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Compare Bulgaria (2003) - Sri Lanka (2002)

Compare Bulgaria (2003) z Sri Lanka (2002)

 Bulgaria (2003)Sri Lanka (2002)
 BulgariaSri Lanka
Administrative divisions 28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Khaskovo, Kurdzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofiya, Sofiya-Grad, Stara Zagora, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note - North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.2% (male 549,142; female 520,057)


15-64 years: 68.8% (male 2,551,548; female 2,632,978)


65 years and over: 17% (male 535,165; female 749,039) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 2,559,246; female 2,446,393)


15-64 years: 67.7% (male 6,446,320; female 6,802,515)


65 years and over: 6.7% (male 628,398; female 693,911) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products vegetables, fruits, tobacco, livestock, wine, wheat, barley, sunflowers, sugar beets rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Airports 216 (2002) 15 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 128


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 20


1,524 to 2,437 m: 14


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 92 (2002)
total: 14


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 88


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 74 (2002)
total: 1 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 110,910 sq km


land: 110,550 sq km


water: 360 sq km
total: 65,610 sq km


land: 64,740 sq km


water: 870 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Tennessee slightly larger than West Virginia
Background The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878, but having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, it fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into NATO and the EU - with which it began accession negotiations in 2000. The Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India. Buddhism was introduced beginning in about the mid-3rd century B.C. and a great civilization developed at such cities as Anuradhapura (kingdom from c. 200 B.C. to c. 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (c. 1070 to 1200). In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty seized power in the north and established a Tamil kingdom. Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and by the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British in 1796 and became a crown colony in 1802. As Ceylon it became independent in 1948; its name was changed in 1972. Tensions between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil separatists erupted in violence in the mid-1980s. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic war that continues to fester.
Birth rate 8.02 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 16.36 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.57 billion


expenditures: $5.68 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Sofia Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
Climate temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Coastline 354 km 1,340 km
Constitution adopted 12 July 1991 adopted 16 August 1978
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria


conventional short form: Bulgaria
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


conventional short form: Sri Lanka


former: Serendib, Ceylon
Currency lev (BGL) Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Death rate 14.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $10.3 billion (yearend 2002) $9.9 billion (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador James William PARDEW


embassy: 1 Suborna Street, Sofia 1000


mailing address: American Embassy Sofia, Department of State, 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC 20521-5740


telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100


FAX: [359] (2) 981-89-77
chief of mission: Ambassador E. Ashley WILLS


embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3


mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo


telephone: [94] (1) 448007


FAX: [94] (1) 437345
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Elena B. POPTODOROVA


chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 387-0174


FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973


consulate(s): New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Devinda R. SUBASINGHE



chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 (through 4028)


FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles


consulate(s): New York
Disputes - international joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Romania based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920 none
Economic aid - recipient $300 million (2000 est.) $577 million (1998) (1998)
Economy - overview Bulgaria, a former communist country striving to enter the European Union, has experienced macroeconomic stability and strong growth since a major economic downturn in 1996 led to the fall of the then socialist government. As a result, the government became committed to economic reform and responsible fiscal planning. A $300 million stand-by agreement negotiated with the IMF at the end of 2001 has supported government efforts to overcome high rates of poverty and unemployment. In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic sectors now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of exports (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000 with average growth of 5.3%. But 2001 saw the first contraction in the country's history, due to a combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife.
Electricity - consumption 32.52 billion kWh (2001) 6.156 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 6.79 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 830 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 41.38 billion kWh (2001) 6.619 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 47.8%


hydro: 8.1%


nuclear: 44.1%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel: 32%


hydro: 68%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m


highest point: Musala 2,925 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Environment - current issues air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Bulgarian 83.6%, Turk 9.5%, Roma 4.6%, other 2.3% (including Macedonian, Armenian, Tatar, Circassian) (1998) Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Exchange rates leva per US dollar - 2.08 (2002), 2.18 (2001), 2.12 (2000), 1.84 (1999), 1.76 (1998)


