$NA
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.45 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 7 $2.976 trillion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.132 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 10 $1.8 trillion (31 December 2007)
$1.323 trillion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Industries:
textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.3% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 157
Electricity - production:
283.2 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - consumption:
276.1 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Electricity - exports:
16.92 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
5.88 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
28,130 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Oil - consumption:
1.562 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18
Oil - exports:
226,900 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Oil - imports:
1.813 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Oil - proved reserves:
150 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - production:
17 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - consumption:
38.18 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - imports:
38.59 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.548 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Current account balance:
-$154.1 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189 -$145.4 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$285.9 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 18 $256.7 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
Exports - partners:
France 18.4%, Germany 10.6%, Portugal 8.7%, Italy 8%, UK 6.7%, US 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$415.5 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 $380.2 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments
Imports - partners:
Germany 14.5%, France 11.1%, Italy 7.4%, China 6.3%, UK 4.6%,
Netherlands 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$20.25 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51 $19.05 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$2.317 trillion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 8 $2.299 trillion (31 December 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$636.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 9 $570.7 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$605.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 10 $687.4 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6827 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Communications ::Spain
Telephones - main lines in use:
20.2 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 15
Telephones - mobile cellular:
49.682 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 20
Telephone system:
general assessment: well developed, modern facilities; fixed-line teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 175 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 34; submarine cables provide connectivity to Europe, Middle East, Asia, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 18, FM 250, shortwave 2 (2008)
Television broadcast stations:
379 (2008)
Internet country code:
.es
Internet hosts:
3.537 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 23
Internet users:
25.24 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 12
Transportation ::Spain
Airports:
153 (2009) country comparison to the world: 35
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 95
over 3,047 m: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 12
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 23 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 58
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 39 (2009)
Heliports:
9 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 7,738 km; oil 560 km; refined products 3,445 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 15,288 km country comparison to the world: 18 broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,949 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 681,224 km country comparison to the world: 10 paved: 681,224 km (includes 13,872 km of expressways) (2006)
Waterways:
1,000 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 65
Merchant marine:
total: 158 country comparison to the world: 41 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 14, chemical tanker 11, container 22, liquefied gas 11, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 47, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 15, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 26 (Canada 4, Denmark 2, Germany 5, Italy 2, Mexico 3, Norway 5, UK 5)
registered in other countries: 110 (Angola 1, Argentina 2, Bahamas 14, Belize 1, Brazil 9, Cape Verde 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 6, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 50, Portugal 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, UK 1, Uruguay 6, Venezuela 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Tarragona, Valencia
Military ::Spain
Military branches:
Spanish Armed Forces: Army (Ejercito de Tierra), Spanish Navy
(Armada Espanola, AE; includes Marine Corps), Spanish Air Force
(Ejercito del Aire Espanola, EdA) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 10,033,069
females age 16-49: 9,764,937 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 8,139,020
females age 16-49: 7,899,157 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 199,124
female: 187,224 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Transnational Issues ::Spain
Disputes - international:
in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas, and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa; Portugal does not recognize Spanish sovereignty over the territory of Olivenza based on a difference of interpretation of the 1815 Congress of Vienna and the 1801 Treaty of Badajoz
Illicit drugs:
despite rigorous law enforcement efforts, North African, Latin American, Galician, and other European traffickers take advantage of Spain's long coastline to land large shipments of cocaine and hashish for distribution to the European market; consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations and organized crime
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Spratly Islands (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Spratly Islands
Background:
The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.
Geography ::Spratly Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines
Geographic coordinates:
8 38 N, 111 55 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: less than 5 sq km country comparison to the world: 246 land: less than 5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
Area - comparative:
NA
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
926 km
Maritime claims:
NA
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
Natural resources:
fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
typhoons; numerous reefs and shoals pose a serious maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
People ::Spratly Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states
Government ::Spratly Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands
Economy ::Spratly Islands
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored. There are no reliable estimates of potential reserves. Commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.
Transportation ::Spratly Islands
Airports:
4 (2009) country comparison to the world: 188
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military ::Spratly Islands
Military - note:
Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Transnational Issues ::Spratly Islands
Disputes - international:
all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands
page last updated on September 24, 2009
======================================================================
@Sri Lanka (South Asia)
Introduction ::Sri Lanka
Background:
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 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. Tens of thousands have died in the ethnic conflict that continues to fester. 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 and the government regained control of the Eastern Province in 2007. In May 2009, the government announced that its military had finally defeated the remnants of the LTTE and that its leader, Velupillai PRABHAKARAN, had been killed.
