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Sri Lanka, an island in the
Indian Ocean is located to the south of the Indian subcontinent.
It lies between 5O 55' and 9O 55' north of the equator and between
the eastern longitudes 79O 42' and 81O 52'. The total land area
is 65,610 sq. km. Sri Lanka's capital is Colombo, is a fascinating
city, not only for a comfortable blend of east and west, but
also for a cosy mixture of the past and present.
Sri Lanka is mainly an agricultural country. The chief crop
is rice with which the country is almost self sufficient. Tea,
rubber and coconut are also important agricultural crops, with
tea being a major foreign exchange earner. In addition, other
crops of importance are cocoa and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom,
nutmeg, pepper and cloves. Fruit and vegetables, native to both
tropical and temperate regions, grow well in Sri Lanka. Sri
Lanka is also a major exporter of precious and semi-precious
stones. |
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Sri
Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean is located to the
south of the Indian subcontinent. It lies between 5O
55' and 9O 55' north of the equator and between the
eastern longitudes 79O 42' and 81O 52'. The total land
area is 65,610 sq. km. and is astonishingly varied.
A length of 445 km. and breadth of 225 km. encompass
beautiful tropical beaches, verdant vegetation, ancient
monuments and a thousand delights to please all tastes.
The relief
features of the island consist of a mountainous mass
somewhat south of the centre, with height exceeding
2,500 metres, surrounded by broad plains. Palm fringed
beaches surround the island and the sea temperature
rarely falls below 27OC. |
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In
the lowlands the climate is typically tropical with an
average temperature of 27OC in Colombo. In the higher
elevations it can be quite cool with temperatures going
down to 16OC at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres. Bright,
sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during
the height of the monsoon - climatically Sri Lanka has
no off season. The south west monsoon brings rain mainly
from May to July to the western, southern and central
regions of the island, while the north-east monsoon rains
occur in the northern and eastern regions in December
and January. |
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Sri
Lanka is mainly an agricultural country. The chief crop
is rice with which the country is almost self sufficient.
Tea, rubber and coconut are also important agricultural
crops, with tea being a major foreign exchange earner.
In addition, other crops of importance are cocoa and spices
such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper and cloves.
Fruit and vegetables, native to both tropical and temperate
regions, grow well in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is also a major
exporter of precious and semi-precious stones. Within
the last few years remittances from Sri Lankans employed
abroad have contributed a large share towards foreign
exchange.
The last three decades have seen tourism emerge as an
important industry. There has also been a rapid growth
in manufacturing industries which offer a wide range of
export goods such as petroleum products, leather goods,
ready made garments and electronic equipment. |
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Sri
Lanka has a population of 18.5 million of whom the majority
are Sinhalese (74%). Other ethnic groups are made up of
Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6%), Indian Tamils (5.5%), Moors,
Malays, Burghers (of Portuguese & Dutch descent) and
others (7.9%).
Although Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country, Buddhists
constitute the majority with 69.3%. Other religious groups
are Hindus 15.5%, Muslims 7.6% and Christians 7.5%. Sri
Lanka's literacy rate of 88.6% is one of the highest in
Asia. |
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Sinhala
and Tamil are official languages in Sri Lanka. Sinhala,
a language of Indo-Aryan origin is the language of the
majority. English is widely spoken and understood. Place
names and sign-boards on buses and trains are usually
in all three languages. Sri Lanka is a land of religious
freedom and tolerance. Wherever you travel you will come
across a Buddhist Temple or Dagaba, a Hindu Kovil, a Christian
Church or a Mosque, each with its own distinctive architecture.
When visiting holy places please conform to the requirements
as regards dress in order not to show disrespect. |
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The
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a free,
independent and sovereign nation. A system of administration
through provincial councils was introduced in 1988. Legislative
power is exercised by Parliament, elected by universal
franchise on a proportional representation basis. Executive
power of the people, including defence, is exercised by
the President, who is also elected by the people. |
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