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Sri Lanka
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FactsBackground: The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced in about the mid-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The coastal areas of the island were controlled by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formalized a cease-fire in February 2002 with Norway brokering peace negotiations. Violence between the LTTE and government forces intensified in 2006, but the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. By May 2009, the government announced that its military had defeated the remnants of the LTTE. Since the end of the conflict, the government has resettled tens of thousands of internally displaced persons and has undertaken a number of massive infrastructure projects to reconstruct its economy. note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 90.7%; male: 92.3%; female: 89.1% (2001 census); GDP (purchasing power parity): $104.7 billion (2010 est.); $97.91 billion (2009 est.); $94.6 billion (2008 est.); note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate): $48.24 billion (2010 est.); GDP - real growth rate: 6.9% (2010 est.); 3.5% (2009 est.); 6% (2008 est.); GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,900 (2010 est.); $4,600 (2009 est.); $4,500 (2008 est.); note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12.6%; industry: 29.8%; services: 57.6% (2010 est.); Population below poverty line: 23% (2008 est.); Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1%; highest 10%: 39.7% (2004); Labor force: 8.1 million (2010 est.); Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 32.7%; industry: 26.3%; services: 41% (December 2008 est.); Unemployment rate: 5.4% (2010 est.); 5.9% (2009 est.); Budget: revenues: $7.415 billion; expenditures: $11.18 billion (2010 est.); Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; tourism, shipping; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services, construction; Industrial production growth rate: 6.9% (2010 est.); Electricity - production: 9.901 billion kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - consumption: 8.417 billion kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.); Statistics: CIA World Factbook. PressColombo Page(Independent), Colombo Daily Mirror(Independent), Colombo Daily News(Government-owned), Colombo Divaina(Independent, Sinhalase-language), Colombo Island, The(Independent), Colombo Lankadeepa(Sinhala-language), Colombo Sri Lanka in the NewsDisplaying 1 to 4 of 18 items. Sri Lankan Election Begins to Solidify Government ControlThe overwhelming success of a breakaway faction of the L.T.T.E. in the March 10 local government elections has prompted the group to seek additional victories at provincial level. Sri Lanka: War and Repression ContinueThe Sri Lankan Army has met strong resistance in its attempts to seize areas of the island country that are controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. One Day of Peace in Sri LankaThe United Nations should call on the people of Sri Lanka to demonstrate that goodness does prevail in the world with a day of peace on Dec. 26, 2006. Expensive H.I.V. Drugs Further Instability in South AsiaAlthough concern among the South Asian population about the spread and impact of H.I.V./AIDS is significant, governments continue to give the problem a low priority. |
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