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Compare Sri Lanka (2003) - Israel (2001)

Compare Sri Lanka (2003) z Israel (2001)

 Sri Lanka (2003)Israel (2001)
 Sri LankaIsrael
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 6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years:
27.36% (male 831,523; female 792,982)

15-64 years:
62.73% (male 1,869,114; female 1,855,707)

65 years and over:
9.91% (male 253,105; female 335,662) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Airports 15 (2002) 55 (2000 est.)
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:
30

over 3,047 m:
2

2,438 to 3,047 m:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
7

914 to 1,523 m:
10

under 914 m:
7 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total:
25

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
20 (2000 est.)
Area total: 65,610 sq km


land: 64,740 sq km


water: 870 sq km
total:
20,770 sq km

land:
20,330 sq km

water:
440 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly smaller than New Jersey
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-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. Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country profile, unless otherwise noted. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip) and Israel and Syria, to achieve a permanent settlement. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. On 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied since 1982.
Birth rate 16.12 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 19.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
revenues:
$40 billion

expenditures:
$42.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Climate tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Coastline 1,340 km 273 km
Constitution adopted 16 August 1978 no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Country name conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


conventional short form: Sri Lanka


former: Serendib, Ceylon
conventional long form:
State of Israel

conventional short form:
Israel

local long form:
Medinat Yisra'el

local short form:
Yisra'el
Currency Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) new Israeli shekel (ILS)
Death rate 6.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $9.8 billion (2002) $38 billion (2000 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 Martin S. INDYK

embassy:
71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv

mailing address:
PSC 98, Unit 7228, APO AE 09830

telephone:
[972] (3) 519-7575

FAX:
[972] (3) 517-3227

consulate(s) general:
Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
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 David IVRY

chancery:
3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 364-5500

FAX:
[1] (202) 364-5607

consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Disputes - international none West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan Heights)
Economic aid - recipient $577 million (1998) $1.1 billion from the US (1999)
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% 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. Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel is largely self-sufficient in food production except for grains. Cuts diamonds, high-technology equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and military aid. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR topped 750,000 during the period 1989-99, bringing the population of Israel from the former Soviet Union to 1 million, one-sixth of the total population, and adding scientific and professional expertise of substantial value for the economy's future. The influx, coupled with the opening of new markets at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew rapidly in the early 1990s. But growth began moderating in 1996 when the government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 5.9% in 2000. But the outbreak of Palestinian unrest in late September and the collapse of the BARAK Government - coupled with a cooling off in the high-technology and tourist sectors - undercut the boom and foreshadows a slowdown to 2%-3% in 2001.
Electricity - consumption 5.915 billion kWh (2001) 31.899 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 1.061 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 4 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 6.36 billion kWh (2001) 35.437 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 51.7%


hydro: 48.3%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
fossil fuel:
99.89%

hydro:
0.11%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
lowest point:
Dead Sea -408 m

highest point:
Har Meron 1,208 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 limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
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:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Sinhalese 74%, Tamil 18%, Moor 7%, Burgher, Malay, and Vedda 1% Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.)
Exchange rates Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 95.66 (2002), 89.38 (2001), 77.01 (2000), 70.64 (1999), 64.45 (1998) new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.0810 (December 2000), 4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997), 3.1917 (1996)
Executive branch 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%
chief of state:
President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)

head of government:
Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 2 March 2001)

cabinet:
Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset

elections:
president elected by the Knesset for a five-year term; election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA July 2005); prime minister elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 6 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - in March 1992, the Knesset approved legislation, effective in 1996, which allowed for the direct election of the prime minister, but in 2001 the Knesset voted to restore the previous method under which the legislators will choose the next prime minister after the next legislative elections in 2003

election results:
Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES, received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON elected prime minister; percent of vote - Ariel SHARON 62.5%, Ehud BARAK 37.4%; note - after the next legislative elections scheduled for 2003, the prime minister will be elected by the Knesset
Exports NA (2001) $31.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities textiles and apparel, tea, diamonds, coconut products, petroleum products machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners US 39.1%, UK 12.9%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.5% (2002) US 36%, UK 6%, Benelux 5%, Hong Kong 4%, Netherlands 4% (1999)
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 blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
GDP purchasing power parity - $73.7 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $110.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 20%


industry: 26%


services: 54% (2001)
agriculture:
4%

industry:
37%

services:
59% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $18,900 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.2% (2002 est.) 5.9% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 7 00 N, 81 00 E 31 30 N, 34 45 E
Geography - note strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes there are 231 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2000 est.)
Heliports - 2 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 96,695 km


paved: 91,860 km


unpaved: 4,835 km (1999)
total:
15,965 km

paved:
15,965 km (including 56 km of expressways)

unpaved:
0 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.5%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
lowest 10%:
2.8%

