Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Prime minister: Denzil Douglas
President: Mahinda Rajapaksa
Population
50,726
21,481,334
Life Expectancy
74.840 years
75.940 years
Capital City
Colombo
Largest city
Basseterre (population: 12,920)
Colombo (population: 648,034)
Human Development Index
0.83
0.742
GDP per capita
$5,700 US
Literacy Rate
97.8%
90.7%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
3.2
Percentage of Women in Parliament
6.7%
5.8%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
4.200%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished in practice
Political System
parliamentary democracy
republic
Independence date
4 February 1948 (from UK)
Religions
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Languages
English
Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8% note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Exports
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
External Debt
$22,810,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) per US dollar - 108.33 (2008), 110.78 (2007), 103.99 (2006), 100.498 (2005), 101.194 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.600%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Area
261 km sq
65,610 km sq
Coastline
135 km
1,340 km
Climate
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
