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Compare Kuwait (2008) - Sri Lanka (2003)

Compare Kuwait (2008) z Sri Lanka (2003)

 Kuwait (2008)Sri Lanka (2003)
 KuwaitSri Lanka
Administrative divisions 6 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al 'Asimah, Al Farwaniyah, Al Jahra', Hawalli, Mubarak Al Kabir 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: 26.7% (male 340,814/female 328,663)


15-64 years: 70.5% (male 1,128,231/female 636,967)


65 years and over: 2.8% (male 44,542/female 26,342) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,543,336; female 2,431,223)


15-64 years: 67.9% (male 6,518,145; female 6,890,424)


65 years and over: 6.9% (male 641,708; female 717,603) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products practically no crops; fish rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Airports 7 (2007) 15 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
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: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 17,820 sq km


land: 17,820 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 65,610 sq km


land: 64,740 sq km


water: 870 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Jersey slightly larger than West Virginia
Background Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. The AL-SABAH family has ruled since returning to power in 1991, and reestablished an elected legislature that in recent years has become increasingly assertive. 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-third century B.C., and a great civilization developed at the cities of Anuradhapura (kingdom from circa 200 B.C. to circa 1000 A.D.) and Polonnaruwa (from about 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, became a crown colony in 1802, and was united under British rule by 1815. As Ceylon, it became independent in 1948; its name was changed to Sri Lanka 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. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam began a ceasefire in December 2001, with Norway brokering peace negotiations.
Birth rate 21.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 16.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $66.92 billion


expenditures: $36.39 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital name: Kuwait


geographic coordinates: 29 22 N, 47 58 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
Climate dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Coastline 499 km 1,340 km
Constitution approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 adopted 16 August 1978
Country name conventional long form: State of Kuwait


conventional short form: Kuwait


local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt


local short form: Al Kuwayt
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


conventional short form: Sri Lanka


former: Serendib, Ceylon
Currency - Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Death rate 2.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $33.61 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $9.8 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Alan MISENHEIMER


embassy: Bayan 36302, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City


mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000


telephone: [965] 259-1001


FAX: [965] 538-0282
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 SALIM al-Abdallah al-Jabir al-Sabah


chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702


FAX: [1] (202) 966-0517
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 Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf none
Economic aid - recipient $2.6 million (2004) $577 million (1998)
Economy - overview Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 104 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. High oil prices in recent years have helped build Kuwait's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. As a result of this positive fiscal situation, the need for economic reforms is less urgent and the government has not earnestly pushed through new initiatives. Despite its vast oil reserves, Kuwait experienced power outages during the summer months in 2006 and 2007 because demand exceeded power generating capacity. Power outages are likely to worsen, given its high population growth rates, unless the government can increase generating capacity. In May 2007 Kuwait changed its currency peg from the US dollar to a basket of currencies in order to curb inflation and to reduce its vulnerability to external shocks. 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% in the early 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, -1.4%, due to a combination of power shortages, severe budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. Growth recovered to 3.2% in 2002. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East. They send home about $1 billion a year.
Electricity - consumption 36.28 billion kWh (2005) 5.915 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 41.11 billion kWh (2005) 6.36 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 51.7%


hydro: 48.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 306 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification 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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
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 Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1%
Exchange rates Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.2844 (2007), 0.29 (2006), 0.292 (2005), 0.2947 (2004), 0.298 (2003) Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 95.66 (2002), 89.38 (2001), 77.01 (2000), 70.64 (1999), 64.45 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: Amir SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 29 January 2006); Crown Prince NAWAF al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah


head of government: Prime Minister NASIR MUHAMMAD al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since 3 April 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister JABIR Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD al-Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah (since 9 February 2006) and Faysal al-HAJJI (since 5 April 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the amir


elections: none; the amir is hereditary; the amir appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers
chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ranil WICKREMASINGHE (since 9 December 2001) is the prime minister; the president is considered both the chief of state and head of government


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 2.2 million bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities oil and refined products, fertilizers textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products
Exports - partners Japan 20.4%, South Korea 16.2%, Taiwan 10.8%, Singapore 9.7%, US 9%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4.1% (2006) US 39.1%, UK 12.9%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.5% (2002)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I 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 - $73.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 0.4%


industry: 54.7%


services: 44.9% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 20%


industry: 26%


services: 54% (2001)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.6% (2007 est.) 3.2% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 29 30 N, 45 45 E 7 00 N, 81 00 E
Geography - note strategic location at head of Persian Gulf strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
Heliports 4 (2007) -
Highways - total: 96,695 km


paved: 91,860 km


unpaved: 4,835 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.5%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Imports 2,611 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing textiles, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment
Imports - partners US 14.1%, Germany 7.9%, Japan 7.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.8%, China 5.7%, UK 5.4%, Italy 4.6% (2006) India 11%, Hong Kong 7.6%, Singapore 7.1%, China 6.3%, Taiwan 5.9%, South Korea 5.7%, Japan 5.3%, Iran 4.2% (2002)
Independence 19 June 1961 (from UK) 4 February 1948 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 0.8% (2007 est.) 1.1% (2002)
Industries petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Infant mortality rate total: 9.47 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 15.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 16.45 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.9% (2007 est.) 9.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO AsDB, C, 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, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 130 sq km (2003) 6,510 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch High Court of Appeal Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Labor force 1.167 million


note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force (2007 est.)
6.6 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total: 462 km


border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0.84%


permanent crops: 0.17%


other: 98.99% (2005)
arable land: 13.43%


permanent crops: 15.78%


other: 70.79% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic (official), English widely spoken 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 system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted 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 Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; all cabinet ministers are also ex officio voting members of the National Assembly)


elections: last held 29 June 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by bloc - NA; seats by bloc - Islamic Bloc (Sunni) 17, Popular Bloc 9, National Action Bloc (liberals) 8, independents 16
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%, TNA 3.89%, PLOTE 0.19%; seats by party or electoral alliance - UNP, SLMC and CWC 114, PA and EPDP 79, JVP 16, TNA 15, PLOTE 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 77.36 years


male: 76.25 years


female: 78.52 years (2007 est.)
total population: 72.62 years


male: 70.09 years


female: 75.29 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93.3%


male: 94.4%


female: 91% (2005 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.3%


male: 94.8%


female: 90% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Map references Middle East Asia
Maritime claims 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: 38 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,195,831 GRT/3,566,308 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 3, petroleum tanker 21


registered in other countries: 28 (Bahrain 3, Comoros 1, Liberia 1, Libya 1, Panama 1, Qatar 7, Saudi Arabia 6, UAE 8) (2007)
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 62,157 GRT/84,898 DWT


ships by type: cargo 13, container 1, petroleum tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 9, Hong Kong 1, UAE 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Land Forces, Kuwaiti Navy, Kuwaiti Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya), National Guard (2007) Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $719 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 5.3% (2006) 4.2% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 5,383,661 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 4,172,921 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 186,691 (2003 est.)
National holiday National Day, 25 February (1950) Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Nationality noun: Kuwaiti(s)


adjective: Kuwaiti
noun: Sri Lankan(s)


adjective: Sri Lankan
Natural hazards sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Natural resources petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
Net migration rate 16.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 269 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2007) crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987)
Political parties and leaders none; formation of political parties is in practice illegal, but is not forbidden by law 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 a number of political groups act as de facto parties; several legislative blocs operate in the National Assembly: tribal groups, merchants, Shi'a activists, Islamists, secular liberals and pro-government deputies; in mid-2006, a coalition of Islamists, liberals, and Shia campaigned successfully for electoral reform to reduce corruption 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 2,505,559


note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
19,742,439 (2003 est.)


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 yearend 2000, approximately 65,000 were housed in 131 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 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 22% (1997 est.)
Population growth rate 3.561%


note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2007 est.)
0.83% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways - total: 1,508 km


broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Religions Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15% Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.037 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.771 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.691 male(s)/female


total population: 1.526 male(s)/female (2007 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: 0.89 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage NA years of age; universal (adult); note - males in the military or police are not allowed to vote; adult females were allowed to vote as of 16 May 2005; all voters must have been citizens for 20 years 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: the quality of service is excellent


domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones


international: country code - 965; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat
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 510,300 (2005) 494,509 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.536 million (2006) 228,604 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997) 21 (1997)
Terrain flat to slightly undulating desert plain mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Total fertility rate 2.86 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.2% (2004 est.) 8% (2002)
Waterways - 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft)
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