note: on 5 July 1999, the lev was redenominated; the post-5 July 1999 lev is equal to 1,000 of the pre-5 July 1999 lev
Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 93.383 (January 2002), 89.383 (2001), 77.005 (2000), 70.635 (1999), 64.450 (1998), 58.995 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President Georgi PURVANOV (since 22 January 2002); Vice President Angel MARIN (since 22 January 2002)


head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA (since 24 July 2001); Deputy Prime Ministers Nikolay VASILEV (since 24 July 2001), and Lidiya SHULEVA (since 24 July 2001), Plamen PANAYOTOV (since 17 July 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 11 November and 18 November 2001 (next to be held NA 2006); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) nominated by the president; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister


election results: Georgi PURVANOV elected president; percent of vote - Georgi PURVANOV 54.13%, Petar STOYANOV 45.87%
chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist


head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government, in contrast to the more common practice of dividing the roles between the president and the prime minister when both offices exist


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 21 December 1999 (next to be held NA December 2005)


election results: Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA reelected president; percent of vote - Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (PA) 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (UNP) 42%, other 7%
Exports NA (2001) $4.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels textiles and apparel 15%, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products
Exports - partners Italy 15.5%, Germany 9.6%, Turkey 9.4%, Greece 9.2%, France 5.3%, US 4.8% (2002) US 39%, UK 13%, Middle East 8%, Germany 4%, Japan 4% (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed - it contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheat ears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control) yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
GDP purchasing power parity - $49.23 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 13.7%


industry: 28.5%


services: 57.9% (2001)
agriculture: 21%


industry: 27%


services: 52% (2000)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,500 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2002 est.) -1% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 43 00 N, 25 00 E 7 00 N, 81 00 E
Geography - note strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
Heliports 1 (2002) -
Highways total: 37,286 km


paved: 35,049 km (including 324 km of expressways)


unpaved: 2,237 km (2000)
total: 11,285 km


paved: 10,721 km


unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4.5%


highest 10%: 22.8% (1997)
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Illicit drugs major European transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and, to a lesser degree, South American cocaine for the European market; limited producer of precursor chemicals; some money laundering of drug-related proceeds through financial institutions -
Imports NA (2001) $6 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities fuels, minerals, and raw materials; machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; food, textiles machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners Russia 14.6%, Germany 14.4%, Italy 11.4%, Greece 6.1%, France 5.7%, Turkey 5% (2002) Japan 9%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2000)
Independence 3 March 1878 (from Ottoman Empire) 4 February 1948 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 2% (2002 est.) 1.4% (2001)
Industries electricity, gas and water; food, beverages and tobacco; machinery and equipment, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Infant mortality rate total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.43 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
15.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5.9% (2002 est.) 14.2% (2001 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 200 (2001) 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 8,000 sq km (1998 est.) 6,510 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Administrative Court; Supreme Court of Cassation; Constitutional Court (12 justices appointed or elected for nine-year terms); Supreme Judicial Council (consists of the chairmen of the two Supreme Courts, the Chief Prosecutor, and 22 other members; responsible for appointing the justices, prosecutors, and investigating magistrates in the justice system; members of the Supreme Judicial Council elected for five-year terms, 11 elected by the National Assembly and 11 by bodies of the judiciary) Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Labor force 3.83 million (2000 est.) 6.6 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 26%, industry 31%, services 43% (1998 est.) services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,808 km


border countries: Greece 494 km, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 148 km, Romania 608 km, Serbia and Montenegro 318 km, Turkey 240 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 39%


permanent crops: 1.8%


other: 59.2% (1998 est.)
arable land: 13.43%


permanent crops: 15.78%


other: 70.79% (1998 est.)
Languages Bulgarian, secondary languages closely correspond to ethnic breakdown Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%


note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Legal system civil law and criminal law based on Roman law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly or Narodno Sobranie (240 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 17 June 2001 (next to be held NA June 2005)


election results: percent of vote by party - NMS2 42.74%, UtdDF 18.18%, CfB 17.15%, MRF 7.45%; seats by party - NMS2 120, UtdDF 51, CfB 48, MRF 21; note - seating as of March 2003 - NMS2 110, UtdDF 50, CfB 48, MRF 20, independents 12
unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of a modified proportional representation system by district to serve six-year terms)


elections: last held 7 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 46.8%, PA and EPDP 38%, JVP 9.1%, Tamil National Alliance 3.89%, PLOTE 0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114, PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, Tamil National Alliance 15, PLOTE 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.8 years


male: 68.26 years


female: 75.56 years (2003 est.)
total population: 72.35 years


male: 69.83 years


female: 75 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.6%


male: 99.1%


female: 98.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 90.2%


male: 93.4%


female: 87.2% (1995 est.)
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Map references Europe Asia
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 829,421 GRT/1,252,496 DWT


ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 10, chemical tanker 4, container 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 137,321 GRT/233,367 DWT


ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 15, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, United Arab Emirates 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Defense), Internal Forces (subordinate to Ministry of Interior), Civil Defense Forces (subordinate to the president) Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $356 million (FY02) $719 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (FY02) 4.2% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,854,049 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 5,347,153 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,551,485 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 4,148,825 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age (2003 est.) 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 54,107 (2003 est.) males: 193,522 (2002 est.)
National holiday Liberation Day, 3 March (1878) Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Nationality noun: Bulgarian(s)


adjective: Bulgarian
noun: Sri Lankan(s)


adjective: Sri Lankan
Natural hazards earthquakes, landslides occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Natural resources bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
Net migration rate -4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 2,425 km; oil 339 km; refined products 156 km (2003) crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Political parties and leaders Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP [Sergei STANISHEV]; Coalition for Bulgaria or CfB (coalition of parties dominated by BSP) [Sergei STANISHEV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization or VMRO [Krasimir KARAKACHANOV]; Movement for Rights and Freedoms or MRF [Ahmed DOGAN]; National Movement for Simeon II or NMS2 [Simeon SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UDF [Nadezhda MIKHAYLOVA]; Union of Free Democrats or UFD [Stefan SOFIYANSKI]; United Democratic Forces or UtdDF (a coalition between the UDF and other center-right parties) All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [KUMARGURUPARAM]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CWC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party or CP [D. GUNASEKERA]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF [Shrimani ATULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRAN]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader NA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF [P. Nelson PERERA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [SABARATNAM]; Tamil National Alliance or TNA [Nadarajah RAVIRAJ]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [R. SAMPATHAN]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Upcountry People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils
Political pressure groups and leaders agrarian movement; Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria or CITUB; Podkrepa Labor Confederation; numerous regional, ethnic, and national interest groups with various agendas Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
Population 7,537,929 (July 2003 est.) 19,576,783


note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of mid-1999, approximately 66,000 were housed in 133 refugee camps in south India, another 40,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 12.6% (2001 est.) 22% (1997 est.)
Population growth rate -1.09% (2003 est.) 0.85% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Burgas, Lom, Nesebur, Ruse, Varna, Vidin Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Radio broadcast stations AM 31, FM 63, shortwave 2 (2001) AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 3.85 million (1997)
Railways total: 4,294 km


standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
total: 1,463 km


broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2001)
Religions Bulgarian Orthodox 83.8%, Muslim 12.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, Jewish 0.1%, Protestant, Gregorian-Armenian, and other 2.3% (1998) Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: extensive but antiquated


domestic: more than two-thirds of the lines are residential; telephone service is available in most villages; a fairly modern digital cable trunk line now connects switching centers in most of the regions, the others are connected by digital microwave radio relay


international: direct dialing to 58 countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 2 Intelsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions)
general assessment: very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; likely improvement with privatization of national telephone company and encouragement to private investment; good international service (1999)


domestic: national trunk network consists mostly of digital microwave radio relay; fiber-optic links now in use in Colombo area and two fixed wireless local loops have been installed; competition is strong in mobile cellular systems; telephone density remains low at 2.6 main lines per 100 persons (1999)


international: submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999)
Telephones - main lines in use 3,186,731 (2001) 494,509 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.054 million (2001) 228,604 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 39 (plus 1,242 repeaters) (2001) 21 (1997)
Terrain mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Total fertility rate 1.13 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 18% (2002 est.) 7.7% (2001)
Waterways 470 km (1987) 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft)
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