Sri Lanka (2005) | Tonga (2001) | |
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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 | 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 24.5% (male 2,508,384/female 2,397,986)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 6,658,765/female 7,059,468) 65 years and over: 7.2% (male 670,813/female 769,360) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years:
40.93% (male 21,739; female 20,916) 15-64 years: 54.99% (male 28,231; female 29,082) 65 years and over: 4.08% (male 1,912; female 2,347) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef | squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish |
Airports | 14 (2004 est.) | 6 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 13
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total:
5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 65,610 sq km
land: 64,740 sq km water: 870 sq km |
total:
748 sq km land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | four times the size of Washington, DC |
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 A.D. 1000) 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 into war in 1983. Tens of thousands have died in an ethnic conflict that continues to fester. After two decades of fighting, the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam formalized a cease-fire in February 2002, with Norway brokering peace negotiations. | The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. |
Birth rate | 15.63 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 23.59 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $3.34 billion
expenditures: $4.686 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues:
$49 million expenditures: $120 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (FY96/97 est.) |
Capital | Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital | Nuku'alofa |
Climate | tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October) | tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) |
Coastline | 1,340 km | 419 km |
Constitution | adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; new constitution proposed in 2002 | 4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967 |
Country name | conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional short form: Sri Lanka former: Serendib, Ceylon |
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Tonga conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands |
Currency | - | pa'anga (TOP) |
Death rate | 6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 5.74 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $10.85 billion (2004 est.) | $62 million (1998) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jeffrey J. LUNSTEAD
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo telephone: [94] (11) 244-8007 FAX: [94] (11) 243-7345 |
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Bernard GOONETILLEKE
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 |
Tonga does not have an embassy in the US; Ambassador Fetu'utolo TUPOU, resides in London; address: Embassy of the Kingdom of Tonga, c/o Tonga High Commission, 36 Molyneux Street, London W1H 6AB, telephone [44] (171) 724-5828, FAX [44] (171) 723-9074
consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $577 million (1998) | $38.8 million (1995) |
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. In 2003, plantation crops made up only 15% 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 4.0% in 2002 and to 5.2% in both 2003 and 2004. About 800,000 Sri Lankans work abroad, 90% in the Middle East. They send home about $1 billion a year. The struggle by the Tamil Tigers of the north and east for a largely independent homeland continues to cast a shadow over the economy. In late December 2004, a major tsunami took about 31,000 lives, left more than 6,300 missing and 443,000 displaced, and destroyed an estimated $1.5 billion worth of property. | Tonga has a small, open economy with a narrow export base in agricultural goods, which contributes 30% to GDP. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. The industrial sector accounts for only 10% of GDP. Tourism is the primary source of hard currency earnings. The country remains dependent on sizable external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonable basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. |
Electricity - consumption | 6.228 billion kWh (2002) | 32.6 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 6.697 billion kWh (2002) | 35 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 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 | deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data) | Polynesian, Europeans about 300 |
Exchange rates | Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 101.194 (2004), 96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002), 89.383 (2001), 77.005 (2000) | pa'anga per US dollar - 1.9885 (January 2001), 1.7585 (2000), 1.5991 (1999), 1.4920 (1998), 1.2635 (1997), 1.2323 (1996) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Chandrika Bandaranaike KUMARATUNGA (since 12 November 1994); note - Mahinda RAJAPAKSE (since 6 April 2004) 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 - Mahinda RAJAPAKSE is the prime minister (since 6 April 2004); 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 51%, Ranil WICKREMASINGHE 42%, other 7% |
chief of state:
King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965) head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Tevita TOPOU (since NA January 2001) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch and the Cabinet elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch |
Exports | NA | $8 million (f.o.b., 1998) |
Exports - commodities | textiles and apparel; tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products; rubber manufactures, fish | squash, fish, vanilla beans |
Exports - partners | US 32.4%, UK 13.5%, India 6.8%, Germany 4.8% (2004) | Japan 53%, US 18%, NZ 6%, Australia 6% (1997 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $225 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 19.1%
industry: 26.2% services: 54.7% (2004 est.) |
agriculture:
30% industry: 10% services: 60% (1997) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.2% (2004 est.) | 5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 7 00 N, 81 00 E | 20 00 S, 175 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes | archipelago of 170 islands (36 inhabited) |
Highways | total: 11,650 km
paved: 11,068 km unpaved: 582 km (2002) |
total:
680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 28% (1995) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $69 million (f.o.b., 1998) |
Imports - commodities | textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals |
Imports - partners | India 18%, Singapore 8.7%, Hong Kong 7.7%, China 5.7%, Iran 5.2%, Japan 5.1%, Malaysia 4.1% (2004) | NZ 30%, Australia 19%, US 11%, UK 11%, Japan 3% (1997 est.) |
Independence | 4 February 1948 (from UK) | 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) |
Industrial production growth rate | 7.1% (2004 est.) | 8.6% (FY98/99) |
Industries | rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, and banking; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco | tourism, fishing |
Infant mortality rate | total: 14.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
14.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.8% (2004 est.) | 7% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | AsDB, C, CP, 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, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 6,510 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court) |
Labor force | 7.26 million (2004 est.) | 34,000 (FY96/97) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 38%, industry 17%, services 45% (1998 est.) | agriculture 65% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 13.86%
permanent crops: 15.7% other: 70.44% (2001) |
arable land:
24% permanent crops: 43% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 11% other: 16% (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 |
Tongan, English |
Legal system | a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English law |
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 2 April 2004 (next to be held by 2010) election results: percent of vote by party or electoral alliance - SLFP and JVP 45.6%, UNP 37.83%, TNA 6.84%, JHU 5.97%, SLMC 2.02%, UPF 0.54%, EPDP 0.27%, others 0.93%; seats by party or electoral alliance - SLFP and JVP 105, UNP 82, TNA 22, JHU 9, SLMC 5, UPF 1, EPDP 1 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held NA March 1999 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote - pro-democratic 40%; seats - pro-democratic 5, traditionalist 4 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.17 years
male: 70.6 years female: 75.86 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
68.25 years male: 65.83 years female: 70.78 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:
can read and write Tongan and/or English total population: 98.5% male: 98.4% female: 98.7% (1996 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 120,924 GRT/173,604 DWT
by type: cargo 18, container 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 10 (Germany 10) registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,626 GRT/29,468 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 2, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force | Tonga Defense Services (includes Royal Tongan Marines, Tongan Royal Guards, Maritime Force, Police); note - a new Air Wing which will be subordinate to the Defense Ministry is being developed |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $514.8 million (2004) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.6% (2004) | NA% |
National holiday | Independence Day, 4 February (1948) | Independence Day, 4 June (1970) |
Nationality | noun: Sri Lankan(s)
adjective: Sri Lankan |
noun:
Tongan(s) adjective: Tongan |
Natural hazards | occasional cyclones and tornadoes | cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou |
Natural resources | limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower | fish, fertile soil |
Net migration rate | -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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 Perumuna or JVP [Tilvan SILVA]; National Heritage Party or JHU [Tilak KARUNARATNE]; National Unity Alliance or NUA [Ferial ASHRAFF]; People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam or PLOTE [leader NA]; Sihala Urumaya or SU [leader NA]; 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 [R. SAMPANTHAN]; Tamil United Liberation Front or TULF [V. ANANDASANGAREE]; United National Party or UNP [Ranil WICKREMASINGHE]; Up-country People's Front or UPF [P. CHANDRASEKARAN]; several ethnic Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either Parliament or provincial councils | Human Rights and Democracy Movement [Huliki WATAB, chairman, Viliami FUKOFUKA, president, 'Akilisi POHIVA, vice president] |
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 | Pro-Democracy and Human Rights Movement [leader NA] |
Population | 20,064,776
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 and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought refuge in the West (July 2005 est.) |
104,227 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 22% (1997 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.79% (2005 est.) | 1.79% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Colombo, Galle | Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2001) |
Radios | - | 61,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 1,449 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2004) |
0 km |
Religions | Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data) | Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 21 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: country code - 94; submarine cables to Indonesia and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) (1999) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 881,400 (2002) | 8,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 931,600 (2002) | 302 (1996) |
Television broadcast stations | 21 (1997) | 1 (2001) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior | most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base |
Total fertility rate | 1.85 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 3 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 7.8% (2004 est.) | 13.3% (FY96/97) |
Waterways | 160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2004) | none |