Head of state: Emperor Akihito Prime minister: Yoshihiko Noda
Population
21,481,334
127,368,088
Life Expectancy
75.940 years
83.910 years
Capital City
Colombo
Tokyo
Largest city
Colombo (population: 648,034)
Tokyo (population: 8,336,600)
Human Development Index
0.742
0.956
GDP per capita
$5,700 US
$35,200 US
Literacy Rate
90.7%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
3.2
7.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
5.8%
12.3%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Tadashi Yanai & family ($6.0bn US)
Unemployment Rate
4.200%
4.600%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Legal
Political System
republic
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Independence date
4 February 1948 (from UK)
660 B.C. (traditional date of the founding of the nation by Emperor JIMMU)
Religions
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)
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
Japanese
Exports
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, electrical machinery, chemicals
External Debt
$22,810,000,000 $
$2,719,000,000,000 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)
yen (JPY) per US dollar - 103.58 (2008 est.), 117.99 (2007), 116.18 (2006), 110.22 (2005), 108.19 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.600%
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
25
Location
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Area
65,610 km sq
377,915 km sq
Coastline
1,340 km
29,751 km
Climate
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
