10/9/25, 1:45 PM Sri Lanka - Wikipedia

In 1919, major Sinhalese and Tamil political organisations united to form the Ceylon National Congress, under the
leadership of Ponnambalam Arunachalam,[111] pressing colonial masters for more constitutional reforms. But without
massive popular support, and with the governor's encouragement for "communal representation" by creating a
"Colombo seat" that dangled between Sinhalese and Tamils, the Congress lost momentum towards the mid-1920s.[112]

The Donoughmore reforms of 1931 repudiated the communal representation and introduced universal adult franchise
(the franchise stood at 4% before the reforms). This step was strongly criticised by the Tamil political leadership, who
realised that they would be reduced to a minority in the newly created State Council of Ceylon, which succeeded the
legislative council.[113][114] In 1937, Tamil leader G. G. Ponnambalam demanded a 50–50 representation (50% for the
Sinhalese and 50% for other ethnic groups) in the State Council. However, this demand was not met by the Soulbury
reforms of 1944–45.
British appointed Kandyan chief headmen in 1905.

Contemporary history
The Soulbury constitution ushered in dominion status, with independence proclaimed on 4 February 1948.[115] D. S. Senanayake
became the first Prime Minister of Ceylon.[116] Prominent Tamil leaders including Ponnambalam and Arunachalam Mahadeva
joined his cabinet.[113][117] The British Royal Navy remained stationed at Trincomalee until 1956. A countrywide popular
demonstration against withdrawal of the rice rations resulted in the resignation of prime minister Dudley Senanayake.[118]

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike was elected prime minister in 1956. His three-year rule had a profound influence through his self-
proclaimed role of "defender of the besieged Sinhalese culture".[119] He introduced the controversial Sinhala Only Act, recognising
Sinhala as the only official language of the government. Although partially reversed in 1958, the bill posed a grave concern for the
Tamil community, which perceived in it a threat to their language and culture.[120][121][122]
The formal ceremony marking the start of
The Federal Party (FP) launched a movement of non-violent resistance (satyagraha) against the bill, which prompted Bandaranaike self-rule, with the opening of the first
to reach an agreement (Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact) with S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, leader of the FP, to resolve the looming parliament at Independence Square
ethnic conflict.[123] The pact proved ineffective in the face of ongoing protests by opposition and the Buddhist clergy. The bill,
together with various government colonisation schemes, contributed much towards the political rancour between Sinhalese and
Tamil political leaders.[124] Bandaranaike was assassinated by an extremist Buddhist monk in 1959.[125]

Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the widow of Bandaranaike, took office as prime minister in 1960, and withstood an
Leaders in 1960
attempted coup d'état in 1962. During her second term as prime minister, the government instituted socialist
economic policies, strengthening ties with the Soviet Union and China, while promoting a policy of non-
alignment. In 1971, Ceylon experienced a Marxist insurrection, which was quickly suppressed. In 1972, the
country became a republic named Sri Lanka, repudiating its dominion status. Prolonged minority grievances
and the use of communal emotionalism as an election campaign weapon by both Sinhalese and Tamil leaders
abetted a fledgling Tamil militancy in the north during the 1970s.[126] The policy of standardisation by the
Elizabeth II Sirimavo Sirimavo government to rectify disparities created in university enrolment, which was in essence an affirmative J. R. Jayewardene was
Queen of Ceylon Bandaranaike action to assist geographically disadvantaged students to obtain tertiary education,[127] resulted in reducing the the most influential
Prime Minister proportion of Tamil students at university level and acted as the immediate catalyst for the rise of political figure of Sri
1960 saw the election of Sirimavo militancy.[128][129] The assassination of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah in 1975 by the Liberation Tigers of Lanka in the 1970s and
1980s.
Bandaranaike as Ceylon's Prime Tamil Eelam (LTTE) marked a crisis point.[130][131]
Minister and the first time in world
The government of J. R. Jayawardene swept to power in 1977, defeating the United Front government.[132]
history that the heads of both state
and government in a country were Jayawardene introduced a new constitution, together with a free-market economy and a powerful executive presidency modelled after
female.
that of France. It made Sri Lanka the first South Asian country to liberalise its economy.[133] Beginning in 1983, ethnic tensions were
manifested in an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the LTTE. An LTTE attack on 13 soldiers resulted in the start of a civil
war, and in response anti-Tamil race riots took place, allegedly backed by Sinhalese hard-line ministers, which resulted in more than 150,000 Tamil civilians fleeing the
island, seeking asylum in other countries.[134][135]

