OFFICIAL NAME:
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Geography
Area: 65,610 sq. km. (25,332 sq. mi.); about the size of Yazd. Sri Lanka is approximately 65,610 sq km, while Iran is approximately 1,648,195 sq km, making Iran 2,412% larger than Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the population of Sri Lanka is ~23.2 million people (63.6 million more people live in Iran). We have positioned the outline of Sri Lanka near the middle of Iran.
Cities: Capital--Colombo (pop. est. 5.6 million--urban area) Sri Jayewardenepura-Kotte is the officially designated capital and is the site of Parliament, but it is currently only an administrative center. Other cities--Kandy, Jaffna, Galle.
Terrain: Coastal plains in the northern third of the country; hills and mountains in south-central Sri Lanka rise to 2,133 meters (7,000 ft.).
Climate: Tropical. Rainy seasons--light in northeast, fall, and winter, with an average rainfall of 50 in.; heavy in southwest, summer, and fall, with an average rainfall of 200 in.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Sri Lankan(s).
Population (Midst of 2023 ): 21,893,579. Sri Lanka's population is equivalent to 0.27% of the total world population. Sri Lanka ranks number 61 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population
Annual growth rate: 0.28%
Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)
Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
Languages: Sinhala and Tamil (official), English.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 14. Primary school attendance--96.5%. Literacy--91%.
Health(2021): Infant mortality rate-- 6.438. Life expectancy-- 73 yrs. (male)/ 89yrs. (female).
Workforce: The employment rate in Sri Lanka is forecasted to be 50.06% in 2023. The number of employed people in Sri Lanka is forecasted to be 9.32m in 2023.
Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: February 4, 1948.
Constitution: August 31, 1978.
Suffrage: Universal over 18.
Branches: Executive--President: chief of state and head of government, elected for a 6-year term. Legislative--Unicameral 225-member Parliament. Judicial--Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, Subordinate Courts.
Administrative subdivisions: nine provinces and 25 administrative districts. (The Northern and Eastern provinces, however, have been jointly administered since 1988.)
Political parties: United National Party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Communist Party of Sri Lanka, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, and others.
Economy (2023)
is expected to grow by 1.7% in 2024 after GDP fell 3.1% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2023, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of contraction, as the country continues to battle a financial crisis.
Annual growth rate(2022): -7.8.
Natural resources: Limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, and phosphate. Agriculture (16.9% of GDP): Major products--rice, tea, rubber, coconut, and spices.
Industry (17.2% of GDP): Major types--garments and leather goods, chemicals, refined petroleum, wood products, basic metal products, and paper products.