Religions : Buddhist 69.3%, Hindu 15.5%, Muslim 7.6%, Christian 7.6%, unspecified 0.1%

Languages: Sinhala and Tamil (official), English (link)

Education: Years compulsory—up to age 14. Primary school attendance--96.5%. Literacy--91%.

Health: Infant mortality rate--14/1,000. Life expectancy—68.2yrs. (male); 75.8 yrs. (female) .

Constitution: August 31, 1978.

National Day : 04 th February 1948

Suffrage: Universal over 18.

Government: Executive --President, Head of State and of the 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.

President – His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa
Prime Minister – Hon. D. M. Jayaratne

Economy (2008)
GDP : $40.7 billion.
Annual growth rate: 6%.
Natural resources: Limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, and phosphate.
Agriculture (12% of GDP): Major products--rice, tea, rubber, coconut, and spices.
Services (60% of GDP): Major types--tourism, wholesale and retail trade, transport, telecom, financial services.
Industry (28% of GDP): Major types--garments and leather goods, rubber products, food processing, chemicals, refined petroleum, gems and jewelry, non-metallic mineral-based products, and construction.

Trade:

Trade Policy : Liberalized market economy since 1977. Outward looking policies and deregulations. Economic growth through private sector participation. Stimulus for private investments and export oriented activities

Major Exports : Garments, tea, gems & jewellery, rubber & rubber products, food preparations, coconut & coconut products, spices & essential oils,, machinery equipments, ceramic products, sea food, ornamental fish, cut flowers & foliage, plants, fruits and vegetables, engineering products, electronic products, plastic products, leather products & footwear, wooden furniture & products, handloom & textiles, handicrafts & gift items, stationery products, herbal products, toys, chemical & chemical products, IT and IT enabled services etc.

Major Imports : With the implementation of reformed import policies in 1977, import structure visualizes a gradual shift from consumer goods to intermediate and investment goods.
Main imports are: Textiles and clothing, petroleum, machinery and equipment, building materials, motor vehicles, transport equipments, electrical equipment, chemicals, food and beverages, wheat, sugar, milk and milk products, fertilizer, paper and paper boards.

Major Trading Partners : USA, India, UK, Japan, Italy, Singapore, Germany, Belgium, Russia, France , China, South Korea, Taiwan, UAE, Australia, Iran, Netherlands, Malaysia.

Trade with Malaysia :
Trade between Sri Lanka and Malaysia has been increasing over the last few years and Malaysia has emerged as one of Sri Lanka's major trading partners.

Sri Lanka’s main exports to Malaysia: Natural rubber & rubber based products (tyres, gloves etc), bran, sharps and other residues of milling, precious stones and semi precious stones (e.g. Rubies, Sapphires and Emeralds), tea, bath preparations, shaving or after shave preparations, deodorants, fish, ladies underwear, wheat/meslin flour, articles of jewellery, food preparations, un-manufactured tobacco, machinery parts, articles of apparel and clothing accessories, Rubber gloves, coconut fiber, vegetables (gherkins), brooms and brushes, aluminum plates, sheets and strips etc, natural sands (mineral), synthetic filament yarn.

Sri Lanka’s Main imports from Malaysia: Petroleum, palm oil, cement, Aluminum, News print, wood products, electrical items, cement linkers, polymers of ethylene, vegetable fats, chemicals, urea, plastics articles, iron & steel articles, paper etc.

Extra protection for Malaysian companies : Bilateral investment protection agreement signed with Malaysia on 16.04.1982

Tourism

Sri Lanka "a land of smiling people and a land like no other" has something to offer everyone. For countless centuries its fragrant spices, priceless gems, legendary beauty, sublime culture and friendly people have captivated royals, poets, traders, empire builders and admirers. There are many types of tourism including A dventure Tourism, Sports Tourism, Eco Tourism, Nature, Rainforest, Mountains , Waterfalls, Wildlife sanctuaries, Botanical gardens, Un spoilt Beaches, Religious Tourism and Heritage, Health Tourism etc.

Festivals : The festivals of the four main religions are celebrated in Sri Lanka. The Sri Pada pilgrimage, Thai Pongol, Duruthu Perahera (Kelani Raja Maha Vihara perahera), Navam perahera (Gangaramaya temple) Sinhala Tamil New year, Wesak, Poson, Kandy Esala perahera (Asia's grandest traditional pageant parade for 10 nights to honour the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha), Bellanwila (Bellanwila Rajamaha Vihara), Kataragama Festival, Vel, Munneswaram Udappuwa and Nallur Festival, Devinuwara (Dondra) Festival, Deepavali, Ramazan, Christmas, Madhu and Thalawila Festivals.

Shopping, fun & entertainment: S ri Lanka is a shopping destination. Designer clothes manufactured in Sri Lanka are available at reasonable prices in and around Colombo. Plenty of souvenir shops selling wood carvings, ceramic, handlooms, colourful batiks, gem stones - blue sapphires, rubies, alexandrite, amethyst, garnets are also available island wide.