Lapses in foreign policy resulted in India strengthening the Tigers by providing arms and training.[136][137][138] In 1987, the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord was signed and the
Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was deployed in northern Sri Lanka to stabilise the region by neutralising the LTTE.[139] The same year, the JVP launched its second
insurrection in Southern Sri Lanka,[140] necessitating redeployment of the IPKF in 1990.[141] In October 1990, the LTTE expelled Sri Lankan Moors (Muslims by religion)
from northern Sri Lanka.[142] In 2002, the Sri Lankan government and LTTE signed a Norwegian-mediated ceasefire agreement.[122]

The 2004 Asian tsunami killed over 30,000 and displaced over 500,000 people in Sri Lanka.[143][144] From 1985 to 2006, the Sri Lankan government and Tamil insurgents
held four rounds of peace talks without success. Both LTTE and the government resumed fighting in 2006, and the government officially backed out of the ceasefire in
2008.[122] In 2009, under the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces defeated the LTTE, bringing an end to the 26 year long civil war on 19 May
2009,[145][146][147][148] and re-established control of the entire country by the Sri Lankan Government.[149] Overall, between 60,000 and 100,000 people were killed during
the course of the 26 year long conflict.[150][151]

2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings carried out by the terrorist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath on 21 April 2019 resulted in the brutal death of 261 innocent people.[152]
On 26 April 2019 an anti terrorist operation was carried out against the National Thowheeth Jama'ath by the Sri Lanka Army with the operation being successful and
National Thowheeth Jama'ath's insurgency ending.[153][154][155]

Economic troubles in Sri Lanka began in 2019, when a severe economic crisis occurred caused by rapidly increasing foreign debt, massive government budget deficits due
to tax cuts, falling foreign remittances, a food crisis caused by mandatory organic farming along with a ban on chemical fertilisers, and a multitude of other factors.[156] The
Sri Lankan Government officially declared the ongoing crisis to be the worst economic crisis in the country in 73 years.[157] In August 2021, a food emergency was
declared.[158] In June 2022, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared the collapse of the Sri Lankan economy in parliament.[159] The crisis resulted in Sri Lanka
defaulting on its $51 billion sovereign debt for the first time in its history, along with double-digit inflation, a crippling energy crisis that led to approximately 15 hour power
cuts, severe fuel shortages leading to the suspension of fuel to all non-essential vehicles, and more such economic disorder.[160][161] Due to the crisis, massive street protests
erupted all over the country, with protesters demanding the resignation of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The protests culminated with the storming and siege of the
President's House on July 9, 2022, and resulted in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fleeing to Singapore[162] and later emailing his resignation to parliament, formally
announcing his resignation and making him the first Sri Lankan president to resign in the middle of his term.[163] On the same day the President's House was stormed,
protesters besieged and stormed the private residence of the prime minister and burnt it down.[164]

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After Parliament elected the new president as Ranil Wickremesinghe on 20 July 2022, Wickremesinghe took oath as the ninth President of Sri Lanka.[165] He implemented
various economic reforms in efforts to stabilise Sri Lanka's economy, which has shown slight improvement since.[166][167] On 23 September 2024, Anura Kumara
Dissanayake was sworn in as Sri Lanka's new president after winning the presidential election as a left-wing candidate.[168] On 14 November 2024, President Anura
Kumara Dissanayake's National People's Power (NPP), a left-leaning alliance, received a two-thirds majority in parliament in Sri Lankan parliamentary election.[169]

Geography
Sri Lanka, an island in South Asia shaped as a teardrop or a pear/mango,[170] lies on the Indian Plate, a major tectonic plate that was
formerly part of the Indo-Australian Plate.[171] It is in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal, between latitudes 5° and 10° N, and
longitudes 79° and 82° E.[172] Sri Lanka is separated from the mainland portion of the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and Palk
Strait. According to Hindu mythology, a land bridge existed between the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka. It now amounts to only a chain of
limestone shoals remaining above sea level.[173] Legends claim that it was passable on foot up to 1480 CE, until cyclones deepened the
channel.[174][175] Portions are still as shallow as 1 metre (3 ft), hindering navigation.[176] The island consists mostly of flat to rolling coastal
plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. The highest point is Pidurutalagala, reaching 2,524 metres (8,281 ft) above sea
level.

Sri Lanka has 103 rivers. The longest of these is the Mahaweli River, extending 335 kilometres (208 mi).[177] These waterways give rise to 51
natural waterfalls of 10 metres (33 ft) or more. The highest is Bambarakanda Falls, with a height of 263 metres (863 ft).[178] Sri Lanka's
coastline is 1,585 km (985 mi) long.[179] Sri Lanka claims an exclusive economic zone extending 200 nautical miles, which is approximately
6.7 times Sri Lanka's land area. The coastline and adjacent waters support highly productive marine ecosystems such as fringing coral reefs
and shallow beds of coastal and estuarine seagrasses.[180]

Sri Lanka has 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons.[179] Sri Lanka's mangrove ecosystem spans over 7,000 hectares and played a vital role in
buffering the force of the waves in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[181] The island is rich in minerals such as ilmenite, feldspar, graphite,
Topographic map of Sri Lanka
silica, kaolin, mica and thorium.[182][183] Existence of petroleum and gas in the Gulf of Mannar has also been confirmed, and the extraction
of recoverable quantities is underway.[184]

Climate
The climate is tropical and warm because of moderating effects of ocean winds. Mean
temperatures range from 17 °C (62.6 °F) in the Central Highlands, where frost may occur for
several days in the winter, to a maximum of 33 °C (91.4 °F) in low-altitude areas. Average
yearly temperatures range from 28 °C (82.4 °F) to nearly 31 °C (87.8 °F). Day and night
temperatures may vary by 14 °C (25 °F) to 18 °C (32 °F).[185]
A view of Sripada from Maskeliya
The rainfall pattern is influenced by monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and Bay of
Bengal. The "wet zone" and some of the windward slopes of the central highlands receive up
to 2,500 millimetres (98.4 in) of rain each year, but the leeward slopes in the east and northeast receive little rain. Most of the east,
Sri Lanka map of Köppen climate southeast, and northern parts of Sri Lanka constitute the "dry zone", which receives between 1,200 and 1,900 mm (47 and 75 in) of
classification rain annually.[186]

The arid northwest and southeast coasts receive the least rain at 800 to 1,200 mm (31 to 47 in) per year. Periodic squalls occur and
sometimes tropical cyclones bring overcast skies and rains to the southwest, northeast, and eastern parts of the island. Humidity is typically higher in the southwest and
mountainous areas and depends on the seasonal patterns of rainfall.[187] An increase in average rainfall coupled with heavier rainfall events has resulted in recurrent
flooding and related damages to infrastructure, utility supply and the urban economy.[188]

