Sri Lanka (2001) | Hungary (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 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 | 19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 20 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros)
counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg capital city: Budapest |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
25.99% (male 2,578,618; female 2,464,928) 15-64 years: 67.39% (male 6,369,881; female 6,708,852) 65 years and over: 6.62% (male 615,253; female 671,103) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 813,203/female 769,687)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male 3,405,559/female 3,511,141) 65 years and over: 15.1% (male 547,323/female 959,922) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef | wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products |
Airports | 14 (2000 est.) | 44 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
12 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2000 est.) |
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 26
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
65,610 sq km land: 64,740 sq km water: 870 sq km |
total: 93,030 sq km
land: 92,340 sq km water: 690 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | slightly smaller than Indiana |
Background | Occupied by the Portuguese in the 16th century and the Dutch in the 17th century, the island was ceded to the British 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. | Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004. |
Birth rate | 16.58 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9.76 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$3 billion expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
revenues: $46.07 billion
expenditures: $51.36 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital | Budapest |
Climate | tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) | temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers |
Coastline | 1,340 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | adopted 16 August 1978 | 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system |
Country name | conventional long form:
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Serendib, Ceylon |
conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
conventional short form: Hungary local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag local short form: Magyarorszag |
Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) | - |
Death rate | 6.43 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 13.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $9.9 billion (2000) | $57 billion (2004 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador George Herbert WALKER
embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400 FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Warnasena RASAPUTRAM 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI
chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730 FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
Disputes - international | none | in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social and cultural benefits and voted down a referendum to extend dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states, which have objected to such measures; consultations continue between Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary must implement the strict Schengen border rules |
Economic aid - recipient | $577 million (1998) | $4.2 billion in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06) |
Economy - overview | 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 annual average 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 1997-98 with growth of 6.4% and 4.7% - but slowed to 4.3% in 1999. Growth increased to 5.6% in 2000, with growth in tourism and exports leading the way. But a resurgence of civil war between the Sinhalese and the minority Tamils and a possible slowdown in tourism dampen prospects for 2001. For the next round of reforms, the central bank of Sri Lanka recommends that Colombo expand market mechanisms in nonplantation agriculture, dismantle the government's monopoly on wheat imports, and promote more competition in the financial sector. | Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income one-half that of the Big Four European nations. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and acceded to the European Union in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $23 billion since 1989. Hungarian sovereign debt was upgraded in 2000 and together with the Czech Republic holds the highest rating among the Central European transition economies; however, ratings agencies have expressed concerns over Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits. Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 7% in 2004. Unemployment has persisted around the 6% level, but Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest in the OECD. Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by 2008, from about 5% in 2004, and orchestrating an orderly interest rate reduction without sparking capital outflows. |
Electricity - consumption | 5.604 billion kWh (1999) | 35.99 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 8.3 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 12.6 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 6.026 billion kWh (1999) | 34.07 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
29.9% hydro: 70.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m |
lowest point: Tisza River 78 m
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m |
Environment - current issues | 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 | the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments |
Environment - international agreements | 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 |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94 |
Ethnic groups | Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% | Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 83.506 (January 2001), 77.005 (2000), 70.635 (1999), 64.450 (1998), 58.995 (1997), 55.271 (1996) | forints per US dollar - 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001), 282.18 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Ratnasiri WICKRAMANAYAKE (since 10 August 2000) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is 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 - Ratnasiri WICKRAMANAYAKE (since 10 August 2000) is the prime minister; in Sri Lanka the president is considered to be both the chief of state and the head of the government, this is 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% |
chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29 September 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6-7 June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 September 2004 election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12 note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the third round |
Exports | $5.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | 47,180 bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products | machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003) |
Exports - partners | US 39%, UK 13%, Middle East 8%, Germany 5%, Japan 4% (1999) | Germany 31.4%, Austria 6.8%, France 5.7%, Italy 5.6%, UK 5.1% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | 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 that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
21% industry: 19% services: 60% (1998) |
agriculture: 3.3%
industry: 31.4% services: 65.3% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $14,900 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.6% (2000 est.) | 3.9% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 7 00 N, 81 00 E | 47 00 N, 20 00 E |
