Country information - Sri Lanka

Recent history in brief

The country previously known as Ceylon gained its independence in 1948. In 1972, the Republic of Sri Lanka was founded. The majority of the population is ethnic Singhalese, most of them Buddhist. In 1983 the Singhalese and Tamil, who are predominantly Hindu, started a domestic war in which the Tamil fight for independence.

Tens of thousands already lost their lives and peace negotiations are still at an impasse. Recently violence erupted once again. The tsunami that hit the country in December 2004 only worsened the situation and made the daily lives of people even harder.

Country and lifestyle

Sri Lanka's most important sectors next to tourism are the food and textile industry. A fourth important source of income is domestic service in Arabic countries; close to 1 million workers have left Sri Lanka to serve families in the Middle East and use their wages to support their families back home.

Sri Lanka is an island and has plenty rivers and mountains. Agricultural production consists of rice, sugarcane, grain, spices, coconuts and tea and feeds into substantial processing and exporting businesses. The country has done quiet a good job in fighting poverty and saw clear poverty reduction since the final decades of the last century. However, the income gap is getting wider.

Facts & figures