What kind of country is sri lanka

These harsh measures antagonised the locals, and another rebellion broke out in A devastating leaf disease, Hemileia vastatrix , struck the coffee plantations in , destroying the entire industry within 15 years.

The British quickly found a replacement; abandoning coffee, they began cultivating tea plantations in its stead. Tea production in Sri Lanka thrived within the decades to come.

Large scale rubber plantations began in the early 20th century. By the end of the 19th century, a new educated social class which transcended the divisions of race and caste was emerging as a result of British attempts to nurture a range of professionals for the Ceylon Civil Service and for the legal, educational, and medical professions.

The country's new leaders represented the various ethnic groups of the population in the Ceylon Legislative Council on a communal basis. In the meantime, attempts were underway for Buddhist and Hindu revivalism and to react against Christian missionary activities on the island.

The first two decades in the 20th century are distinguished for the harmony that prevailed among Sinhalese and Tamil political leadership, which has not been the case ever since. In , major Sinhalese and Tamil political organizations united to form the Ceylon National Congress, under the leadership of Ponnambalam Arunachalam. It kept pressing the colonial masters for more constitutional reforms. But due to its failure to appeal to the masses and the governor's encouragement for "communal representation" by creating a "Colombo seat" that dangled between Sinhalese and Tamils, the Congress lost its momentum towards the mid s.

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. In , Tamil leader G. The Soulbury constitution ushered in Dominion status for Ceylon, with independence proclaimed on 4 February The office of Prime Minister of Ceylon was created in , with D.

Senanayake as the first prime minister. Prominent Tamil leaders like Ponnambalam and Arunachalam Mahadeva joined his cabinet. Although the country gained independence, the British Royal Navy remained stationed at Trincomalee until A countrywide popular demonstration against withdrawal of the rice ration, known as Hartal , resulted in the resignation of the then prime minister, Dudley Senanayake.

Bandaranaike was elected prime minister in His three-year rule had a profound impact on the direction of the country. Positioning himself as "defender of the besieged Sinhalese culture", he promised radical changes in the system.

He introduced the controversial Sinhala Only Act, recognising Sinhala as the only official language of the government. Although partially reversed in , the bill posed a grave concern for the Tamil community, which perceived in it a threat to their language and culture. The Federal Party FP launched a movement of non-violent resistance satyagraha against the bill, which prompted Bandaranaike to reach an agreement Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact with S. Chelvanayakam, leader of the FP, to resolve the looming ethnic conflict.

However 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.

Bandaranaike was assassinated by an extremist Buddhist monk in Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the widow of late S. During her second term as prime minister, the government instituted socialist economic polices, strengthening ties with the Soviet Union and China, while promoting a policy of non-alignment. In , Ceylon experienced a Marxist insurrection, which was quickly suppressed. In , with the adoption of a new constitution, the country became a republic, repudiating its dominion status and changing its name to Sri Lanka.

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 s. The policy of standardization by the Sirimavo government to rectify disparities created in university enrollment, which was in essence an affirmative action to assist geographically disadvantaged students to obtain tertiary education, resulted in reducing the proportion of Tamil students at university level and acted as the immediate catalyst for the rise of militancy.

The assassination of Jaffna Mayor Alfred Duraiyappah in marked a crisis point. The Government of J. Jayawardene swept to power in , defeating the largely unpopular United Front government.

Jayawardene introduced a new constitution, together with a free market economy and a powerful executive presidency modelled after that of France.

It made Sri Lanka the first South Asian country to liberalise its economy. Following the riots in July , more than , Tamil civilians fled the island, seeking asylum in other countries. Lapses in foreign policy resulted in neighbouring India strengthening the Tigers by providing arms and training. Sri Lanka was affected by the devastating Asian tsunami, which left at least 35, people dead. From to , Sri Lankan government and Tamil insurgents held four rounds of peace talks without success.

Both LTTE and the government resumed fighting in , and the government officially backed out of the ceasefire in Overall, between 60, and , people were killed during the 26 years of conflict.

An Expert Panel convened by U. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reported that at least 40, Tamil civilians may have been killed in the final phases of the Sri Lankan civil war.

Following the LTTE's defeat, the Tamil National Alliance, the largest political party in Sri Lanka, dropped its demand for a separate state in favour of a federal solution.