Flora and fauna

The Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka were included among the first 18 global biodiversity hotspots due to high levels of species
endemism. The number of biodiversity hotspots has now increased to 34.[190] Sri Lanka has the highest biodiversity per unit area
among Asian countries for flowering plants and all vertebrate groups except birds.[191] A remarkably high proportion of the species
among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and 22% of the mammals, are endemic.[192] Sri Lanka supports a rich
avifauna of that stands at 453 species and this include 240 species of birds that are known to breed in the country. 33 species are
accepted by some ornithologists as endemic while some ornithologists consider only 27 are endemic and the remaining six are
considered as proposed endemics.[193] Sri Lanka's protected areas are administrated by two government bodies; The Department of
Forest Conservation and the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Department of Wildlife Conservation administrates 61 wildlife
sanctuaries, 22 national parks, four nature reserves, three strict nature reserves, and one jungle corridor while Department of Forest The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three
Conservation oversees 65 conservation forests and one national heritage wilderness area. 26.5% of the country's land area is legally recognised subspecies of the Asian
protected. This is a higher percentage of protected areas when compared to the rest of Asia.[194] elephant. The 2011 elephant census
estimated a population of 5,879.[189]
Sri Lanka contains four terrestrial ecoregions: Sri Lanka lowland rain forests, Sri Lanka montane rain forests, Sri Lanka dry-zone
dry evergreen forests, and Deccan thorn scrub forests.[195] Flowering acacias flourish on the arid Jaffna Peninsula. Among the trees
of the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. The wet zone is a tropical evergreen forest with tall trees, broad
foliage, and a dense undergrowth of vines and creepers. Subtropical evergreen forests resembling those of temperate climates flourish in the higher altitudes.[196]

Yala National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks. The Wilpattu National Park in the northwest, the
largest national park, preserves the habitats of many water birds such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills. The island has four
biosphere reserves: Bundala, Hurulu Forest Reserve, the Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya, and Sinharaja.[197] Sinharaja is home
to 26 endemic birds and 20 rainforest species, including the elusive red-faced malkoha, the green-billed coucal and the Sri Lanka
blue magpie. The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous. Of the 211 woody trees and lianas within the reserve,
139 (66%) are endemic. The total vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs, and seedlings, has been estimated at 240,000
individuals per hectare. The Minneriya National Park borders the Minneriya Tank, which is an important source of water for
elephants inhabiting the surrounding forests. Dubbed "The Gathering", the congregation of elephants can be seen on the tank-bed
in the late dry season (August to October) as the surrounding water sources steadily disappear. The park also encompasses a range
The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus
of micro-habitats which include classic dry zone tropical monsoonal evergreen forest, thick stands of giant bamboo, hilly pastures
kotiya) is an endangered subspecies of
leopard native to Sri Lanka. (patanas), and grasslands (talawas).[198]

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During the Mahaweli Program of the 1970s and 1980s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of land totalling
1,900 km2 (730 sq mi) as national parks. Statistics of Sri Lanka's forest cover show rapid deforestation from 1956 to 2010. In 1956,
44.2 percent of the country's land area had forest cover. Forest cover depleted rapidly in recent decades; 29.6 percent in 1999, 28.7
percent in 2010.[199]

Government and politics

Sri Lanka is a democratic republic and a unitary state which is governed by a semi-presidential system.[200] Sri Lanka is the oldest
Maha rath mala (Rhododendron
democracy in Asia.[201] Most provisions of the constitution can be amended by a two-thirds majority in parliament. The amendment arboreum ssp. zeylanicum) is a rare sub-
of certain fundamental features, including clauses on national symbols, religion, term limits, the reference to Sri Lanka as a unitary species of Rhododendron arboreum
state, and the entrenchment mechanism itself, requires both a two-thirds majority in Parliament and approval in a nationwide found in Central Highlands of Sri Lanka.
referendum.[202][203] The Constitution of Sri Lanka officially declares it to be a socialist state.[204]

In common with many democracies, the Sri Lankan government has three branches:

