ආයුබොවන් (You May Live Long)
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan flag includes a saffron and green stripe representing the Hindu and Muslim minorities, the majority of the population is Buddhist. The name Sri Lanka means “HALLOWED ISLAND”. The Ancient Cities-:
This area is to the north of the Hill Country and much of it has been made Wor
ld Heritage sites. Main sites are Anuradhapura the ancient sacred city, Mihintale with a hilltop temple, Polonnaruwa famous for the carved Buddhas and Dambulla cave temples.The temples, palaces and monasteries in the ancient cities are full of finely sculpted detail. Sculpture and Architecture:-
Images of the Buddha have dominated the work of Sri Lankan sculptors for 2000 years. There is also a tradition of wood carving and the town of Ambalangoda on the south coast is famous for mask carving. The Hill Country:-
Central Sri Lanka, famous for the tea plantations and the city of Kandy which is home to the World Heritage site - the Temple of the Tooth. The Elephant Orphanage:-
The Elephant Orphanage was established to save abandoned and orphaned wild elephants. This has nothing to do with sculpture and architecture - they are just nice pictures. The Coast:-
There are numerous deserted palm fringed bays along the south coast which also have nothing to do with sculpture and architecture. Geography and Climate:-
Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean just north of the equator. The country has had a highly developed civilization from as early as the 5th century BC. Its location on the sea routes between Europe and Africa and Asia led to contact with many of the great civilizations to the east and west and resulted in British colonization, which ended in 1948. In 1972 the country, then known by the name the British gave it, Ceylon, officially changed its name to Sri Lanka
Despite its small size Sri Lanka has a great deal of geographic and climatic diversity. Mountains rise in the centre of the island, the tallest, Mount Pindurutalagala, rises to 2,524 m (8,281 ft). The rest of the island is a coastal plain. The island has two monsoonal climatic regions, a dry and a wet zone. The wet zone comprises the southwest corner of the island and most of the mountainous centre. Here, yearly rainfall levels can exceed 3,700 mm (146 in) per year. In the dry zone, comprising the northern and eastern parts of the island, rainfall is limited to about three months of the year, when up to 1,500 mm (60 in) of rain may fall. Because of the prolonged periods of drought, the dry region does not support the lush vegetation of the wet zone. Lowland temperatures average 28 deg C (82 deg F) all year round. Sri Lanka's mineral resources are limited to graphite and gemstones, including sapphires and rubies. The soils of the island, by tropical standards, are extremely fertile. Although Sri Lanka is densely populated, wildlife is still relatively plentiful and is protected by game preserves. Sri Lanka Fact Sheet
Sri Lanka, located in the Indian Ocean, was once known as the Serendib, Taprobane, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean and Ceylon. A tropical island in South Asia, Sri Lanka is one of the few places in the world that can offer the traveller such a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location. Within a mere area of 65,610 kilometres lie eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometres of coastline - much of it pristine beach - 15 national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls and 25,000 water bodies, to a culture that extends back more than 2,500 years. Official Name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Government Type: Republic
Dimensions: 430 km North to South, 225 km East to West
Coastline: 1,340 km
Area: 65,525 sq km
Currency (code): Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR)
Independence: Feb. 4, 1948
Administrative Capital: Sri Jayewardenepura
Commercial Capital: Colombo
Climate: Typically tropical, with a northeast monsoon (December to March) bringing unsettled weather to the north and east, and a southwest monsoon (June to October) bringing bad weather to the south and west. Terrain: Mostly low, flat to rolling plain; Mountains in south-central interior
Highest Mountain: Pidurutalagala, 2,524 m
Highest Waterfall: Bambarakanda, 263 m
National Flower: The Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea Stellata)
National Parks and Nature Reserves Area: 8,000 sq km
Population: 20,263,723
Population Growth Rate: 0.7%
Population Density: 323 people per sq km
Life Expectancy at Birth: 74 years (female); 64 years (male)
Literacy Rate: Female 87.9%; Male 92.5%
Ethnicity: Sinhalese 74.9%; Sri Lanka Tamil 11.2%; Indian Tamil 4.2%; Sri Lanka Moor 9.2%; Burgher 0.2%; Malay 0.2%; Other 0.1 (2012 Census)
Languages: Sinhala (official and national language); Tamil (official and national language); English (a link language). Religions: Buddhist 70.2%; Hindu 12.6%; Islam 9.7%; Roman Catholic 6.1; Other 1.3% (2012 Census)
Time Zone: Sri Lanka Standard Time is five and a half hours ahead of GMT (allowance should be made for summer-time changes in Europe)
International Dialling: +94
Electricity: 230.240 volts, 50 cycles AC
Economy: Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, port construction, telecommunications, insurance and banking. In 2006, plantation crops made up only 15% of exports (90% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for more than 60%. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% of them in the Middle East. They send home more than US$1 billion every year
Labour Force: Based on 2012 data, Sri Lanka has an economically active population of nearly 8.5 million of which 31% is employed in agriculture, 26.1% in the industry sector and 42.9% in the service sector. The unemployment rate is 4.0%. Agriculture & Products: Rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts, milk, eggs, fish
Industries: Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, to***co and other agricultural commodities; Telecommunications, insurance and banking; Clothing, textiles, cement and petroleum refining
Exports: Textiles and apparel; Tea and spices; Diamonds, emeralds and rubies; Coconut products, rubber manufactures and fish
Imports: Main import commodities are textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, and machinery and transportation equipment: $10.61 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.). Percentage of main commodities from main import partners: India 19.6%, China 10.5%, Singapore 8.8%, Iran 5.7%, Malaysia 5.1%, Hong Kong 4.2%, Japan 4.1% (2006)