Geography ::Sri Lanka
Location:
Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Geographic coordinates:
7 00 N, 81 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 65,610 sq km country comparison to the world: 121 land: 64,630 sq km
water: 980 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,340 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Terrain:
mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Natural resources:
limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 13.96%
permanent crops: 15.24%
other: 70.8% (2005)
Irrigated land:
7,430 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
50 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 12.61 cu km/yr (2%/2%/95%)
per capita: 608 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
People ::Sri Lanka
Population:
21,324,791 country comparison to the world: 53 note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.9% (male 2,594,815/female 2,493,002)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,089,307/female 7,418,123)
65 years and over: 8.1% (male 803,172/female 926,372) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.9 years
male: 29.9 years
female: 31.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.904% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Birth rate:
16.26 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Death rate:
6.13 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Net migration rate:
-1.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Urbanization:
urban population: 15% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.57 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 111 male: 20.33 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.14 years country comparison to the world: 84 male: 73.08 years
female: 77.28 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,800 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and chikungunya
water contact disease: leptospirosis
animal contact disease: rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan
Ethnic groups:
Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Religions:
Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
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
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.7%
male: 92.3%
female: 89.1% (2001 census)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Sri Lanka
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional short form: Sri Lanka
local long form: Shri Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di Janarajaya/Ilankai Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
local short form: Shri Lamka/Ilankai
former: Serendib, Ceylon
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Colombo
geographic coordinates: 6 56 N, 79 51 E
time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
note: in October 2006, a Sri Lankan Supreme Court ruling voided a presidential directive merging the North and Eastern Provinces; many have defended the merger as a prerequisite for a negotiated settlement to the ethnic conflict; a parliamentary decision on the issue is pending
Independence:
4 February 1948 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Constitution:
adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended 20 December 2000
Legal system:
a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; Ratnasiri WICKREMANAYAKE (since 21 November 2005) holds the largely ceremonial title of prime minister
head of government: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 November 2005 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: Mahinda RAJAPAKSA elected president; percent of vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSA 50.3%, Ranil WICKREMESINGHE 48.4%, other 1.3%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of an open-list, proportional representation system by electoral district to serve six-year terms)
elections: last held on 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - SLFP and JVP (no longer in United People's Freedom Alliance) 45.6%, UNP 37.8%, TNA 6.8%, JHU 6%, SLMC 2%, UPF 0.5%, EPDP 0.3%, other 1%; seats by party - UNP 68, SLFP 57, JVP 39, TNA 22, CWC 8, JHU 7, SLMC 6, SLMC dissidents 4, Communist Party 2, JHU dissidents 2, LSSP 2, MEP 2, NUA 2, UPF 2, EPDP 1, UNP dissident 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [G.PONNAMBALAM]; Ceylon Workers
Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D.
GUNASEKERA]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas
DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF
[Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Somawansa
AMARASINGHE]; Lanka Sama Samaja Party or LSSP [Tissa VITHARANA];
Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (People's United Front) or MEP [D.
GUNAWARDENE]; National Heritage Party or JHU [Ellawala METHANANDA];
National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation
Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDHARTHAN]; Sri Lanka
Freedom Party or SLFP [Mahinda RAJAPAKSA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO
[Selvam ADAIKALANATHAN]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [R.
SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V.
ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil
WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai
PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); Tamil
Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) or Karuna Faction [Vinayagamurthi
MURALITHARAN] (paramilitary breakaway from LTTE and fighting LTTE)
other: Buddhist clergy; labor unions; radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
International organization participation:
ADB, BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC,
NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jaliya Chitran WICKRAMASURIYA
chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 through 4028
FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert O. BLAKE, Jr.
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone: [94] (11) 249-8500
FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345
Flag description:
yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
Economy ::Sri Lanka
Economy - overview:
In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for more market-oriented policies, export-oriented trade, and encouragement of foreign investment. Recent changes in government, however, have brought some policy reversals. Currently, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party has a more statist economic approach, which seeks to reduce poverty by steering investment to disadvantaged areas, developing small and medium enterprises, promoting agriculture, and expanding the already enormous civil service. The government has halted privatizations. Although suffering a brutal civil war that began in 1983, Sri Lanka saw GDP growth average 4.5% in the last 10 years with the exception of a recession in 2001. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300 missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5 billion worth of property. Government spending on development and fighting the LTTE drove GDP growth to about 7% per year in 2006-07 before the global recession slow growth in 2008, but high government spending and high oil and commodity prices also raised inflation to around 15% in 2008. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. In 2008, plantation crops made up only about 20% of exports (compared with more than 90% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for more than 40%. About 1.5 million Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% of them in the Middle East. They send home more than $2.5 billion a year. The 25-year civil conflict between LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka has been a serious impediment to economic activities. By mid February 2009, the LTTE remained in control of small and shrinking area in the North. The conflict continues to cast a shadow over the economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$92.09 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 $86.88 billion (2007 est.)
$81.35 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$39.6 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 62 6.8% (2007 est.)
7.7% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,400 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 150 $4,200 (2007 est.)
$3,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.4%
industry: 29.4%
services: 57.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
7.569 million country comparison to the world: 59 note: excludes northern and eastern provinces (2008 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 34.7%
industry: 26.1%
services: 39.2% (30 September 2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.2% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 64 6% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
22% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 39.7% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49 (2004) country comparison to the world: 28 34.4 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
24.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Budget:
revenues: $7.8 billion
expenditures: $11 billion (2009 est.)
Public debt:
76.7% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 104.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 208 15.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
15% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 13 15% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
18.89% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money:
$2.55 billion (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $2.465 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$9.01 billion (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 54 $10.46 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$15.92 billion (30 September 2008) country comparison to the world: 65 $14.82 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$4.326 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 76 $7.553 billion (31 December 2007)
$7.769 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef; fish
Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, banking; clothing, textiles; cement, petroleum refining, information technology services
Industrial production growth rate:
5.9% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Electricity - production:
9.507 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Electricity - consumption:
7.946 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Oil - consumption:
89,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Oil - exports:
968.4 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Oil - imports:
87,690 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 68
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 200
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 196
Current account balance:
-$3.876 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 -$1.464 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$8.137 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 $7.741 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
textiles and apparel, tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products, rubber manufactures, fish
Exports - partners:
US 21.6%, UK 11.9%, India 6.8%, Germany 5.1%, Belgium 4.8%, Italy 4.7% (2008)
Imports:
$12.61 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $10.17 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment
Imports - partners:
India 20.3%, China 12.2%, Iran 7.6%, Singapore 7.4%, South Korea 4.7% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.655 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $3.644 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$16.78 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $12.2 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$250.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 19
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: