##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Poland (2002) - Sri Lanka (2003)
Compare Poland (2002) z Sri Lanka (2003)
| Poland (2002) | Sri Lanka (2003) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie | 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: 17.9% (male 3,535,701; female 3,361,515)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 13,358,128; female 13,500,443) 65 years and over: 12.6% (male 1,860,274; female 3,009,417) (2002 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 | potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork | rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef |
| Airports | 122 (2001) | 15 (2002) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 83
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 42 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (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: 39
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (2002) |
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
| Area | total: 312,685 sq km
land: 304,465 sq km water: 8,220 sq km |
total: 65,610 sq km
land: 64,740 sq km water: 870 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Mexico | slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Background | Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of the 10th century. Its golden age occurred in the 16th century. During the following century, the strengthening of the gentry and internal disorders weakened the nation, until an agreement in 1772 between Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999. | 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 | 10.29 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 16.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $49.6 billion
expenditures: $52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999) |
revenues: $2.8 billion
expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
| Capital | Warsaw | Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital |
| Climate | temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers | tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) |
| Coastline | 491 km | 1,340 km |
| Constitution | 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 | adopted 16 August 1978 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Poland
conventional short form: Poland local long form: Rzeczpospolita Polska local short form: Polska |
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Serendib, Ceylon |
| Currency | zloty (PLN) | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Death rate | 9.97 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Debt - external | $64 billion (2000) | $9.8 billion (2002) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL
embassy: Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-540 Warsaw P1 mailing address: American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch) telephone: [48] (22) 628-30-41 FAX: [48] (22) 628-82-98 consulate(s) general: Krakow |
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 Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI
chancery: 2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802 FAX: [1] (202) 328-6271 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and 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 | none | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $577 million (1998) |
| Economy - overview | Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. GDP growth had been strong and steady in 1993-2000 but fell back in 2001-02 with slowdowns in domestic investment and consumption and the persistent weakness in the European economy. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms have allowed for the vibrant development of a private business sector. In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) have begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized foreign trade deficit and containing the internal budget deficit are top priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow. | 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 | 119.33 billion kWh (2000) | 5.915 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 9.663 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 3.29 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 135.16 billion kWh (2000) | 6.36 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 98%
hydro: 2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 51.7%
hydro: 48.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Raczki Elblaskie -2 m
highest point: Rysy 2,499 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m |
| Environment - current issues | situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous 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, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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 | Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Belarusian 0.5% (1990 est.) | Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% |
| Exchange rates | zlotych per US dollar - 4.0144 (December 2001), 4.0939 (2001), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997)
note: zlotych is the plural form of zloty |
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: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister Leszek MILLER (SLD) (since 19 October 2001), Deputy Prime Ministers Marek POL (since 19 October 2001), Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI (since 19 October 2001), Grzegorz KOLODKO (since 8 July 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm election results: Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1% |
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 | $32.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999) | textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products |
| Exports - partners | Germany 34.3%, Italy 5.4%, France 5.4%, UK 5.0% (2001) | US 39.1%, UK 12.9%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.5% (2002) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white | 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 - $368.1 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $73.7 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4%
industry: 35% services: 61% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 26% services: 54% (2001) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $9,500 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1.2% (2002 est.) | 3.2% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 52 00 N, 20 00 E | 7 00 N, 81 00 E |
| Geography - note | historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain | strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes |
| Heliports | 3 (2002) | - |
| Highways | total: 381,046 km
paved: 249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways) unpaved: 131,080 km (1998) |
total: 96,695 km
paved: 91,860 km unpaved: 4,835 km (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25% (1998) |
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 28% (1995) |
| Illicit drugs | major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe | - |
| Imports | $43.4 billion f.o.b. (2002) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) | textiles, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment |
| Imports - partners | Germany 23.9%, Russia 8.8%, Italy 8.2%, France 6.8% (2001) | 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 | 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) | 4 February 1948 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.3% (1999) | 1.1% (2002) |
| Industries | machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles | rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco |
| Infant mortality rate | 9.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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) | 2.5% (2002 est.) | 9.6% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC | 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) | 19 (2000) | 5 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 1,000 sq km (1998 est.) | 6,510 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) | Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president |
| Labor force | 17.6 million (2000 est.) | 6.6 million (1998) |
| Labor force - by occupation | industry 22%, agriculture 28%, services 50% (1999) | services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,788 km
border countries: Belarus 407 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 526 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 45.81%
permanent crops: 1.23% other: 52.96% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 13.43%
permanent crops: 15.78% other: 70.79% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Polish | 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 | mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover Communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg | a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | bicameral National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Sejm elections last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005); Senate - last held 23 September 2001 (next to be held by September 2005) election results: Sejm - percent of vote by party - SLD-UP 41%, PO 12.7%, Samoobrona 10.2%, PiS 9.5%, PSL 9%, LPR 7.9%, AWSP 5.6% UW 3.1%, other 1%; seats by party - SLD-UP 216, PO 65, Samoobrona 53, PiS 44, PSL 42, LPR 38, German minorities 2; note - SLD-UP has split: SLD has 200 deputies and UP has 16; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SLD-UP 75, AWSP (an electoral alliance of some 36 parties) 15, PSL 4, Samoobrona 2, LPR 2, independents 2 note: two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties |
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: 73.66 years
male: 69.52 years female: 78.05 years (2002 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: 99% male: 99% female: 98% (1978 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.3% male: 94.8% female: 90% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Central Europe, east of Germany | Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India |
| Map references | Europe | Asia |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: defined by international treaties
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: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 382,518 GRT/641,657 DWT
ships by type: bulk 14, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.) |
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 | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force | Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $3.5 billion (2002) | $719 million (FY98) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.71% (2002) | 4.2% (FY98) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 10,415,598 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 5,383,661 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 8,120,098 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 4,172,921 (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 19 years of age (2002 est.) | 18 years of age (2003 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 344,781 (2002 est.) | males: 186,691 (2003 est.) |
| National holiday | Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) | Independence Day, 4 February (1948) |
| Nationality | noun: Pole(s)
adjective: Polish |
noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan |
| Natural hazards | flooding | occasional cyclones and tornadoes |
| Natural resources | coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land | limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Pipelines | crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996) | crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987) |
| Political parties and leaders | Citizens Platform or PO [Maciej PLAZYNSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Wladyslaw FRASYNIUK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Law and Justice or PiS [Lech KACZYNSKI]; League of Polish Families or LPR [Marek KOTLINOWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Samoobrona [Andrzej LEPPER]; Solidarity Electoral Action of the Right or AWSP [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK]; Union of Labor or UP [Marek POL] | 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 | All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union) | 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 | 38,625,478 (July 2002 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 | 18% (2000 est.) | 22% (1997 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.02% (2002 est.) | 0.83% (2003 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw | Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | 20.2 million (1997) | - |
| Railways | total: 23,420 km
broad gauge: 646 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double-tracked) narrow gauge: 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (2001) |
total: 1,508 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% | Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 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 | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on the waiting list for telephone service
domestic: cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
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 | 8.07 million (1998) | 494,509 (1998) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.78 million (1998) | 228,604 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) | 21 (1997) |
| Terrain | mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border | mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior |
| Total fertility rate | 1.37 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 17% (2002 est.) | 8% (2002) |
| Waterways | 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996) | 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft) |
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