Flags of the World > Sri Lanka Flag
Brief History. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester.
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Country Information
Local name: Sri Lanka Capital: Colombo Population: 20,222,240 Government: republic Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) Land size: 65,610 sq km Topography: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior Typical foods: Major exports: textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish |
Information on the People
Official language: Sinhala 74% Other languages spoken: Tamil 18%, English Religions: Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% Literacy rate: 92.3% Male/Female Ratio: 0.96 male(s) to every 1 female Life expectancy: 73.41 years Ethnic groups: Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% Internet users: 280,000 Famous people: |
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