Executive: The President of Sri Lanka is the head of state; the commander in chief of the armed forces; chief executive, and is
popularly elected for a five-year term.[205] The president heads the cabinet and appoints ministers from elected members of
parliament.[206] The president is immune from legal proceedings while in the office with respect to any acts done or omitted to
be done by him or her in either an official or private capacity.[207] Following the passage of the 19th amendment to the
constitution in 2015, the president has two terms, which previously stood at no term limit.
Legislative: The Parliament of Sri Lanka is a unicameral 225-member legislature with 196 members elected from 22 multi-seat
constituencies and 29 elected by proportional representation.[208] Members are elected by universal suffrage for a five-year
The old Sri Lankan Parliament building,
term. The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session and dissolve Parliament anytime after four and a half
near the Galle Face Green in Colombo. It
years. The parliament reserves the power to make all laws.[209] The president's deputy and head of government, the prime
now serves as the Presidential
minister, leads the ruling party in parliament and shares many executive responsibilities, mainly in domestic affairs.
Secretariat's headquarters.
Judicial: Sri Lanka's judiciary consists of a Supreme Court—the highest and final superior court of record,[209] a Court of
Appeal, High Courts, and a number of subordinate courts. The highly complex legal system reflects diverse cultural
influences.[210] Criminal law is based almost entirely on British law. Basic civil law derives from Roman-Dutch law. Laws
pertaining to marriage, divorce, and inheritance are communal.[211] Because of ancient customary practices and religion, the
Sinhala customary law (Kandyan law), the Thesavalamai, and Sharia law are followed in special cases.[212] The president
appoints judges to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Courts. A judicial service commission, composed of
the chief justice and two Supreme Court judges, appoints, transfers, and dismisses lower court judges.

Politics
The current political culture in Sri Lanka is a contest between two rival coalitions led by the centre-left and progressive United The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka,
People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), an offspring of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), and the comparatively right-wing and pro- Colombo
capitalist United National Party (UNP). After 2018, two major political parties split from these two parties: The Samagi Jana
Balawegaya split from the UNP, and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna split from the UPFA. The third wing party Janatha
Vimukthi Peramuna has gained popularity since 2022.[215] National symbols of Sri Lanka
Flag Lion Flag
Sri Lanka is essentially a multi-party democracy with many smaller Buddhist, socialist, and Tamil nationalist political parties.
As of July 2011, the number of registered political parties in the country is 67.[216] Of these, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party Emblem Gold Lion Passant
(LSSP), established in 1935, is the oldest.[217] Anthem "Sri Lanka Matha"
Butterfly Sri Lankan birdwing
The UNP, established by D. S. Senanayake in 1946, was until recently the largest single political party.[218]
It is the only
Animal Grizzled giant squirrel
political group which had representation in all parliaments since independence.[218] SLFP was founded by S. W. R. D.
Bandaranaike in July 1951.[219] SLFP registered its first victory in 1956, defeating the ruling UNP in the 1956 Parliamentary Bird Sri Lanka junglefowl
election.[219] Following the parliamentary election in July 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the prime minister and the Flower Blue water lily
world's first elected female head of government.[220] Tree Ceylon ironwood (nā)

G. G. Ponnambalam, the Tamil nationalist counterpart of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike,[221]

founded the All Ceylon Tamil Sport Volleyball
Congress (ACTC) in 1944. Objecting to Ponnambalam's cooperation with D. S. Senanayake, a dissident group led by S.J.V. Source: [213][214]
Chelvanayakam broke away in 1949 and formed the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), also known as the Federal Party,
becoming the main Tamil political party in Sri Lanka for the next two decades.[222] The Federal Party advocated a more aggressive stance toward the Sinhalese.[223] With
the constitutional reforms of 1972, the ACTC and ITAK created the Tamil United Front (later Tamil United Liberation Front). Following a period of turbulence as Tamil
militants rose to power in the late 1970s, these Tamil political parties were succeeded in October 2001 by the Tamil National Alliance.[223][224] Janatha Vimukthi
Peramuna, a Marxist–Leninist political party founded by Rohana Wijeweera in 1965, serves as a third force in the current political context.[225] It endorses leftist policies
which are more radical than the traditionalist leftist politics of the LSSP and the Communist Party.[223] Founded in 1981, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is the largest
Muslim political party in Sri Lanka.[226]

