Sri Lanka

The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced circa 250 B.C., and the first kingdoms developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (from about 200 B.C. to about A.D. 1000) and Polonnaruwa (from about A.D. 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a South Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka. The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century, followed by the Dutch in the 17th century. The island was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; the name was changed to Sri Lanka in 1972. Prevailing tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted into war in 1983. Fighting between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) continued for over a quarter-century. Although Norway brokered peace negotiations that led to a cease-fire in 2002, the fighting slowly resumed and was again in full force by 2006. The government defeated the LTTE in 2009.

During the post-conflict years under then-President Mahinda RAJAPAKSA, the government initiated infrastructure development projects, many of which were financed by loans from China. His regime faced allegations of human rights violations and a shrinking democratic space for civil society.  In 2015, a new coalition government headed by President Maithripala SIRISENA of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and Prime Minister Ranil WICKREMESINGHE of the United National Party came to power with pledges to advance economic, political, and judicial reforms. However, implementation of these reforms was uneven. In 2019, Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA won the presidential election and appointed his brother Mahinda prime minister. Civil society raised concerns about the RAJAPAKSA administration’s commitment to pursuing justice, human rights, and accountability reforms, as well as the risks to foreign creditors that Sri Lanka faced given its ongoing economic crisis. A combination of factors including the COVID-19 pandemic; severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel; and power outages triggered increasingly violent protests in Columbo beginning in 2022. In response, WICKREMESINGHE -- who had already served as prime minister five times -- was named to replace the prime minister, but he became president within a few months when Gotabaya RAJAPAKSA fled the country. 

Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

7 00 N, 81 00 E

Asia

slightly larger than West Virginia

1,340 km

tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior

limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land

5,700 sq km (2012)

the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north

occasional cyclones and tornadoes

strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes; Adam's Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between the southeastern coast of India and the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka; geological evidence suggests that this 50-km (31-mi) bridge once connected India and Sri Lanka; ancient records seem to indicate that a foot passage was possible between the two land masses until the 15th century, when the land bridge broke up in a cyclone

Sinhalese 74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan Moors 9.2%, Indian Tamil 4.2%, other 0.5% (2012 est.)

Sinhala (official) 87%, Tamil (official) 28.5%, English 23.8% (2012 est.)

Buddhist (official) 70.2%, Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic 6.1%, other Christian 1.3%, other 0.05% (2012 est.)

0.22% (2025 est.)

14.38 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

the population is primarily concentrated within a broad wet zone in the southwest, urban centers along the eastern coast, and on the Jaffna Peninsula in the north

103,000 Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital) (2018), 633,000 COLOMBO (capital) (2023)

25.6 years (2016 est.)

18 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

2.12 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.03 (2025 est.)

1.14 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

5.2% (2016)

17.1% (2024 est.)

66.3% (2016 est.)

deforestation; soil erosion; poaching; effects of urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and pollution; coral reef destruction; freshwater resources polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo

tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

24.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

52.8 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western

mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

Crusaders for Democracy or CFD
Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi or ITAK
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP
Jathika Hela Urumaya or JHU
National People's Power or NPP (also known as Jathika Jana Balawegaya or JJB)
People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE
Samagi Jana Balawegaya or SJB
Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC
Sri Lanka People's Freedom Alliance or SLPFA (includes SLPFP, SLPP, and several smaller parties)
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (Sri Lanka's People's Front) or SLPP
Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO
Tamil National Alliance or TNA (includes ITAK, PLOTE, TELO)
Tamil National People's Front or TNPF
Tamil People's National Alliance or TPNA
United National Front for Good Governance or UNFGG (coalition includes JHU, UNP)
United National Party or UNP

ABEDA, ADB, ARF, BIMSTEC, C, CD, CICA (observer), CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO (dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

4 February 1948 (from the UK)

Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948)

description: yellow with two panels; the smaller panel on the left has two equal vertical bands of green (left side) and orange; the larger panel has a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon field, with a yellow bo leaf in each corner

meaning: the sword stands for national sovereignty; the lion for Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the four bo leaves for Buddhism and the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange stands for Tamils, green for Moors, and maroon for the Sinhalese majority; yellow represents other ethnic groups

lion, water lily

maroon, yellow

economic contraction in 2022-23 marked by increased poverty and significant inflation; IMF two-year debt relief program following 2022 sovereign default; structural challenges from non-diversified economy and rigid labor laws; heavy dependence on tourism receipts and remittances

$98.963 billion (2024 est.)

rice, coconuts, tea, sugarcane, plantains, milk, fiber crops, cassava, chicken, pumpkins/squash (2023)

processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, tobacco and other agricultural commodities; tourism; clothing and textiles; mining

11% (2024 est.)

8.499 million (2024 est.)

14.3% (2019 est.)

9.9% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

USA 22%, India 7%, Germany 7%, UK 7%, Italy 5% (2023)

garments, tea, precious stones, used rubber tires, rubber products (2023)

India 21%, China 19%, UAE 10%, Singapore 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023)

refined petroleum, fabric, crude petroleum, packaged medicine, cotton fabric (2023)

government operates 5 TV channels and 19 radio channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services available; 25 private TV stations and about 43 radio stations; 6 non-profit TV stations and 4 radio stations

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4R

18 (2025)

1 (2025)

Sri Lanka Armed Forces: Sri Lanka Army (includes National Guard and the Volunteer Force), Sri Lanka Navy (includes Marine Corps), Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Coast Guard; Civil Security Department (Home Guard)

Ministry of Public Security: Sri Lanka Police (2025)

estimated 210,000 active Armed Forces (140,000 Army; 25,000 Air Force; 45,000 Navy) (2025)

the military's armaments are mostly of Chinese, Indian, Russian/Soviet, and US origin (2025)

generally 18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women, although upper age limits may vary by branch of service, roles, specialties, etc; no conscription (2026)

120 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 130 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2025)

the military of Sri Lanka is responsible for external defense, maritime security, and maintaining internal security; it has sent small numbers of personnel on UN peacekeeping missions; from 1983 to 2009, the military fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a conflict that involved both guerrilla and conventional warfare, as well as acts of terrorism and human rights abuses, and cost the military nearly 30,000 killed; since the end of the war, a large portion of the Army reportedly remains deployed in the majority Tamil-populated northern and eastern provinces; the military over the past decade also has increased its role in a range of commercial sectors including agriculture, hotels, leisure, and restaurants

Sri Lanka traditionally has had close security ties to India; the Sri Lankan and Indian militaries conduct exercises together, and India trains approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan soldiers per year; in recent years, Sri Lanka has increased military ties with China, including acquiring military equipment, hosting naval port calls, and sending personnel to China for training (2025)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)