Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Question # 1 What are examples of places in Sri Lanka?

Cities Colombo Jaffna Kandy Trincomalee

People 650,000 170,000 110,000 110,000

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html http://www.geonames.org/LK/largest-cities-in-sri-lanka.html http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sri-lanka-population/

Sri Lanka is about 1.5 times larger than Switzerland.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sz.html

Many of the 22 million people in Sri Lanka live in and around Colombo.

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sri-lanka-population/

The air in Sri Lanka is nearly always moist.

There is no Winter.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 19.

Places south of Colombo, along the coast, are famous for their calm seas, coral reefs and brilliant tropical fish.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 197.

Question # 2 Who are the people of Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is a country of multiple ethnicities, but the two most prominent are the Sinhalese and the Tamils.  The Sinhalese make up around 75% of the population and live in the central and southwestern parts of the country. The Sinhalese are predominantly Buddhist, and thus it is the major religion in the country.  The Tamils make up around 12% of the population and are thus the largest minority present in the country. The Tamils practice Hinduism.

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/sri-lanka-population/

Jaffna has been populated by Tamils for at least 2,000 years.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 206.

Very few Hindus eat beef, because a cow is considered a sacred animal.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 206.

Other minorities in Sri Lanka:

 The Moors and the Malays who are both Muslim by religion.  Burghers many of whom descended from the Portuguese and Dutch settlers.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 11.

The power distance in Sri Lanka is very strong

https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/

The first female Prime Minister of any country in the world was Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike. In 1960, she became the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 233.

Question # 3 What kind of food do people in Sri Lanka grow?

Rice is the largest crop in Sri Lanka. It is grown in about 1 million holdings spread all over the country.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 81.

Popular fruits, which grow in Sri Lanka, are

pineapple, banana, papaya and mango.

Banana grows all year around.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 73.

https://pixabay.com/en/bananas-sri-lanka-square-3608334/

Examples of spices, which are grown in Sri Lanka, are cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, garlic and pepper.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 73.

Question # 4 How is the political structure in Sri Lanka?

There are 225 members of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Parliament members are elected for 6 year terms.

http://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=601538244&Country=Sri%20Lanka&topic=Summary&subtopic=Political+structure

The President of Sri Lanka can  dissolve parliament at any point of time and call for fresh elections.  declare war and peace in Sri Lanka.  enact measures without parliamentary approval during a public emergency.

http://www.123independenceday.com/sri-lanka/political-system.html

The 1978 constitution vested strong executive powers in the president, but the approval in April 2015 of the 19th Amendment curtailed the power of the executive office somewhat by reintroducing term limits limiting the president to two 5-year terms - and requiring the president to consult the prime minister regarding ministerial appointments.

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2016/sri-lanka

A short history of Sri Lanka:  The first Sinhalese arrived in Sri Lanka late in the 6th century B.C., probably from northern India.  In the 14th century, a south Indian dynasty established a Tamil kingdom in northern Sri Lanka.  The Portuguese controlled the coastal areas of the island in the 16th century followed by the Dutch in the 17th century.  Sri Lanka was ceded to the British in 1796, became a crown colony in 1802, and was formally united under British rule by 1815.  The island became independent in 1948 under the name “Ceylon”.  Its name was changed from “Ceylon” to “Sri Lanka” in 1972. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ce.html

Question # 5 How is the economy of Sri Lanka developing?

Sri Lanka GDP per capita in USD

https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/gdp-per-capita

Sri Lanka GDP annual growth rate

https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/gdp-growth-annual

Sri Lanka foreign direct investment – net inflows

https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/foreign-direct-investment

Sri Lanka unemployment rate

https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/unemployment-rate

Sri Lanka tourist arrivals

https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/tourist-arrivals

Question # 6 What are examples of innovation success and innovation potential in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka reduced maternal mortality ratio from 2000 deaths per 100,000 live births in the 1930s to 33 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015.

http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/254825

The reduction in maternal mortality is one of country’s greatest public health achievements.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the government of Sri Lanka expanded free

healthcare services throughout the country. The number of skilled practitioners attending to births has increased significantly. In 1940, 30 % of births were attended by skilled practitioners, compared to 99.9 % of births in 2015. Health professionals specializing in pregnancy and childbirth visit pregnant women at home and register them for antenatal care, providing a critical link to the health system. http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/254825

The life expectancy of people in Sri Lanka has grown significantly

https://data.worldbank.org/country/sri-lanka

There is strong potential in Sri Lanka to involve women more.

In Sri Lanka, women  make up 35% of the labour force.  hold 6% of seats in the Parliament.

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2017/sri-lanka http://hdr.undp.org/en/composite/GII

The mission of http://www.portcitycolombo.lk/ is to develop the most liveable city in South Asia - a city built on sustainable values, a healthy environment with future ready infrastructure to enhance living convenience. The port city is for all.

Through the port city, Colombo will be transformed into a world class “Smart City�.

http://www.portcitycolombo.lk/press/2018/09/30/colombo-a-world-class-smart-city-soon.html

https://twitter.com/PortCityColombo/status/1038080680884764673

Port City Colombo

The construction sector of Sri Lanka will be boosted by government support for infrastructure projects and the positive impact of the July 2017 takeover of the Hambantoa port by the Chinese company http://www.cmport.com.hk/

Hambantoa

https://www.coface.com/Economic-Studies-and-Country-Risks/Sri-Lanka https://www.google.com/maps/

https://busseat.lk/ provide a simple way to book your bus tickets in Sri Lanka.

http://pickme.lk/ is the Sri Lankan version of Uber.

Using https://www.quickee.lk/ you can order things and get them delivered.

In Sri Lanka, education is funded by the State and offered free of charge at all levels – including university level.

The literacy rate in Sri Lanka has increased from 58% in 1946 to over 90% today.

http://www.ide.go.jp/library/Japanese/Publish/Download/Report/2013/pdf/C02_ch7.pdf

There is a very large potential to make Internet available to more people in Sri Lanka.

Less than 30% of the population use the Internet.

http://internetworldstats.com/asia.htm#lk

https://www.senzmate.com/ is a Sri Lankan based Internet of Things and Machine to Machine solution company.

Pearls, sapphires, rubies and other precious stones were among the earliest exports from Sri Lanka.

Source H. A. J. Hulugalle: Ceylon yesterday – Sri Lanka today, page 105.