Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%
Languages
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
Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)
Exports
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
petroleum, bananas, cut flowers, shrimp, cacao, coffee, hemp, wood, fish
External Debt
$22,810,000,000 $
$10,050,000,000 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)
the US dollar is used; the sucre was eliminated in 2000
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.600%
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
1
Location
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru
Area
65,610 km sq
283,561 km sq
Coastline
1,340 km
2,237 km
Climate
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands
