*Sri Lanka, Government
Parliament:
last held 15 February 1989 (next to be held by NA February 1995); results -
UNP 51%, SLFP 32%, SLMC 4%, TULF 3%, USA 3%, EROS 3%, MEP 1%, other 3%;
seats - (225 total) UNP 125, SLFP 67, other 33
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Dingiri Banda WIJETUNGA (since 7 May 1993)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 7 May 1993)
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ananda GURUGE
chancery:
2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 483-4025 through 4028
consulate general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Teresita C. SCHAFFER
embassy:
210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing address:
P. O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone:
[94] (1) 44-80-07
FAX:
[94] (1) 43-73-45
Flag:
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 that goes around the
entire flag and extends between the two panels
*Sri Lanka, Economy
Overview:
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy, employing half of
the labor force and accounting for one quarter of GDP. The plantation crops
of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about one-third of export earnings. The
economy has been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s.
Economic growth, which has been depressed by ethnic unrest, accelerated in
1991-92 as domestic conditions began to improve and conditions for foreign
investment brightened.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $7.75 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
4.5% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$440 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
15% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.0 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $500 million (1992)
Exports:
$2.0 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
textiles and garments, teas, petroleum products, coconuts, rubber, other
agricultural products, gems and jewelry, marine products, graphite
partners:
US 27.4%, Germany, Japan, UK, Belgium, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China
Imports:
$3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities: food and beverages, textiles and textile materials, petroleum and petroleum
products, machinery and equipment
partners:
Japan, Iran, US 5.7%, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, UK
External debt:
$5.7 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 7% (1991 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
1,300,000 kW capacity; 3,600 million kWh produced, 200 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities;
cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing
Agriculture:
accounts for 26% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most important
staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops - sugarcane, grains, pulses,
oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops - tea, rubber, coconuts; animal products
- milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $5.1 billion; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $369
million
Currency:
1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Sri Lankan rupees (SLRes) per US$1 - 46.342 (January 1993), 43.687 (1992),
41.372 (1991), 40.063 (1990), 36.047 (1989), 31.807 (1988)
*Sri Lanka, Economy
Fiscal year: calendar year
*Sri Lanka, Communications
Railroads:
1,948 km total (1990); all 1.868-meter broad gauge; 102 km double track; no
electrification; government owned
Highways:
75,749 km total (1990); 27,637 km paved (mostly bituminous treated), 32,887
km crushed stone or gravel, 14,739 km improved earth or unimproved earth;
several thousand km of mostly unmotorable tracks (1988 est.)
Inland waterways:
430 km; navigable by shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Ports:
Colombo, Trincomalee
Merchant marine:
27 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 276,074 GRT/443,266 DWT; includes 12
cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 3 container, 3 oil tanker, 3 bulk
Airports:
total:
14
usable:
13
with permanent-surface runways:
12
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
8
Telecommunications:
very inadequate domestic service, good international service; 114,000
telephones (1982); broadcast stations - 12 AM, 5 FM, 5 TV; submarine cables
extend to Indonesia and Djibouti; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
*Sri Lanka, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 4,779,221; fit for military service 3,730,737; reach
military age (18) annually 178,032 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $365 million, 4.7% of GDP (1992)