With the rapid westernization of the city, nightclubs, casinos and pubs can be seen in every corner of the city.

History in brief 

The Ancient Period  

The archaeological discoveries including the discovery of “Balangoda Manawaya (the Balangoda Man)” provides the evidence of existence of humans and human civilizations in Sri Lanka for more than 100,000 years.

However the written history of Sri Lanka starts with the three instances of the visit of Lord Buddha to the Island and the arrival of King Vijaya (in 543 B.C.), the first ruler of Lanka, from India.  He reigned for 38 years. Thereafter for over 2000 years “Lankadeepa” was ruled by 179 Kings. Some of them were authoritative kings with legendary documented records of heroism. The remains of ancient and medieval palaces, monasteries, shrines, water gardens and temples authenticate the country’s 2500 year old written history with kingdoms thrived then and to the influence of Buddhism to the civilization in Sri Lanka. Also, Sri Lanka is happy to boast for the possession of the worlds oldest tree with a well documented history -“Jayasrimaha Bodhi”. Jaffna, chief city of the Northern peninsula is the centre of Sri Lanka’s rich traditions of Tamil and Hindu culture, arts, crafts and ways of life.

This important and splendid chapter of the history of Sri Lanka ended in 1505 with the arrival of Portuguese, where, afterwards, the natives of the country had to struggle, for hundreds of years, to regain their freedom from foreign occupancy.

The Portuguese in Lanka

Lorenzo de Almeida, the son of the Portuguese Governor of Goa was in a struggle for the supremacy of trade, with Moors, who were doing trade between the Red Sea and Malacca. He sailed intentionally to capture the trade ships of Moors who were then in South of Lanka and closer to Maldive Islands. However, instead, the prevailing monsoon winds of that season carried him away to the harbour of Colombo. Portuguese finally came to an accord with the King Dharma Parakrama Bahu IX where they were given permission to build a fortress in order to protect the King and the Island against enemies while the King consented to give a quantity of cinnamon production in return. However, Portuguese gradually took control over the coastal areas of the Island and ruled the low country from 1506 to 1658 AD, where they changed the name of the Country to “Ceilan”.

The Dutch in Lanka

 At that time the Dutch were buying their spices from Portuguese. The Portuguese were conquered by the powerful Spaniards and were forbidden to trade with the Dutch who were enemies of Spain. The Dutch and Portuguese were then at war in the East. A Dutch Navy Commander Joris Van Spilbergen arrived in Lanka in 1602. The King of Kandy, in 1612, granted permission for the Dutch to build a fortress and facilitated their trade, in exchange for driving away the Portuguese. In 1640 when Rajasinha II was the King of Kandy the Dutch invaded Lanka. In a few years time the Portuguese were captured and driven out by the Dutch and the Maritime Provinces of the country came under their rule in 1656 where they ruled until 1796.

The British in Lanka

The English were very eager on trade in the East. The Dutch and English fought frequently against each other and ultimately the coastal provinces of Lanka came under the English in the year 1796. Later in 1801 by the treaty of Amiens the Dutch Part of the Island was formerly handed over to British and was made a Crown Colony and ruled by a governor sent from England who was responsible to the King of England. The first Kandyan war in 1803 prevented the British from capturing the hill country and in turn capturing the whole Island until for more than another decade. However, in 1815, English captured the Kandyan Kingdom, with the help of some Kandyan chieftains who turned against the King, taking the King Sri Vikrama Raja Singhe a prisoner. Later a treaty, known as the Kandyan convention was signed between Kandyan Headmen and the British and the Island was devolved on King George III, making, for the first time, Lanka or Ceylon as was called by English, a British Colony.

The King of England, who was also the King of Ceylon, sent Governors to rule the country. There were two Councils under the Governor; namely the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council had to make laws while the executive council had to see whether those laws were carried out properly. The country was divided into nine Provinces under the supervision of nine Government Agents.

The Donoughmore Commission was enforced during Sir Herbert Stanley’s Governorship (1927–31). This Commission introduced adult franchise and abolished communal representation and made provision to appoint native Ministers. Next came the Soulbury Commission and in 1931 elections were held to the State Councils. In 1943, the King of England acknowledged granting Ceylon a full responsible Government under the Crown. In 1944 the Dominion Status Bill was passed. In 1947 the Ceylon Independence Act was passed.

In 1947 an election was held and Mr. D. S. Senanayakre was called to form a Government. Transfer of Governments was singed in Colombo between Sir Henry Monck Mason Moore on behalf of the United Kingdom and Mr. D. S. Senanayake on behalf of Ceylon. The February 4 th 1948 was declared as the appointed day under the Constitution for independence, under the name Dominion of Ceylon. Mr. D. S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The Independence Day formal celebration was held at the Independence Square in Colombo. Mr. Dudley Senanayake, son of Mr. D. S. Senanayake was appointed as the second Prime Minister after Independence. Sir John Kotalawela became the Prime Minister in 1953. Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike who resigned from the D. S. Senanayake Cabinet formed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and won the General Election of 1956 and became the Prime Minister.

