Economy of Sei Lanca, an overview

4. (Source: Information Based Database, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.) Official Name Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse ( 2005) Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka ( 2005) Land area Total area: 25,332 sq mi ( 65,610 sq km) Population 19 , 668 , 000 Million. Capital and largest city Colombo, 2,436,000 ( metro. area) Other large cities Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia 214,300 ; Moratuwa, 181,000 ; Kandy, 112,400 Languages Sinhala , Tamil , English and Other.

5. (Source: Information Based Database, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.) Monetary unit Sri Lanka rupee Ethnicity Sinhalese , Sri Lankan Moors , Indian Tamil , Sri Lankan Tamil , O ther , U nspecified Religions Buddhist, Islam, Hindu, Christian . Literacy rate 92% Membership Member of Commonwealth of Nations ; Member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

12. (Source: Information Based Database, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.) President Mahinda Rajapakse Prime Min. Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE Min. of Agricultural Development Maithripala SIRISENA Min. of Community Development & Social Inequity Eradication P. CHANDRASEKARAN Min. of Defense Mahinda RAJAPAKSA Min. of Education Susil PREMAJAYANTHA

13. (Source: Information Based Database, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.) Min. of Export Development & International Trade G. L. PEIRIS Min. of Industrial Development Kumara WELGAMA Min. of Trade, Marketing Development Bandula GUNAWARDENA Min. of Transport Dullas ALAHAPPERUMA Governor, Central Bank Ajith Nivard CABRAAL Ambassador to the US Jaliya WICKRAMASURIYA

22. Religion: Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of Buddhism of any predominately Buddhist nation, with the Sangha having existed in a largely unbroken lineage since its introduction in the 2nd century BCE. The second largest religion is Hinduism. Hinduism was primarily established in Sri Lanka by migrants and often invaders from southern India, and Hindus now constitute seven to fifteen percent of the population.

23. (Source: Information Based Database, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.) Telephones Main lines in use: 494,509 (1998); Mobile cellular: 228,604 (1999). Radio broadcast stations AM 26, FM 45, Shortwave 1 (1998). Radios 3.85 million (1997). Television broadcast stations 21 (1997). Televisions 1.53 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2000). Internet users 121,500 (2001).

24. Railways Total: 1,508 km (2002). Highways Total: 96,695 km; Paved: 91,860 km; Unpaved: 4,835 km (1999). Waterways 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft. Waterways 430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft. Airports 15 (2002).

28. Imports: Equivalent to US$1.95 billion in 1986. Major imported commodities include petroleum products, machinery, transportation equipment, food (including rice, wheat, flour, and sugar), fertilizer, yarn, and textiles. Principal trading partners Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Imports from United States dominated by wheat, machinery, and equipment. India 20.7% , Singapore 8.3% , Hong Kong 7.3% , China 7.1% , Iran 5.9% , Malaysia 4.4% , Japan 4.3%

36. GDP ( Per Capita ) $4100 Real Growth Rate 6.3% Inflation Rate 19.7% Unemployment 5.7% Arable Rate 14%

37. Industries Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining. Natural resource Limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower. Labor force 8.08 million; services 45% , agriculture 38% , industry 17% (1998 est.). Major trading partners U.S., UK, India, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Iran, Japan, Malaysia ( 2004).