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Compare Sri Lanka (2002) - Korea, South (2002)

Compare Sri Lanka (2002) z Korea, South (2002)

 Sri Lanka (2002)Korea, South (2002)
 Sri LankaKorea, South
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 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities* (gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi*
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 5,488,808; female 4,875,379)


15-64 years: 71% (male 17,404,645; female 16,894,361)


65 years and over: 7.6% (male 1,434,873; female 2,225,934) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 15 (2001) 102 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 14


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2002)
total: 69


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 18


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 21 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total: 33


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
Area total: 65,610 sq km


land: 64,740 sq km


water: 870 sq km
total: 98,480 sq km


land: 98,190 sq km


water: 290 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly larger than Indiana
Background 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. After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a historic first north-south summit took place between the south's President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il.
Birth rate 16.36 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 14.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues: $118.1 billion


expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)
Capital Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital Seoul
Climate tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Coastline 1,340 km 2,413 km
Constitution adopted 16 August 1978 25 February 1948
Country name conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


conventional short form: Sri Lanka


former: Serendib, Ceylon
conventional long form: Republic of Korea


conventional short form: South Korea


local long form: Taehan-min'guk


local short form: none


note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country


abbreviation: ROK
Currency Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) South Korean won (KRW)
Death rate 6.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $9.9 billion (2000) $128.2 billion (2001)
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 Thomas C. HUBBARD


embassy: 82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul 110-710


mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001


telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114


FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol


chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600


FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle


consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)
Disputes - international none Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks/Take-shima/Tok-do disputed with Japan
Economic aid - donor - ODA $200 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient $577 million (1998) (1998) -
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 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. As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is roughly 20 times North Korea's and equal to the lesser economies of the European Union. This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged by 6.6% in 1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms have stalled. Led by industry and construction, growth in 2002 was an impressive 5.8%, despited anemic global growth.
Electricity - consumption 6.156 billion kWh (2000) 254.08 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 6.619 billion kWh (2000) 273.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 32%


hydro: 68%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel: 61%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 38%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m


highest point: Halla-san 1,950 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 air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
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: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Exchange rates 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) South Korean won per US dollar - 1,317.01 (January 2002), 1,290.99 (2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997)
Executive branch 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%
chief of state: President ROH Muh-hyun (since 25 February 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (since 27 February 2003); Deputy Prime Minister KIM Chin-p'yo (since 27 February 2003)


cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation


elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation


election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - ROH Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of vote - ROH Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Exports $4.9 billion f.o.b. (2001) $159.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities textiles and apparel 15%, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish
Exports - partners US 39%, UK 13%, Middle East 8%, Germany 4%, Japan 4% (2000) US 20.7%, China 12.1%, Japan 11.0%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 3.9% (2001)
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 around the entire flag and extends between the two panels white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field
GDP purchasing power parity - $62.7 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $931 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 21%


industry: 27%


services: 52% (2000)
agriculture: 4%


industry: 42%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -1% (2001 est.) 5.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 81 00 E 37 00 N, 127 30 E
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes strategic location on Korea Strait
Heliports - 204 (2002)
Highways total: 11,285 km


paved: 10,721 km


unpaved: 564 km (1998 est.)
total: 87,534 km


paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)


unpaved: 22,146 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 25% (1998 est.)
Imports $6 billion f.o.b. (2001) $146.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, textiles, petroleum, foodstuffs machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Imports - partners Japan 9%, India 8%, Hong Kong 7%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 5% (2000) Japan 18.9%, US 15.9%, China 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Australia 3.9% (2001)
Independence 4 February 1948 (from UK) 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Industrial production growth rate 1.4% (2001) 6.5% (2002 est.)
Industries rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Infant mortality rate 15.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 7.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 14.2% (2001 est.) 2.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation 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 AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2000) 11 (2000)
Irrigated land 6,510 sq km (1998 est.) 11,590 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly)
Labor force 6.6 million (1998) 22 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.) services 69%, industry 22%, agriculture 10% (2001)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 238 km


border countries: North Korea 238 km
Land use arable land: 13.43%


permanent crops: 15.78%


other: 70.79% (1998 est.)
arable land: 17.44%


permanent crops: 2.05%


other: 80.51% (1998 est.)
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
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Legal system a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
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 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
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms); note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected; possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in the National Assembly


elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats as of January 2002 is: GNP 136, MDP 118, ULD 15, DPP 2, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.35 years


male: 69.83 years


female: 75 years (2002 est.)
total population: 74.88 years


male: 71.2 years


female: 78.95 years (2002 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: 98%


male: 99.3%


female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Map references Asia Asia
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
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: not specified


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
Merchant marine 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.)
total: 501 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,679,171 GRT/9,172,403 DWT


ships by type: bulk 104, cargo 160, chemical tanker 47, combination bulk 6, container 52, liquefied gas 16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 25, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 5, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $719 million (FY98) $12.8 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.2% (FY98) 2.8% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 5,347,153 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 14,194,960 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,148,825 (2002 est.) males age 15-49: 8,990,488 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2002 est.) 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 193,522 (2002 est.) males: 394,397 (2002 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 February (1948) Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Nationality noun: Sri Lankan(s)


adjective: Sri Lankan
noun: Korean(s)


adjective: Korean
Natural hazards occasional cyclones and tornadoes occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Natural resources limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Net migration rate -1.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987) petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed
Political parties and leaders 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 Democratic People's Party or DPP [CHO Sun, chairman]; Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [leader NA]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman, KIM Chong-ho, acting president]


note: on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP
Political pressure groups and leaders 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 Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student Associations
Population 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.)
48.324 million (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line 22% (1997 est.) 4% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 0.85% (2002 est.) 0.85% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu
Radio broadcast stations AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)
Radios 3.85 million (1997) 47.5 million (2000)
Railways total: 1,463 km


broad gauge: 1,404 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2001)
total: 3,124 km


standard gauge: 3,124 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2000)
Religions Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
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: 0.91 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services


domestic: NA


international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 494,509 (1998) 24 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 228,604 (1999) 28 million (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations 21 (1997) 121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999)
Terrain mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Total fertility rate 1.93 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.7% (2001) 3.1% (2002 est.)
Waterways 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft) 1,609 km


note: restricted to small native craft
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