Sri Lanka
Area: 65,610 sq km
Population: 20.8 (World Bank 2010)
Capital City: Colombo (population 681,000 (2009 CIA Fact book))
People: 73.94% Sinhalese, 12.7% Tamil, 7.1% Muslim, 5.5% Hill Tamil, and 1.5% other
Languages: Sinhalese, Tamil, English
Religion(s): Buddhist (69.3%); Hindu (15.5%); Muslim (7.5%); Christianity (6.9%), other (0.8%)
Currency: Rupee, divided into 100 cents
Major political parties: Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) (President’s party and largest government party), United National Party (UNP) (main opposition party), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) (left wing, Sinhala nationalist), Tamil National Alliance (a coalition of Tamil parties), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) (Sinhala nationalist Buddhist party led by monks and coalition partner of the Government), Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) (member of the TNA), Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) (a government-aligned Tamil party), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) (represents Hill Tamils also aligned to the Government)
Government: Unicameral Parliament with Executive Presidency
Head of State (President): His Excellency Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa
Prime Minister/Premier: The Hon DM Jayaratne
Foreign Minister: The Hon GL Peiris MP
Membership of international groupings/organisations:Commonwealth, The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), United Nations (UN), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G77).

Economy

GDP: US$ 50bn (2010)
GDP per head: US$ 2428 (2010)
GDP Growth: 8.0% (2010), 3.5% (2009) 6.0% (2008)
Inflation: Annual average 6% (2010)
Major Industries: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Manufacturing, Construction, Utilities, Services.
Major trading partners: Main export partners (goods): US (21%), UK (12%), India (6%), and Germany (5%). Main origins of imports: India (21%), Singapore (13%), China (12%), Iran (5%), South Korea (5.23%). (UN COMTRADE, 2010).
An IMF loan facility of $2.6 billion was approved in July 2009.
Tourist arrivals by country of residence: 2010 - India 126,882 (19%); UK 105,496 (16%); followed by Germany, Maldives and Australia (Source: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority).
Exchange rate: (November 2011) US$1 – 114 rupees, £1 Sterling – 177 rupees

Trade and Investment

With the ending of the 30 year civil conflict, Sri Lanka is poised for aggressive growth in several key sectors of its economy. With almost all the areas open for foreign investment, indicated below are the priority sectors that the government is actively encouraging Foreign Direct Investment to ensure strong and positive economic indicators.

The Sri Lankan government has launched an ambitious program of physical infrastructure development to completely upgrade the sea, air, road, power and telecom backbone of the country. The following are the main features of this program:

  • Sea Port and Airport Development

  • Development of High Mobility Road Network

  • Power & Energy

  • Telecommunication Infrastructure Development

Sri Lanka is ranked as the most liberalized economy in south Asia. In 1978, the Island adapted open market free economic policies, and successive governments have further liberalized the economy, leading to deregulation, greater privatization and opening the economy to international competition. Transparent investment laws aim to foster foreign direct investments. Sri Lankan commercial laws are based on British laws and country has a highly independent judicial system.

Sri Lanka has dynamic and resilient private sector, which if necessary can be joint venture partners for foreign investors. However, foreign investors are allowed to own 100% ownership of a investment. Concessions granted under an agreement with the Board of Investment – for qualifying investment projects - remain valid over the lifetime of the enterprise.

Travel & Tourism

Sri Lanka offers stunning beaches, bountiful hills and mountains, mesmerizing rivers, quiet lagoons and marshes, exciting wildlife, heritage sites, pilgrimage sites, mouth-watering cuisine and more to pamper tourists from all over the world. Following the teachings of Buddhism, people of Sri Lanka have a strong sense of belief that had flourished the kingdom of Anuradhapura with rich cultural immersion and civilization. Sri Lanka travel also takes you to many places associated with the Ramayana in Sri Lanka.