Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Sunni Muslim
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
Maldivian Dhivehi (dialect of Sinhala, script derived from Arabic), English spoken by most government officials
Exports
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
fish
External Debt
$22,820,000,000 $
$890,800,000 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)
rufiyaa (MVR) per US dollar - NA (2007), 12.8 (2006), 12.8 (2005), 12.8 (2004), 12.8 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.900%
5.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Southern Asia, group of atolls in the Indian Ocean, south-southwest of India
Area
65,610 km sq
298 km sq
Coastline
1,340 km
644 km
Climate
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
tropical; hot, humid; dry, northeast monsoon (November to March); rainy, southwest monsoon (June to August)