The final stages of the war left some , people displaced. According to the Ministry of Resettlement, most of the displaced persons had been released or returned to their places of origin, leaving only 6, in the camps as of December Sri Lanka has emerged from its year war to become one of the fastest growing economies of the world. According to the 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.

It was reportedly passable on foot up to AD, until cyclones deepened the channel. The island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. Amongst these is the highest point Pidurutalagala, reaching 2, metres 8, ft above sea level. The climate of Sri Lanka can be described as tropical and warm. Its position endows the country with a warm climate moderated by ocean winds and considerable moisture.

Rainfall pattern of the country 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, millimetres Most of the east, southeast, and northern parts of the country comprise the "dry zone", which receives between 1, mm 47 in and 1, mm 75 in of rain annually.

The arid northwest and southeast coasts receive the least amount of rain at mm 31 in to 1, mm 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.

The longest of the rivers in the country is Mahaweli River, covering a distance of kilometres mi. These waterways give rise to 51 natural waterfalls, having a height of 10 meters or more. The highest one is Bambarakanda Falls, with a height of metres ft.

Sri Lanka's coastline is 1, km long. This is approximately 6. The coastline and adjacent waters support highly productive marine ecosystems such as fringing coral reefs, shallow beds of coastal and estuarine seagrasses. Sri Lanka inherits 45 estuaries and 40 lagoons too. Country's mangrove ecosystem which spans over 7, hectares, played a vital role in buffering the force in the waves of Indian Ocean tsunami.

Existence of Petroleum in the Gulf of Mannar has also been confirmed and extraction attempts are underway. Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, Sri Lanka is one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Although the country is relatively small in size, it has the highest biodiversity per 10, square km in Asia. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small loris, a variety of deer, the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and anteaters.

Varieties of flowering acacias are well adapted to the arid conditions and flourish on the Jaffna Peninsula. Among the trees of the dry-land forests, are some valuable species such as satinwood, ebony, ironwood, mahogany and teak. In the wet zone, the dominant vegetation of the lowlands 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. The Yala National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and peacocks, and the Wilpattu National Park, the largest national park in Sri Lanka, in the northwest preserves the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills.

Out of these, Sinharaja forest reserve is home to 26 endemic birds and 20 rainforest species, including the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.

The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous. The Total vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings has been estimated to be around , individuals per hectare. In addition, Sri Lanka is home to over types of resident birds see List.

It has declared several bird sanctuaries including Kumana. During the Mahaweli Program of the s and s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of land totalling 1, km 2 sq mi as national parks. Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in South Asia. The Donoughmore Constitution, drafted by the Donoughmore Commission in enabled general elections with adult universal suffrage universal adult franchise in the country.

It was the first time a non-caucasian country within the empires of Western Europe was given one man, one vote and the power to control domestic affairs. The first election under the universal adult franchise, held in June , was for the Ceylon State Council. Jayatilaka was elected as the Leader of the House. In , the Soulbury Commission was appointed to draft a new constitution.

During this time, struggle for Independence was fought on "constitutionalist" lines under the leadership of D. The draft constitution was enacted in the same year and Senanayake was appointed as the Prime Minister from the parliamentary election in Sri Lanka is essentially a multi-party democracy with many smaller Buddhist, socialist and Tamil nationalist political parties.

As of July , the number of registered political parties in the country is UNP, established by D. Senanayake in , was considered to be the largest single political party until recently. It is the only political group which had a representation in all parliaments since the independence.

SLFP was founded by S. Following the parliamentary election in July , Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the prime minister and the world's first elected female head of state. The Secretariat has worked with Sri Lanka to measure the contribution of sport and physical education to sustainable development.

Sri Lanka champions the Action Group on mangrove ecosystems and livelihoods. The Action Group held its first meeting in Negombo in October Since then, Sri Lanka demarcated 14, hectares of land which includes thousands of hectares to be allocated for mangroves. Sri Lanka also plans to expand its task force for mangrove restoration to engage all stakeholders from government, private sector and community based organisations.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the latest member of a powerful Sinhalese Buddhist political dynasty to hold high office in Sri Lanka - his elder brother Mahinda served two terms as president. Gotabaya came to prominence as his brother's defence chief in , when he won much of the credit for bringing the Tamil separatist insurgency to an end. But allegations of war crimes and the disappearance of government critics during and after the conflict cast a shadow over the victory.