highest 10%:
26.9% (1992)
Illicit drugs - increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive in country from Lebanon and increasingly Jordan
Imports NA (2001) $35.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities textiles, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, consumer goods
Imports - partners 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) US 20%, Benelux 11%, Germany 8%, UK 8%, Switzerland 6%, Italy 5% (1999)
Independence 4 February 1948 (from UK) 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate 1.1% (2002) 7% (2000)
Industries rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco high-technology projects (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting
Infant mortality rate 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.)
7.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 9.6% (2002 est.) 0.1% (2000 est.)
International organization participation 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 BSEC (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2000) 21 (2000)
Irrigated land 6,510 sq km (1998 est.) 1,800 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Labor force 6.6 million (1998) 2.4 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 45%, agriculture 38%, industry 17% (1998 est.) public services 31.2%, manufacturing 20.2%, finance and business 13.1%, commerce 12.8%, construction 7.5%, personal and other services 6.4%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6% (1996)
Land boundaries 0 km total:
1,006 km

border countries:
Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Land use arable land: 13.43%


permanent crops: 15.78%


other: 70.79% (1998 est.)
arable land:
17%

permanent crops:
4%

permanent pastures:
7%

forests and woodland:
6%

other:
66% (1993 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
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Legal system a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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%, 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
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - One Israel 20.2%, Likud Party 14.1%, Shas 13%, MERETZ 7.6%, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 5.1%, Shinui 5%, Center Party 5%, National Religious Party 4.2%, United Torah Judaism 3.7%, United Arab List 3.4%, National Union 3%, Hadash 2.6%, Yisra'el Beiteinu 2.6%, Balad 1.9%, One Nation 1.9%, Democratic Movement NA (party formed after election, members elected under Yisra'el Ba'Aliya list); seats by party - One Israel 26, Likud Party 19, Shas 17, MERETZ 10, Yisra'el Ba'Aliya 4, Shinui 6, Center Party 6, National Religious Party 5, United Torah Judaism 5, United Arab List 5, National Union 4, Hadash 3, Yisra'el Beiteinu 4, Democratic Movement 2 (party formed after election, members elected under Yisra'el Ba'Aliya list), Balad 2, One Nation 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.62 years


male: 70.09 years


female: 75.29 years (2003 est.)
total population:
78.71 years

male:
76.69 years

female:
80.84 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.3%


male: 94.8%


female: 90% (2003 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
95%

male:
97%

female:
93% (1992 est.)
Location Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon
Map references Asia Middle East
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
continental shelf:
to depth of exploitation

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine 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.)
total:
17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 631,582 GRT/745,011 DWT

ships by type:
container 16, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force Israel Defense Forces (includes ground, naval, and air components), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal), Frontier Guard, Chen (women); note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
Military expenditures - dollar figure $719 million (FY98) $8.7 billion (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.2% (FY98) 9.4% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 5,383,661 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
1,522,003

females age 15-49:
1,482,027 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 4,172,921 (2003 est.) males age 15-49:
1,245,757

females age 15-49:
1,208,973 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 186,691 (2003 est.) males:
49,206

females:
53,379 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 4 February (1948) Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in April or May
Nationality noun: Sri Lankan(s)


adjective: Sri Lankan
noun:
Israeli(s)

adjective:
Israeli
Natural hazards occasional cyclones and tornadoes sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts
Natural resources limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand, oil
Net migration rate -1.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines crude oil and petroleum products 62 km (1987) crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km
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 Balad or National Democratic Alliance [Amnon LIPKIN-SHAHAK]; Center Party [Yitzhak MORDECHAI]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN]; Gesher [David LEVI]; Hadash [Muhammad BARAKA]; Labor Party [leader vacant]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; MERETZ [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance (Balad) [leader NA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY]; National Union [Rehavam ZEEVI] (includes Herut, Tekuma, and Moledet); One Israel [leader NA] (includes Labor, Gesher, and Meimad); One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Rabbi Eliezer SHACK, spiritual leader]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
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 Gush Emunim, Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the West Bank and is critical of government's Lebanon policy
Population 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.)
5,938,093 (July 2001 est.)

note:
includes about 176,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, about 6,900 in the Gaza Strip, and about 173,000 in East Jerusalem (August 2000 est.)
Population below poverty line 22% (1997 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 0.83% (2003 est.) 1.58% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Colombo, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Radio broadcast stations AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios - 3.07 million (1997)
Railways total: 1,508 km


broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge


narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
total:
610 km

standard gauge:
610 km 1.435-m gauge (1996)
Religions Buddhist 70%, Hindu 15%, Christian 8%, Muslim 7% (1999) Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%, other 3.2% (1996 est.)
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: 0.89 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 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:
most highly developed system in the Middle East although not the largest

domestic:
good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; all systems are digital

international:
3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 494,509 (1998) 2.8 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular 228,604 (1999) 2.5 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations 21 (1997) 17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley
Total fertility rate 1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.57 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 8% (2002) 9% (2000 est.)
Waterways 430 km (navigable by shallow-draft craft) none
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