Sri Lanka
81°E / 7°N 81°E
The Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka (commonly kent as Sri Lanka (/[unsupported input]sriːˈlɑːŋkə/, /sriːˈlæŋkə/, or /ʃriː ˈlɑːŋkə/ (
listen));[9][10] Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා, Tamil: இலங்கை) is a kintra aff the soothren coast o the Indian subcontinent. An island naition in Sooth Asie, it wis till 1972 kent as Ceylon (/[unsupported input]sᵻˈlɒn/, /seɪˈlɒn/, or /siːˈlɒn/). Sri Lanka is surroondit bi the Indian Ocean, the Gulf o Mannar, the Palk Strait an lies in the vicinity o Indie an Maldives.
Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka ශ්රී ලංකා ප්රජාතාන්ත්රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජය (Sinhala) Srī Lankā prajātāntrika samājavādī janarajaya இலங்கை ஜனநாயக சோசலிச குடியரசு (Tamil) Ilaṅkai jaṉanāyaka sōsalisa kuṭiyarasu | |
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| Caipital | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (Admeenistrative) Colombo (Commercial) 6°56′N 79°52′E / 6.933°N 79.867°E |
| Lairgest ceety | Colombo |
| Offeecial leids | |
| Recognised | Inglis |
| Ethnic groups (2012[2]) | 74.9% Sinhalese 11.2% Sri Lankan Tamils 9.2% Sri Lankan Moors 4.2% Indie Tamils 0.5% ither |
| Releegion |
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| Demonym(s) | Sri Lankan |
| Govrenment | Unitar semi-presidential constitutional republic |
• Preses | Gotabhaya Rajapaksa |
• Prime Meenister | Mahinda Rajapaksa |
• Speaker o the Pairlament | Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena |
• Chief Juistice | Jayantha Jayasuriya |
| Legislatur | Parliament |
| Unthirldom frae the Unitit Kinrick | |
| Aurie | |
• Total | 65,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi) (120t) |
• Water (%) | 4.4 |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 21,444,000[4] (58t) |
• 2012 census | 20,277,597[5] (57t) |
• Density | 327/km2 (846.9/sq mi) (43rd) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $298.310 billion[6] |
• Per capita | $13,847[6] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Tot | $86.607 billion[6] |
• Per capita | $4,020[6] |
| Gini (2010) | 36.4[7] medium |
| HDI (2016) |  0.766[8]heich · 73rd |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (SLST) |
| Date format |
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| Drivin side | caur |
| Cawin code | +94 |
| ISO 3166 code | LK |
| Internet TLD |
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Wabsteid www | |
Sri Lanka is a republic an a unitary state which is governed bi a semi-presidential seestem wi its offeecial seat o government in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the caipital.
As a result o its location in the path o major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link atween Wast Asie an Sootheast Asie.[11] It haes an aa been a centre o the Buddhist releegion an cultur frae auncient times an is ane o the few remainin abodes o Buddhism in Sooth Asie alang wi Ladakh, Bhutan an the Chittagong hill tracts[12] The Sinhalese community forms the majority o the population; Tamils, who are concentratit in the north an east o the island, form the lairgest ethnic minority. Ither communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays an the aboreeginal Vedda fowk.
The kintra is famous for the production an export o tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber an cinnamon, the latter which is native tae the kintra.[13] The naitural beauty Sri Lanka haes led tae the title The Pearl o the Indian Ocean, it is full o lush tropical forests, white beaches an diverse landscape throughoot alang wi a rich biodiversity. The kintra lays claim tae a lang an colorful history o ower three thoosan years, haein ane o the langest documentit histories in the warld. Sri Lanka's rich cultur can be attributit tae the mony different communities in the island. Sri Lanka is a foondin member state o SAARC an a member o the Unitit Nations, Commonweel o Naitions, G77 an Non-Aligned Movement.
Name
In auncient times, Sri Lanka wis kent bi a variety o names: auncient Greek geographers cawed it Taprobane[14] (/[unsupported input]təˈprɒbəniː/) an Arabs referred tae it as Serendib (the oreegin o the wird "serendipity").[15] Ceilão wis the name gien tae Sri Lanka bi the Portuguese when thay arrived in 1505,[16] which wis transliteratit intae Inglis as Ceylon.[17] As a Breetish croun colony, the island wis kent as Ceylon, an achieved unthirldom unner the name Dominion o Ceylon in 1948.
In Sinhala the kintra is kent as ශ්රී ලංකා śrī laṃkā, IPA: [ʃɾiːˈlaŋkaː], an the island itsel as ලංකාව laṃkāva, IPA: [laŋˈkaːʋə]. In Tamil thay are baith இலங்கை ilaṅkai, IPA: [iˈlaŋɡai]. The name derives frae the Sanskrit श्री लंका śrī (venerable) an lankā (island),[18] the name o the island in the auncient Indian epics Mahabharata an the Ramayana.
In 1972, the offeecial name o the kintra wis chynged tae "Free, Sovereign an Independent Republic o Sri Lanka". In 1978 it wis chynged tae the "Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka".[19]
The name Ceylon is still in uise in the names o a nummer o organisations; in 2011, the Sri Lankan government annoonced a plan tae rename aw o those for which it is responsible.[20]
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