Sri Lanka, general information

When the new constitution came into force on 22 May 1972, the state was renamed «Sri Lanka» - from 1978 «Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka». The name Sri Lanka comes from Sanskrit and means «honourable island» or «shining country».

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Population: 21 million

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Size: 65 610 km2

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Location: South-east of India in the Indian Ocean, 880 km north of the equator

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Capital: Colombo

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Languages: Sinhala and Tamil, English is widely spoken

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Religions: 70% Buddhists, 7% Hindu, 6% Christian, 8% Muslims

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Currency: Sri Lanka Rupee (LKR)

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Disabilities: About 9% of the total population living with a disability. In one third of cases, the disabilities are treated.

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Unemployment rate: 4.6%, for young people 20% (status 2019)