# Sri Lanka

| Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජය (Sinhala) *Srī Lankā prajātāntrika samājavādī janarajaya* இலங்கை ஜனநாயக சோசலிச குடியரசு (Tamil) *Ilaṅkai jaṉanāyaka sōsalisa kuṭiyarasu* |
| --- |
|
Banner

 Emblem

 |
| **Anthem:**"Sri Lanka Matha" *Mither Sri Lanka*  |
|  |
|  |
| Caipital | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (Admeenistrative) Colombo (Commercial) ﻿ / ﻿ |
| Lairgest ceety | Colombo |
| Offeecial leids | * Sinhala
* Tamil
 |
| Recognised | Inglis |
| Ethnic groups (2012) | 74.9% Sinhalese 11.2% Sri Lankan Tamils 9.2% Sri Lankan Moors 4.2% Indie Tamils 0.5% ither |
| Releegion  | * 70.2% Buddhism
* 12.6% Hinduism
* 9.7% Islam
* 7.4% Christianity
* 0.1% Ither/Nane
 |
| Demonym(s) | Sri Lankan |
| Govrenment | Unitar semi-presidential constitutional republic |
|  |
| • Preses  | Gotabhaya Rajapaksa |
| • Prime Meenister  | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
| • Speaker o the Pairlament  | Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena |
| • Chief Juistice  | Jayantha Jayasuriya |
|  |
| Legislatur | Parliament |
| Unthirldom frae the Unitit Kinrick |
| Aurie |
| • Total | 65,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi) (120t) |
| • Water (%) | 4.4 |
| Population |
| • 2017 estimate | 21,444,000 (58t) |
| • 2012 census | 20,277,597 (57t) |
| • Density | 327/km2 (846.9/sq mi) (43rd) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
| • Total | $298.310 billion |
| • Per capita | $13,847 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
| • Tot | $86.607 billion |
| • Per capita | $4,020 |
| Gini (2010) | 36.4 medium |
| HDI (2016) |  0.766 heich · 73rd |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (SLST) |
| Date format | * dd-mm-yyyy
* yyyy-mm-dd
 |
| Drivin side | caur |
| Cawin code | +94 |
| ISO 3166 code | LK |
| Internet TLD | * .lk
* .ලංකා
* .இலங்கை
 |
| **Wabsteid** www.gov.lk |

Territorial Organization
The **Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka** (commonly kent as  Sri Lanka  (/**[unsupported input]**sriːˈlɑːŋkə/, /sriːˈlæŋkə/, or /ʃriː ˈlɑːŋkə/ ( listen)); Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Tamil: இலங்கை) is a kintra aff the soothren coast o the Indian subcontinent. An island naition in Sooth Asie, it wis till 1972 kent as **Ceylon** (/**[unsupported input]**sᵻˈlɒn/, /seɪˈlɒn/, or /siːˈlɒn/). Sri Lanka is surroondit bi the Indian Ocean, the Gulf o Mannar, the Palk Strait an lies in the vicinity o Indie an Maldives.

Sri Lanka is a republic an a unitary state which is governed bi a semi-presidential seestem wi its offeecial seat o government in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the caipital.

As a result o its location in the path o major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link atween Wast Asie an Sootheast Asie. It haes an aa been a centre o the Buddhist releegion an cultur frae auncient times an is ane o the few remainin abodes o Buddhism in Sooth Asie alang wi Ladakh, Bhutan an the Chittagong hill tracts The Sinhalese community forms the majority o the population; Tamils, who are concentratit in the north an east o the island, form the lairgest ethnic minority. Ither communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays an the aboreeginal Vedda fowk.

The kintra is famous for the production an export o tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber an cinnamon, the latter which is native tae the kintra. The naitural beauty Sri Lanka haes led tae the title *The Pearl o the Indian Ocean*, it is full o lush tropical forests, white beaches an diverse landscape throughoot alang wi a rich biodiversity. The kintra lays claim tae a lang an colorful history o ower three thoosan years, haein ane o the langest documentit histories in the warld. Sri Lanka's rich cultur can be attributit tae the mony different communities in the island. Sri Lanka is a foondin member state o SAARC an a member o the Unitit Nations, Commonweel o Naitions, G77 an Non-Aligned Movement.

## Name

In auncient times, Sri Lanka wis kent bi a variety o names: auncient Greek geographers cawed it *Taprobane* (/**[unsupported input]**təˈprɒbəniː/) an Arabs referred tae it as **Serendib** (the oreegin o the wird "serendipity"). **Ceilão** wis the name gien tae Sri Lanka bi the Portuguese when thay arrived in 1505, which wis transliteratit intae Inglis as *Ceylon*. As a Breetish croun colony, the island wis kent as Ceylon, an achieved unthirldom unner the name Dominion o Ceylon in 1948.

In Sinhala the kintra is kent as ශ්‍රී ලංකා **śrī laṃkā**, IPA: [ʃɾiːˈlaŋkaː], an the island itsel as ලංකාව *laṃkāva*, IPA: [laŋˈkaːʋə]. In Tamil thay are baith இலங்கை *ilaṅkai*, IPA: [iˈlaŋɡai]. The name derives frae the Sanskrit श्री लंका *śrī* (venerable) an *lankā* (island), the name o the island in the auncient Indian epics Mahabharata an the Ramayana.

In 1972, the offeecial name o the kintra wis chynged tae "Free, Sovereign an Independent Republic o Sri Lanka". In 1978 it wis chynged tae the "Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka".

The name Ceylon is still in uise in the names o a nummer o organisations; in 2011, the Sri Lankan government annoonced a plan tae rename aw o those for which it is responsible.