Sri Lanka

The Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka (commonly kent as Sri Lanka (/[unsupported input]sriːˈlɑːŋkə/, /sriːˈlæŋkə/, or /ʃriː ˈlɑːŋkə/ ( listen)); Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Tamil: இலங்கை) is a kintra aff the soothren coast o the Indian subcontinent. An island naition in Sooth Asie, it wis till 1972 kent as Ceylon (/[unsupported input]sᵻˈlɒn/, /seɪˈlɒn/, or /siːˈlɒn/). Sri Lanka is surroondit bi the Indian Ocean, the Gulf o Mannar, the Palk Strait an lies in the vicinity o Indie an Maldives.

Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka ශ්‍රී ලංකා ප්‍රජාතාන්ත්‍රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජය (Sinhala) Srī Lankā prajātāntrika samājavādī janarajaya இலங்கை ஜனநாயக சோசலிச குடியரசு (Tamil) Ilaṅkai jaṉanāyaka sōsalisa kuṭiyarasu
Banner Emblem
Anthem: "Sri Lanka Matha" Mither Sri Lanka
Caipital	Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (Admeenistrative) Colombo (Commercial) 6°56′N 79°52′E / 6.933°N 79.867°E / 6.933; 79.867
Lairgest ceety	Colombo
Offeecial leids	Sinhala Tamil
Recognised	Inglis
Ethnic groups (2012)	74.9% Sinhalese 11.2% Sri Lankan Tamils 9.2% Sri Lankan Moors 4.2% Indie Tamils 0.5% ither
Releegion	70.2% Buddhism 12.6% Hinduism 9.7% Islam 7.4% Christianity 0.1% Ither/Nane
Demonym(s)	Sri Lankan
Govrenment	Unitar semi-presidential constitutional republic
• Preses	Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
• Prime Meenister	Mahinda Rajapaksa
• Speaker o the Pairlament	Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena
• Chief Juistice	Jayantha Jayasuriya
Legislatur	Parliament
Unthirldom  frae the Unitit Kinrick
Aurie
• Total	65,610 km2 (25,330 sq mi) (120t)
• Water (%)	4.4
Population
• 2017 estimate	21,444,000 (58t)
• 2012 census	20,277,597 (57t)
• Density	327/km2 (846.9/sq mi) (43rd)
GDP (PPP)	2018 estimate
• Total	$298.310 billion
• Per capita	$13,847
GDP (nominal)	2018 estimate
• Tot	$86.607 billion
• Per capita	$4,020
Gini (2010)	36.4 medium
HDI (2016)	0.766 heich · 73rd
Currency	Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (SLST)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy yyyy-mm-dd
Drivin side	caur
Cawin code	+94
ISO 3166 code	LK
Internet TLD	.lk .ලංකා .இலங்கை
Wabsteid www.gov.lk

Sri Lanka is a republic an a unitary state which is governed bi a semi-presidential seestem wi its offeecial seat o government in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the caipital.

As a result o its location in the path o major sea routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link atween Wast Asie an Sootheast Asie. It haes an aa been a centre o the Buddhist releegion an cultur frae auncient times an is ane o the few remainin abodes o Buddhism in Sooth Asie alang wi Ladakh, Bhutan an the Chittagong hill tracts The Sinhalese community forms the majority o the population; Tamils, who are concentratit in the north an east o the island, form the lairgest ethnic minority. Ither communities include Moors, Burghers, Kaffirs, Malays an the aboreeginal Vedda fowk.

The kintra is famous for the production an export o tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber an cinnamon, the latter which is native tae the kintra. The naitural beauty Sri Lanka haes led tae the title The Pearl o the Indian Ocean, it is full o lush tropical forests, white beaches an diverse landscape throughoot alang wi a rich biodiversity. The kintra lays claim tae a lang an colorful history o ower three thoosan years, haein ane o the langest documentit histories in the warld. Sri Lanka's rich cultur can be attributit tae the mony different communities in the island. Sri Lanka is a foondin member state o SAARC an a member o the Unitit Nations, Commonweel o Naitions, G77 an Non-Aligned Movement.

In auncient times, Sri Lanka wis kent bi a variety o names: auncient Greek geographers cawed it Taprobane (/[unsupported input]təˈprɒbəniː/) an Arabs referred tae it as Serendib (the oreegin o the wird "serendipity"). Ceilão wis the name gien tae Sri Lanka bi the Portuguese when thay arrived in 1505, which wis transliteratit intae Inglis as Ceylon. As a Breetish croun colony, the island wis kent as Ceylon, an achieved unthirldom unner the name Dominion o Ceylon in 1948.

In Sinhala the kintra is kent as ශ්‍රී ලංකා śrī laṃkā, IPA: [ʃɾiːˈlaŋkaː], an the island itsel as ලංකාව laṃkāva, IPA: [laŋˈkaːʋə]. In Tamil thay are baith இலங்கை ilaṅkai, IPA: [iˈlaŋɡai]. The name derives frae the Sanskrit श्री लंका śrī (venerable) an lankā (island), the name o the island in the auncient Indian epics Mahabharata an the Ramayana.

In 1972, the offeecial name o the kintra wis chynged tae "Free, Sovereign an Independent Republic o Sri Lanka". In 1978 it wis chynged tae the "Democratic Socialist Republic o Sri Lanka".

The name Ceylon is still in uise in the names o a nummer o organisations; in 2011, the Sri Lankan government annoonced a plan tae rename aw o those for which it is responsible.