Global InformationSri Lanka information
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
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 Flag
 Emblem
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| Anthem: "Sri Lanka Matha" (English: "Mother Sri Lanka") | |||||
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| Capital |
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| Largest city | Colombo | ||||
| Official languages |
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| Recognised languages | English | ||||
| Ethnic groups (2012[4]) |
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| Religion (2012) | 70.2% Buddhism (official)[5] 12.6% Hinduism 9.7% Islam 7.4% Christianity 0.1% other / none | ||||
| Demonym(s) | Sri Lankan | ||||
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic[6] | ||||
• President | Ranil Wickremesinghe | ||||
• Prime Minister | Dinesh Gunawardena | ||||
• Speaker of the Parliament | Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena | ||||
• Chief Justice | Jayantha Jayasuriya | ||||
| Legislature | Parliament | ||||
| Formation | |||||
• Kingdom established[7] | 543 BCE | ||||
• Anuradhapura period | 377 BCE–1017 CE | ||||
• Polonnaruwa period | 1017–1232 | ||||
• Transitional period | 1232–1592 | ||||
• Kandyan period | 1592–1815 | ||||
• British Ceylon period | 1815–1948 | ||||
• Independence | 4 February 1948 | ||||
• Republic | 22 May 1972 | ||||
• Current constitution | 7 September 1978 | ||||
| Area | |||||
• Total | 65,610.2 km2 (25,332.2 sq mi) (120th) | ||||
• Water (%) | 4.4 | ||||
| Population | |||||
• 2022 estimate |  22,037,000[8] (60th) | ||||
• 2012 census | 20,277,600[9] | ||||
• Density | 337.7/km2 (874.6/sq mi) (42nd) | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate | ||||
• Total |  $318.6 billion[10] (60th) | ||||
• Per capita | $14,234[10] (101th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate | ||||
• Total | $73.7 billion[10] (79th) | ||||
• Per capita | $3,293[10] (132nd) | ||||
| Gini (2016) | 39.8[11] medium | ||||
| HDI (2022) | 0.780[12] high (78th) | ||||
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (Rs) (LKR) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (SLST) | ||||
| Driving side | left | ||||
| Calling code | +94 | ||||
| ISO 3166 code | LK | ||||
| Internet TLD |
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Website gov.lk | |||||
Sri Lanka,[a] historically known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest.
Sri Lanka has a population of approximately 22 million and is home to many cultures, languages and ethnicities. The Sinhalese people form the majority of the population, followed by the Sri Lankan Tamils, who are the largest minority group and are concentrated in northern Sri Lanka; both groups have played an influential role in the island's history. Other long-established groups include the Moors, Indian Tamils, Burghers, Malays, Chinese, and Vedda.[13]
Sri Lanka's documented history goes back 3,000 years, with evidence of prehistoric human settlements dating back 125,000 years.[14] The earliest known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, known collectively as the Pāli canon, date to the fourth Buddhist council, which took place in 29 BCE.[15][16] Also called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, or the Granary of the East, Sri Lanka's geographic location and deep harbours have made it of great strategic importance, from the earliest days of the ancient Silk Road trade route to today's so-called maritime Silk Road.[17][18][19] Because its location made it a major trading hub, it was already known to both East Asians and Europeans as long ago as the Anuradhapura period. During a period of great political crisis in the Kingdom of Kotte, the Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka and sought to control its maritime trade, with a part of Sri Lanka subsequently becoming a Portuguese possession. After the Sinhalese-Portuguese war, the Dutch Empire and the Kingdom of Kandy took control of those areas. The Dutch possessions were then taken by the British, who later extended their control over the whole island, colonising it from 1815 to 1948. A national movement for political independence arose in the early 20th century, and in 1948, Ceylon became a dominion. It was succeeded by the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. Sri Lanka's more recent history was marred by a 26-year civil war, which began in 1983 and ended in 2009, when the Sri Lanka Armed Forces defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[20]
Sri Lanka is a developing country, ranking 73rd on the Human Development Index. It is the highest-ranked South Asian nation in terms of development and has the second-highest per capita income in South Asia. However, the ongoing economic crisis has resulted in the collapse of its currency, rising inflation, and a humanitarian crisis due to a severe shortage of essentials. It has also led to an eruption of street protests, with citizens successfully demanding that the president and the government step down.[21] The country has had a long history of engagement with modern international groups; it is a founding member of the SAARC, the G77 and the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as a member of the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations.
- ^ "Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Colombo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Official Languages Policy". languagesdept.gov.lk. Department of Official Languages. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "South Asia: Sri Lanka". CIA. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "2018 Report on International Religious Freedom: Sri Lanka". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on 11 December 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Constitution of Sri Lanka" (PDF). Parliament of Sri Lanka. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ De Silva, K. M. (1981). A History of Sri Lanka. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-19-561655-2. A History of Sri Lanka.
- ^ "Mid-year Population Estimates by District & Sex, 2014 - 2023". statistics.gov.lk. Department of Census and Statistics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing 2011 Enumeration Stage February–March 2012" (PDF). Department of Census and Statistics – Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. October 2022. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Gini Index". World Bank. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2023/2024" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ "Vedda". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ Roberts, Brian (2006). "Sri Lanka: Introduction". Urbanization and sustainability in Asia: case studies of good practice. Asian Development Bank. ISBN 978-971-561-607-2.
- ^ Jack Maguire (2001). Essential Buddhism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs and Practices. Simon and Schuster. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-671-04188-5.
... the Pali canon of Theravada is the earliest known collection of Buddhist writings ...
- ^ "Religions – Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism". BBC. 2 October 2002. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
- ^ Bandaranayake, Senake (1990). "Sri Lankan Role in the Maritime Silk Route". Sri Lanka and the silk road of the sea. Sri Lanka National Commisssion for Unesco and the Central Cultural Fund. p. 21. ISBN 978-955-9043-02-7.
- ^ British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the moment a Japanese fleet prepared to invade Sri Lanka as "the most dangerous and distressing moment of the entire conflict". – Commonwealth Air Training Program Museum, The Saviour of Ceylon Archived 22 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "A Brief History of Sri Lanka". localhistories.org. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ^ Reuters Sri Lanka wins civil war, says kills rebel leader Archived 16 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine Reuters (18 May 2009). Retrieved 18 November 2012.
- ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (9 April 2022). "'We're finished': Sri Lankans pushed to the brink by financial crisis". The Observer. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
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