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Compare United Arab Emirates (2008) - Sri Lanka (2005)

Compare United Arab Emirates (2008) z Sri Lanka (2005)

 United Arab Emirates (2008)Sri Lanka (2005)
 United Arab EmiratesSri Lanka
Administrative divisions 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn (Quwayn) 8 provinces; Central, North Central, North Eastern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western; note - North Eastern province may have been divided in two - Northern and Eastern
Age structure 0-14 years: 20.6% (male 467,931/female 447,045)


15-64 years: 78.5% (male 2,558,029/female 932,617)


65 years and over: 0.9% (male 24,914/female 13,475)


note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2007 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Airports 39 (2007) 14 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 22


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
total: 13


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 17


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 5 (2007)
total: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 83,600 sq km


land: 83,600 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 65,610 sq km


land: 64,740 sq km


water: 870 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maine slightly larger than West Virginia
Background The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region. 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.
Birth rate 16.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.63 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $58.15 billion


expenditures: $38.06 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $3.34 billion


expenditures: $4.686 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital name: Abu Dhabi


geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E


time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Colombo; note - Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital
Climate desert; cooler in eastern mountains tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)
Coastline 1,318 km 1,340 km
Constitution 2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996 adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; new constitution proposed in 2002
Country name conventional long form: United Arab Emirates


conventional short form: none


local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah


local short form: none


former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States


abbreviation: UAE
conventional long form: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka


conventional short form: Sri Lanka


former: Serendib, Ceylon
Death rate 2.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.49 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $41.51 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $10.85 billion (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. SISON


embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi


mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi


telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200


FAX: [971] (2) 414-2603


consulate(s) general: Dubai
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Saqr Ghobash Said GHOBASH


chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400


FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432


consulate(s): New York, Houston
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
Disputes - international boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran occupies none
Economic aid - donor since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has given about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries (2004) -
Economic aid - recipient $5.36 million (2004) $577 million (1998)
Economy - overview The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Despite largely successful efforts at economic diversification, nearly 40% of GDP is still directly based on oil and gas output. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up utilities to greater private sector involvement. In April 2004, the UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations toward a Free Trade Agreement with the US. The country's Free Trade Zones - offering 100% foreign ownership and zero taxes - are helping to attract foreign investors. Higher oil revenue, strong liquidity, housing shortages, and cheap credit in 2005-07 led to a surge in asset prices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. Rising prices are increasing the operating costs for businesses in the UAE and adversely impacting government employees and others on fixed incomes. Dependence on oil and a large expatriate workforce are significant long-term challenges. The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on diversification and creating more opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment. 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.
Electricity - consumption 52.62 billion kWh (2005) 6.228 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 57.06 billion kWh (2005) 6.697 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m
Environment - current issues lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching and urbanization; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff; waste disposal; air pollution in Colombo
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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
Ethnic groups Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)


note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
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)
Exchange rates Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.673 (2007), 3.673 (2006), 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725 (2004), 3.6725 (2003)


note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002
Sri Lankan rupees per US dollar - 101.194 (2004), 96.521 (2003), 95.662 (2002), 89.383 (2001), 77.005 (2000)
Executive branch chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and HAMDAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power


elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC for five-year terms (no term limits); election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held in 2009); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president


election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid al-Maktum
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%
Exports 2.54 million bbl/day (2004 est.) NA
Exports - commodities crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates textiles and apparel; tea and spices; diamonds, emeralds, rubies; coconut products; rubber manufactures, fish
Exports - partners Japan 25.8%, South Korea 9.6%, Thailand 5.9%, India 4.5% (2006) US 32.4%, UK 13.5%, India 6.8%, Germany 4.8% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 59.3%


services: 38.9% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 19.1%


industry: 26.2%


services: 54.7% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 8.5% (2007 est.) 5.2% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 00 N, 54 00 E 7 00 N, 81 00 E
Geography - note strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes
Heliports 5 (2007) -
Highways - total: 11,650 km