President Mahinda Rajapaksa lost the 2015 presidential elections, ending his ten-year presidency. However, his successor as Sri Lankan President, Maithripala Sirisena,
decided not to seek re-election in 2019.[227] The Rajapaksa family regained power in November 2019 presidential elections when Mahinda's younger brother and former
wartime defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the election, and he was later sworn in as the new president of Sri Lanka.[228][229] Their firm grip of power was
consolidated in the parliamentary elections in August 2020. The family's political party, Sri Lanka People's Front (known by its Sinhala initials SLPP), obtained a landslide
victory and a clear majority in the parliament. Five members of the Rajapaksa family won seats in the new parliament. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa became the
new prime minister.[230]

In 2022, a political crisis started due to the power struggle between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The crisis was fuelled by anti-
government protests and demonstrations by the public and also due to the worsening economy of Sri Lanka since 2019. The anti-government sentiment across various
parts of Sri Lanka has triggered unprecedented political instability, creating shockwaves in the political arena.[231]

On July 20, 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as the ninth President via a parliamentarian election.[232] President Ranil Wickremesinghe was defeated by left-
leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake in 2024 presidential elections.[233]

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Administrative divisions
For administrative purposes, Sri Lanka is divided into nine provinces[234] and twenty-five districts.[235]

Provinces
Provinces in Sri Lanka have existed since the 19th century, but they had no legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment of the 1978 constitution established provincial
councils after several decades of increasing demand for a decentralisation of the government.[236] Each provincial council is an autonomous body not under the authority of
any ministry. Some of its functions had been undertaken by central government ministries, departments, corporations, and statutory authorities,[236] but authority over
land and police is not as a rule given to provincial councils.[237][238] Between 1989 and 2006, the Northern and Eastern provinces were temporarily merged to form the
North-East Province.[239][240] Prior to 1987, all administrative tasks for the provinces were handled by a district-based civil service which had been in place since colonial
times. Now each province is administered by a directly elected provincial council:

Provincial Sri Lanka

Density
Area Population GDP share Prosperity
Province Capital (Persons
(km2) (2024)[241] (%) Index
per km2)
Bay of Bengal (2023)[242] (2021)[243]
Palk Strait Central Kandy 5,674 2,712,804 453 10.3 0.559
Northern Province Eastern Trincomalee 9,996 1,782,050 155 4.7 0.519
North Central Anuradhapura 10,714 1,406,890 118 4.8 0.521

Gulf of North Western Kurunegala 7,812 2,578,894 305 10.9 0.541

Mannar
Northern Jaffna 8,884 1,149,240 119 4.5 0.564
Sabaragamuwa Ratnapura 4,902 2,015,039 393 7.0 0.499
Southern Galle 5,559 2,605,506 446 9.3 0.582
North Central Province
Uva Badulla 8,488 1,399,049 149 4.7 0.468
Western Colombo 3,709 6,113,698 1,578 43.7 0.802
North Western
Province Sri
Eastern
Province Jayawardenepura
Sri Lanka 65,610 21,763,170 310 100 0.796
Kotte and
Central Colombo
Province

Uva Province
Western
Province
Sabaragamuwa
Province

Southern Province
Indian
Ocean

Districts and local authorities

Each district is administered under a district secretariat. The districts are further subdivided into 256 divisional secretariats, and these to approximately 14,008 Grama
Niladhari divisions.[244] The districts are known in Sinhala as disa and in Tamil as māwaddam. Originally, a disa (usually rendered into English as Dissavony) was a duchy,
notably Matale and Uva.

There are three other types of local authorities: municipal councils (18), urban councils (13) and pradeshiya sabha, also called pradesha sabhai (256).[245] Local authorities
were originally based on feudal counties named korale and rata, and were formerly known as "D.R.O. divisions" after the divisional revenue officer.[246] Later, the D.R.O.s
became "assistant government agents", and the divisions were known as "A.G.A. divisions". These divisional secretariats are currently administered by a divisional
secretary.