Sri Lanka's Tamil, Muslim and Hindu communities overwhelmingly voted for his opponent Sajith Premadasa, and the new president faces a challenge in uniting his country. Read full profile. Sri Lanka's media divide along language and ethnic lines.

The General Education Modernization GEM project, launched in October , seeks to promote learning outcomes in English and Mathematics, develop the socio-emotional skills of students, and enhance teacher performance. The Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development AHEAD is helping increase enrollment in priority disciplines for economic development, improve the labor market of degree programs, and promote research and development and innovations for economic growth.

Approximately 70, university students have benefited from direct interventions to enhance learning. Around 60 percent of these students are female. The IWMS contains data on almost 2. The new IWMS will generate information that can be used to better identify and deliver the support for households, reduce overlaps, and eliminate leakages in welfare programs. The beneficiaries include elderly, persons with disabilities, patients of chronic kidney disease, and people from helpless community groups whose livelihoods are directly or indirectly lost due to the pandemic.

The ongoing Climate Resilience Improvement Project CRIP , implemented since , has achieved major results: rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and the construction of physical protections against landslides along key corridors, school premises and other critical locations; and the development of basin-wide investment plans for 10 river basins based on the modern flood modeling approach.

The World Bank strengthened its support for Climate Change in Sri Lanka when Sri Lanka recognized its needs to access climate finance to scale up climate change mitigation activities. The agriculture sector still employs approximately 27 percent of the population, although its contribution to GDP has declined to 6.

Around 80 percent of agricultural land is under smallholder production, with around 1. The World Bank program in Sri Lanka responds to these challenges by addressing some long-standing issues around productivity, private sector investment, value chains, policy reform, and adaptation to climate change.

A core principle of the program is private sector-led smallholder agricultural transformation. This involves a change in mindset among public institutions to recognize their role in creating the necessary conditions, stimulating private finance and bringing in private sector solutions. The Agriculture Sector Modernization Project ASMP includes different instruments to introduce modern technology to smallholder farmers and connect them to value chains, crowd in private finance and support the development of strategic market infrastructure, including roads.

The project has helped to increase incomes of farmers, including women, through improved productivity and establishment of farmer groups; upgrade standards in the food processing industry; transform specific sub-sectors, such as tropical fruits, shrimp and ornamental fish; create more and better-quality jobs; and boost competitiveness and new markets through clustering and scale. To enable smallholder farmers to raise productivity, the project is linking them to value chains and pushing new applications of technology, including real-time agricultural-meteorological information.

The production programs, together with the infrastructure investments such as tank rehabilitation, extension modernization and marketing infrastructure helped to boost employment, revived food supply chains, and supported economic activities in project areas.

Thus far, the project supported the production of 2, MT of groundnut and MT of chili, representing 9 percent and 0. Sri Lanka has made a significant progress in providing its people with basic water supply and sanitation.

Some 92 percent of the population has access to improved drinking water and 94 percent to basic sanitation. The Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project has made substantial contributions to providing hour treated piped water supply and sanitation services in rural, peri-urban and estate areas in seven of the poorest districts in the country Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Monaragala, Kegalle, and Ratnapura.

In addition to constructing infrastructure, the project conducts extensive behavior change activities to promote hygiene, and trains and develops community-based organizations to operate and maintain their water supply systems.

Additional Financing was recently approved for this project and in aggregate it aims to benefit more than 1,, people with improved water supply and sanitation promoting water security, health and resilience. The project is undertaking rehabilitation of 36 dams and 19 irrigation canal systems in seven provinces out of nine, and targets to provide improved irrigation services for more than , ha.

The project will carry out evidence-based watershed modelling, simulations, and detailed GIS analysis and, in turn, develop a cascade of watershed management plans, ranging from a plan for the entire watershed down to the mini-watersheds focusing on Upper-Mahaweli watershed. In addition to the infrastructure development, project aims to develop guidelines for dam safety inspection and monitoring assisting the government agencies to sustainably manage the hydraulic assets.

The project is undertaking select investments to strengthen the capacity of the Colombo Metropolitan Area CMA authorities to rehabilitate, improve and maintain local infrastructure and services.

The Project is delivering a set of hard-engineering solutions to protect the city against flood events.