paved: 11,068 km


unpaved: 582 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.5%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Illicit drugs the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug-producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving, but informal banking remains unregulated -
Imports 137,200 bbl/day (2004) NA
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food textile fabrics, mineral products, petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and transportation equipment
Imports - partners US 11.5%, China 11%, India 9.8%, Germany 6.4%, Japan 5.8%, UK 5.5%, France 4.1%, Italy 4% (2006) India 18%, Singapore 8.7%, Hong Kong 7.7%, China 5.7%, Iran 5.2%, Japan 5.1%, Malaysia 4.1% (2004)
Independence 2 December 1971 (from UK) 4 February 1948 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 5.1% (2007 est.) 7.1% (2004 est.)
Industries petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, textiles rubber processing, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; telecommunications, insurance, and banking; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco
Infant mortality rate total: 13.52 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.77 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 12% (2007 est.) 5.8% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO 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
Irrigated land 760 sq km (2003) 6,510 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) Supreme Court; Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are appointed by the president
Labor force 3.119 million (2007 est.) 7.26 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 7%


industry: 15%


services: 78% (2000 est.)
agriculture 38%, industry 17%, services 45% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total: 867 km


border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 0.77%


permanent crops: 2.27%


other: 96.96% (2005)
arable land: 13.86%


permanent crops: 15.7%


other: 70.44% (2001)
Languages Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu Sinhala (official and national language) 74%, Tamil (national language) 18%, other 8%


note: English is commonly used in government and is spoken competently by about 10% of the population
Legal system based on a dual system of Shari'a and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction a highly complex mixture of English common law, Roman-Dutch, Muslim, Sinhalese, and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve two-year terms)


elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains appointed) held in the UAE on 18-20 December 2006; the new electoral college - a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates - were the only eligible voters and candidates; 456 candidates including 65 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats; one female from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi won a seat


note: reviews legislation but cannot change or veto
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.69 years


male: 73.16 years


female: 78.35 years (2007 est.)
total population: 73.17 years


male: 70.6 years


female: 75.86 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 77.9%


male: 76.1%


female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.3%


male: 94.8%


female: 90% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India
Map references Middle East Asia
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
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
Merchant marine total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 617,519 GRT/858,519 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 10, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: 11 (Greece 3, Kuwait 8)


registered in other countries: 281 (Bahamas 20, Belize 4, Cambodia 2, Comoros 5, Cyprus 10, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Hong Kong 1, India 2, Iran 1, Jordan 15, North Korea 4, Liberia 22, Malta 10, Marshall Islands 14, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5, Norway 1, Panama 108, Philippines 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 8, Somalia 1, St Kitts and Nevis 22, St Vincent and The Grenadines 12, Turkey 1, unknown 5) (2007)
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)
Military branches Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force) Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $514.8 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.1% (2005 est.) 2.6% (2004)
National holiday Independence Day, 2 December (1971) Independence Day, 4 February (1948)
Nationality noun: Emirati(s)


adjective: Emirati
noun: Sri Lankan(s)


adjective: Sri Lankan
Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms occasional cyclones and tornadoes
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower
Net migration rate 26.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines condensate 520 km; gas 2,908 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil 2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders none 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
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Buddhist clergy; labor unions; Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [Velupillai PRABHAKARAN](insurgent group fighting for a separate state); radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups such as the National Movement Against Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
Population 4,444,011


note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a significantly higher estimate of net inmigration of non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2007 est.)
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.)
Population below poverty line 19.5% (2003) 22% (1997 est.)
Population growth rate 3.997% (2007 est.) 0.79% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Colombo, Galle
Radio broadcast stations AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004) AM 26, FM 45, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways - total: 1,449 km


broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2004)
Religions Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4% Buddhist 69.1%, Muslim 7.6%, Hindu 7.1%, Christian 6.2%, unspecified 10% (2001 census provisional data)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.047 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 2.743 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.849 male(s)/female


total population: 2.19 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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.)
Suffrage none 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai


domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable


international: country code - 971; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 AND SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 1.31 million (2006) 881,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 5.519 million (2006) 931,600 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 15 (2004) 21 (1997)
Terrain flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior
Total fertility rate 2.43 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.85 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.4% (2001) 7.8% (2004 est.)
Waterways - 160 km (primarily on rivers in southwest) (2004)
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