Hon. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was assassinated on 26 th September, 1959 and Education Minister, Mr. Dahanayake was sworn in as Prime Minister. Hon. Dahanayake was defeated at the General Election held in March 22 nd 1960 and Hon.Dudley Senanayake became Prime Minister again for a brief period. On 20 July 1960 SLFP, under Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike won the election and she became the world’s first woman Prime Minister. At the 1965 General Election Hon. Dudley Senanayake became the Prime Minister again. In 1970, again, a Government that was led by Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike was formed. On 22 March 1972 Ceylon became a Republic and was declared as Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka while being a member of the British Commonwealth. Instead of the Governor General who represented the Queen, a ceremonial President was appointed and the 1972 Republican Constitution was empowered by Parliament, with executive powers. An armed struggle launched by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna was defeated by the government.

At the General Election held in 1977 Mr. J R Jayewardene, leader of the United National Party (UNP) was elected to power with a 5/6 th majority.  In 1978 a new Democratic Socialist Republic Constitution was formulated. Accordingly, in place of the Prime Minister who was the head of government, an executive president was appointed who was the head of state and the government. Also during the tenure of President J.R. Jayawardene, a free open economic policy was introduced, the Free Trade Zones were established and accelerated Mahaweli Project was launched and propagated. The Parliament was moved from Colombo to Sri Jayawardenepura. An armed rebellion in the South by Janatha Viukthi Peramuna and a Tamil Separatist movement in the North emerged. The conflict in North was aggravated and an Indian Peace keeping Force was brought to Sri Lanka through Indo-Lanka peace accord.

Mr. R. Premadasa won the elections in 1989 and became the second executive President. “Gam Udava” housing construction programme and “Janasaviya” poverty alleviation programme were outstanding projects during his time. He quelled the armed struggle of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in South, that had grown up to great proportions and sent back Indian Peace Keeping Force. After the death of President Premadasa due to a suicide attack by LTTE, the PM, Hon. D.B.Wijetunga was appointed as the President. By the election that was held in 1994, Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunga of United National Front that was led by SLFP came into power. She won the 1999 elections, too, and continued the second term. The “Samurdhi” was the main poverty alleviation programme during her reign. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, the Southern rebel group entered into democratic political process and won seats in the parliament. The separatist conflict in the North, however, continued into its third decade. The tsunami hit, mainly the Eastern and Southern Coastal areas of the Island in December 2004, causing a massive loss of lives and damage to property. This was the biggest natural disaster the country faced ever in its recent history. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected President at the elections held in 2005. With his leadership the security forces commanded a strong military campaign against the separatist movement in the North and East and defeated it successfully, in May 2009, ending the three decade separatist conflict of the country that claimed thousands of lives. Programmes for the rebuilding of the conflict affected areas and the development of the whole Island is gradually taking forward its pace. By the presidential election that was held in 26 th January 2010, H.E.the President Mahinda Rajapaksa acquired an outstanding victory and mandated for another term of six years.

Significance of Sri Lanka

 As varied as their land Sri Lankans are a piquant mix of many ethnic and cultural roots including Sinhala, Tamil, Moor, Malay, Burgher and forest dwelling aboriginal veddah. Sinhala, Tamil and English are main languages in Sri Lanka while Sinhala and Tamil are designated as official languages. This multi ethnic, multi cultural society in Sri Lanka thrived harmoniously for hundreds of years.

The most significant factors in Sri Lanka are free education system and free health care system. Every citizen in this country, without racial or religious differences, is entitled for the privilege of free education from year one up to the university. Additionally, free school books and uniform material are provided to all children till the end of the tenth grade. Free hospital facilities and free medicine is provided to all Sri Lankans irrespective of their income or economy. This has resulted Sri Lanka becoming the exemplary country in South Asia with good human development indicators in the fields of health and education that is similar to those in developed countries.

The remains of the ancient civilization, fauna, flora and the natural beauty enchant visitors to the Island. Also, Sri Lanka is girdled by1600 km of beautiful tropical beaches on its Southern, Western, Eastern and Northern shores. Tourism, at present has become Sri Lanka’s sixth highest income earner and the government intends to develop the industry until Sri Lanka becomes the most preferred destination in Asia. The warm and welcoming hospitality of smiling people too is a timeless enchantment of a legendary Island Paradise. Besides, over the years Sri Lanka has earned a reputation as a producer of high quality tea and Ceylon Tea is synonymous with quality and taste. Ceylon Tea has been recognized as the cleanest tea in the world in terms of pesticide residues by the International Standards Organization. Also the Sri Lanka Tea Industry received another feather in its hat in the year 2008 when Montreal Protocol recognized Ceylon Tea as “Ozone friendly”, the only tea to achieve such an honour as yet.

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