Foreign relations
Sri Lanka is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). While ensuring that it maintains its independence, Sri
Lanka has cultivated relations with India.[247] Sri Lanka became a member of the United Nations in 1955. Today, it is also a member
of the Commonwealth, the SAARC, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, and the
Colombo Plan.

The United National Party has traditionally favoured links with the West, while the Sri Lanka Freedom Party has favoured links with
the East.[247] Sri Lankan Finance Minister J. R. Jayewardene, together with then Australian Foreign Minister Sir Percy Spencer,
proposed the Colombo Plan at the Commonwealth Foreign Minister's Conference held in Colombo in 1950.[248] At the San
Francisco Peace Conference in 1951, while many countries were reluctant, Sri Lanka argued for a free Japan and refused to accept
President J. R. Jayewardene gifting
payment of reparations for World War II damage because it believed it would harm Japan's economy.[249] Sri Lanka-China relations
Jayathu, a baby elephant to US
started as soon as the People's Republic of China was formed in 1949. The two countries signed an important Rubber-Rice Pact in President Ronald Reagan in 1984
1952.[250] Sri Lanka played a vital role at the Asian–African Conference in 1955, which was an important step in the crystallisation
of the NAM.[251]

The Bandaranaike government of 1956 significantly changed the pro-western policies set by the previous UNP government. It recognised Cuba under Fidel Castro in 1959.
Shortly afterward, Cuba's revolutionary Che Guevara paid a visit to Sri Lanka.[252] The Sirima-Shastri Pact of 1964[253] and Sirima-Gandhi Pact of 1974[254] were signed
between Sri Lankan and Indian leaders in an attempt to solve the long-standing dispute over the status of plantation workers of Indian origin. In 1974, Kachchatheevu, a
small island in Palk Strait, was formally ceded to Sri Lanka.[255] By this time, Sri Lanka was strongly involved in the NAM, and the fifth NAM summit was held in Colombo
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in1976.[256] The relationship between Sri Lanka and India became tense under the government of J. R. Jayawardene.[141][257] To this end, Sri Lanka had briefly adopted a
'Look East' policy,[258]: 1 and at one point pursued ASEAN membership over joining SAARC.[259][260]: 64 Further deterioration led to the Indian intervention in the Sri
Lankan Civil War and subsequently deployed an Indian Peace Keeping Force in 1987.[261] In the present, Sri Lanka enjoys extensive relations with China,[262] Russia,[263]
and Pakistan.[264]

Military
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces, comprising the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force, come under the purview of the Ministry of Defence.[265] The
total strength of the three services is around 346,000 personnel, with nearly 36,000 reserves.[266] Sri Lanka has not enforced military conscription.[267] Paramilitary units
include the Special Task Force, the Civil Security Force, and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard.[268][269]

Since independence in 1948, the primary focus of the armed forces has been internal security, crushing three major insurgencies, two by Marxist militants of the JVP and a
26-year-long conflict with the LTTE. The armed forces have been in a continuous mobilised state for the last 30 years.[270][271] The Sri Lankan Armed Forces have engaged
in United Nations peacekeeping operations since the early 1960s, contributing forces to permanent contingents deployed in several UN peacekeeping missions in Chad,
Lebanon, and Haiti.[272]

Sri Lanka is the 100th most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024 Global Peace Index.[273]

Economy
According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka's GDP in terms of purchasing power parity is the second highest in the
South Asian region in terms of per capita income. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy famous
for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber, and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export.[274] The
development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade.[275] From 1948 to
1977, socialism strongly influenced the government's economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were
nationalised, and a welfare state established. In 1977, the free market economy was introduced to the country, incorporating
privatisation, deregulation, and the promotion of private enterprise.[133]

While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar, and other commodities remain important, industrialisation has
increased the importance of food processing, textiles, telecommunications, and finance. The country's main economic sectors are Development of real GDP per capita,
tourism, tea export, clothing, rice production, and other agricultural products. In addition to these economic sectors, overseas 1820 to 2018
employment, especially in the Middle East, contributes substantially in foreign exchange.[276]

