanka is divided in to 9 provinces and 25 districts. The administrative
capital of Sri Lanka is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, situated near
the western coastal city Colombo which is the largest city and the
commercial capital of Sri Lanka. |
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Economy |
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Sri
Lanka’s annual per capita income was $870 in 2002. |
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Sri
Lankan economy largely depends on agriculture, which is the largest
sector of the economy in terms of employment, but manufacturing
and services generates the majority of export earnings. |
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Agriculture |
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Tea,
rubber, and coconut are the chief export-oriented commercial crops.
Rice, which is the staple food of the country and tropical vegetables
and fruits are grown primarily for domestic consumption. A variety
of spices also are cultivated, including chillies, cinnamon, cardamom,
pepper, cloves, and nutmeg, which have high export values. |
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Industries |
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Sri
Lanka’s leading industries include textile and apparel industry
and tourism. |
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Natural
Resources |
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Country’s
commercially valued natural resources include minerals such as gemstones,
graphite, ilmanite, limestone, quartz, mica, industrial clays, and
salt. |
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Sri
Lanka’s forest cover is over 20 percent and these forests
and other natural ecosystems are rich in biodiversity. This biodiversity
is higher in the wet zone and the south-western area is considered
as a biodiversity hotspot. |
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Marine
fisheries are also an important natural resource which provides
more than 90% of the fish requirement of the country. |
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Administration
& Judiciary |
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Sri
Lanka has a democratic political system, with a directly elected
executive president as head of state. The legislature is the Parliament,
which has 225 members are elected for a period of 6 years. The judicial
system of the country includes a Supreme Court, Court of Appeal,
High Court, magistrate’s courts, and primary courts. |
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Recent developments |
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Sri
Lanka experienced a civil unrest since late 1970s in the
North and Eastern provinces, where Tamil youths and the government
forces engaged in an armed struggle. This civil unrest, ceased in
2009 was
the main obstruction for the economic growth of the entire country. |
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Since the end of civil war in 2009, there is growing
opportunities in both north and east provinces for
rapid economic development. This situation is
creating more job opportunities for skilled workers
in all sectors. ODW Sri Lanka attempts to provide
necessary skills to the youths in order to meet this
demand. |
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Websites
on Sri Lanka |
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