Sri Lanka

A land worth visiting! By

Ajithaa Edirimane

Sri Lanka

Geographical Location

Former names -

• Silan Diva – (island of gems)

• Taprobane• Serendib• Ceilao • Ceylon• Sri Lanka – name

changed in 1972

An Island in the Indian Ocean

Sri Lanka

India

Separated from India by the Palk

Strait

Land area 67,000 sq.miles.

Topogrophy and

Provinces - 9 Provinces

20 million peopleNorth EastMonsoon

Dec. - March

South - WestMonsoon

June – Oct.

PeopleReligions and Languages

• Sinhalese – 80% Buddhists 70% and Christians 30%

• Tamil - 8% Hindus (majority) and Christians

• Moslems, Malay, Burgher (mixture of Portuguese, Dutch and British descendents) - 12%

• High literacy rate – 90.1%

PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR

Photos on this page by: Ajithaa Edirimane

ColomboCapital of Sri Lanka

Population: 2 millionTallest buildings in South Asia

• Central hills• Lakes and rivers• Mahaweli – 506 miles

Photos on this page by: Ajithaa Edirimane

Tea Estate in the central hill

country

Sunny beaches all around the island

Temp.25c – 32c

FAUNA & FLORAHISTORICAL SITES

Sri Lanka: Part of the World's 25Biodiversity Hot Spots(Belonging to one of Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Eco-regions)

To fall in to this Category, the region should contain at least 1500 endemicSpecies and have lost70% of its original habitat

23% of the flowering plants and 16% of the mammals in the island are endemic to Sri Lanka

Photo by : Ajithaa Edirimane

Sri Lanka is a birds paradise with 435 resident species, out of which, 26 are endemic to Sri Lanka

• SIGIRIYA

‘Fortress in the Sky’

(477 – 495 AD) UNESCO World

Heritage Site

View of the Sigiriya rock surface

SIGIRIYA FRESCOES (painted 2000 years ago)Only 19 remain today out of 500 - Covers an area 140 meters in length and 40 meters high

Kandy 16 A.D.- 1815UNESCO World Heritage site

Dalada Maligawa

Tooth relic of Lord Buddha

brought toSri Lankain 4 A.D.

ECONOMY

Economy• Open economy since ‘77

• Major Exports -

Tea, Rubber, Coconut,

Gems, Garments

Major revenue

• Textiles and garments account for more than 60% of the GDP.

• 5 Investment Zones with tax exemptions for investors

• Industries - food processing,

textiles and apparel, food and beverages,

telecommunications, insurance and

banking.

LAW &

GOVERNANCE

Supreme Court of

Sri Lanka

Law:Mixture of English Common Law,Roman Dutch Law and customary laws;Kandyan Law, Tamil Thesavalami Law, Muslim Law

Parliament (225 seats); Members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms.

THE END

What lies ahead?Future of the Country

Sri Lanka has just come out of a 30 year

civil war. It is a country with an

educated and intelligent workforce, mostlyEnglish speaking.

Infrastructure; roadways and

Telecommunications, are now being rapidly

developed to meet the rising demands of a

liberated nation.Prospects for the future

are promising.