As of 2020, the service sector makes up 59.7% of GDP, the industrial sector 26.2%, and the agriculture sector 8.4%.[277] The private
sector accounts for 85% of the economy.[278] China, India and the United States are Sri Lanka's largest trading partners.[279]
Economic disparities exist between the provinces with the Western Province contributing 45.1% of the GDP and the Southern
Province and the Central Province contributing 10.7% and 10%, respectively.[280] With the end of the war, the Northern Province
reported a record 22.9% GDP growth in 2010.[281]

The per capita income of Sri Lanka doubled from 2005 to 2011.[283] During the same period, poverty dropped from 15.2% to 7.6%,
unemployment rate dropped from 7.2% to 4.9%, market capitalisation of the Colombo Stock Exchange quadrupled, and the budget
deficit doubled.[276] 99% of the households in Sri Lanka are electrified; 93.2% of the population have access to safe drinking water; The World Trade Center in Colombo.
and 53.1% have access to pipe-borne water.[277] Income inequality has also dropped in recent years, indicated by a Gini coefficient Presidential Secretariat, Bank of Ceylon
of 0.36 in 2010.[284] and Galadari Hotel are also visible in the
image.
In 2016, Sri Lanka ranked 5th in the World Giving Index, registering high levels of contentment and charitable behaviour in its
society.[285] In 2010, The New York Times placed Sri Lanka at the top of its list of 31 places to visit.[286] S&P Dow Jones Indices
classifies Sri Lanka as a frontier market as of 2018.[287] Sri Lanka ranks well above other South Asian countries in the Human
Development Index (HDI) with an index of 0.750.

By 2016, the country's debt soared as it was developing its infrastructure to the point of near bankruptcy which required a bailout
from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).[288] The IMF had agreed to provide a US$1.5 billion bailout loan in April 2016 after
Sri Lanka provided a set of criteria intended to improve its economy. By the fourth quarter of 2016, the debt was estimated to be
$64.9 billion. Additional debt had been incurred in the past by state-owned organisations and this was said to be at least
$9.5 billion. Since early 2015, domestic debt increased by 12% and external debt by 25%.[289] In November 2016, the IMF reported
that the initial disbursement was larger than US$150 million originally planned, a full US$162.6 million (SDR 119.894 million). The Sri Lanka's most widely known export,
Ceylon tea, which ISO considers the
agency's evaluation for the first tranche was cautiously optimistic about the future. Under the program, the Sri Lankan government
cleanest tea in the world in terms of
implemented a new Inland Revenue Act and an automatic fuel pricing formula which was noted by the IMF in its fourth review. In pesticide residues. Sri Lanka is also the
2018 China agreed to bail out Sri Lanka with a loan of $1.25 billion to deal with foreign debt repayment spikes in 2019 to world's 3rd largest exporter of tea.[282]
2021.[290][291][292]

In September 2021, Sri Lanka declared a major economic crisis.[293] The Chief of its Central Bank has stepped down amid the crisis.[294] The Parliament has declared
emergency regulations due to the crisis, seeking to ban "food hoarding".[295][296]

Tourism, which provided the economy with an input of foreign currency, has significantly declined as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[297]

Transport
Sri Lanka has an extensive road network for inland transportation. With more than 100,000 km (62,000 mi) of paved roads,[298] it has one of the highest road densities in
the world (1.5 km or 0.93 mi of paved roads per every 1 km2 or 0.39 sq mi of land). The road network consists of 35 A-Grade highways and four controlled-access
highways.[299][300] A and B grade roads are national (arterial) highways administered by Road Development Authority.[301] C and D grade roads are provincial roads
coming under the purview of the Provincial Road Development Authority of the respective province. The other roads are local roads falling under local government
authorities.

The railway network, operated by the state-run National Railway operator Sri Lanka Railways, spans 1,447 kilometres (900 mi).[302] Sri Lanka also has three deep-water
ports at Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee, in addition to the newest port being built at Hambantota.

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