Geography - note | strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes | landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions |
Heliports | - | 5 (2004 est.) |
Highways | total:
11,285 km paved: 10,721 km unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.) |
total: 159,568 km
paved: 70,050 km (including 533 km of expressways) unpaved: 89,518 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
1.8% highest 10%: 39.7% (1995-96 est.) |
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 20.5% (1998) |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking |
Imports | $6.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | 136,600 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs | machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003) |
Imports - partners | Japan 10%, India 9%, Hong Kong 8%, Singapore 8%, South Korea 6% (1999) | Germany 29.2%, Austria 8.3%, Russia 5.7%, Italy 5.5%, Netherlands 4.9%, China 4.8%, France 4.7% (2004) |
Independence | 4 February 1948 (from UK) | 1001 (unification by King Stephen I) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4% (1999) | 9.6% (2004 est.) |
Industries | processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco | mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles |
Infant mortality rate | 16.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 8.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 8.5% (2000 est.) | 7% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 5 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 5,500 sq km (1993 est.) | 2,100 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president | Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms) |
Labor force | 6.6 million (1998) | 4.17 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.) | agriculture 6.2%, industry 27.1%, services 66.7% (2002) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,171 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km |
Land use | arable land:
14% permanent crops: 15% permanent pastures: 7% forests and woodland: 32% other: 32% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 50.09%
permanent crops: 2.06% other: 47.85% (2001) |
Languages | 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 |
Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census) |
Legal system | a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | rule of law based on Western model |
Legislative branch | 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 10 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - PA 45.11%, UNP 40.22%, JVP 6%, NUA 2.29%, SU 1.48%, TULF 1.23%, other 3.67%; seats by party - PA 107, UNP 89, JVP 10, TULF 5, EPDP 4, NUA 4, TELO 3, ACTC 1, SU 1, independent 1 |
unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 and 21 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - Fidesz/MDF 48.70%, MSzP 46.11%, SzDSz 4.92%, other 0.27%; seats by party - Fidesz 164, MSzP 178, MDF 24, SzDSz 20 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
72.09 years male: 69.58 years female: 74.73 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 72.4 years
male: 68.18 years female: 76.89 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.2% male: 93.4% female: 87.2% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4% male: 99.5% female: 99.3% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India | Central Europe, northwest of Romania |
Map references | Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | 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 |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total:
20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 149,902 GRT/247,852 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 16, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force | Ground Forces, Air Forces |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $719 million (FY98) | $1.08 billion (2002 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 4.2% (FY98) | 1.75% (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
5,304,323 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
4,119,511 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
193,522 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Independence Day, 4 February (1948) | Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August |
Nationality | noun:
Sri Lankan(s) adjective: Sri Lankan |
noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian |
Natural hazards | occasional cyclones and tornadoes | - |
Natural resources | limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower | bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land |
Net migration rate | -1.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987) | gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | All Ceylon Tamil Congress or ACTC [Nalliah GURUPAUAN]; Ceylon Workers Congress or CLDC [Arumugam THONDAMAN]; Communist Party [Raja COLLURE]; Democratic United National (Lalith) Front or DUNLF [Srimani ATHULATHMUDALI]; Eelam People's Democratic Party or EPDP [Douglas DEVANANDA]; Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front or EPRLF [Suresh PREMACHANDRA]; Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [leader NA]; People's Alliance or PA [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [D. SIDDATHAN]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [leader NA]; Sri Lanka Freedom Party or SLFP [Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA]; Sri Lanka Muslim Congress or SLMC [Rauff HAKEEM and Ferial ASHRAFF]; Sri Lanka Progressive Front or SLPF [leader NA]; Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization or TELO [SUBRAMANIUM]; 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 | Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Democratic People's Party or MDNP [Erzsebet PUSZTAI, chairman]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Istvan HILLER, chairman]; Hungarian Workers' Party or MMP [Gyula THURMER, chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE (insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups | NA |
Population | 19,408,635 (July 2001 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 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 |
10,006,835 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 22% (1997 est.) | 8.6% (1993 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.87% (2001 est.) | -0.26% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee | Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | 3.85 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
1,463 km broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (1996) |
total: 7,937 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) | Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | 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: 0.92 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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: 0.57 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
very inadequate domestic service, particularly in rural areas; some hope for 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) |
general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service
domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals |
Telephones - main lines in use | 494,509 (1998) | 3,666,400 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 228,604 (1999) | 6,862,800 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 21 (1997) | 35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior | mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border |
Total fertility rate | 1.95 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.32 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 8.8% (1999 est.) | 5.9% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft) | 1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2004) |