Sri Lanka Passport

【 Country Name 】 The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

【 Area 】 65610 square kilometers.

Population: 22.03 million (2023). The Sinhalese ethnic group accounts for 75%, the Tamil ethnic group 16%, and the Moor ethnic group 9%. Sinhalese and Tamil are both official languages and national languages, while English is commonly used by the upper class. 70.2% of residents believe in Buddhism, 12.6% believe in Hinduism, 9.7% believe in Islam, in addition to Catholicism and Christianity.

Colombo, the capital, has a population of 1.1 million.

Head of State and Government: President Anura Dissanayake, elected in September 2024.

Independence Day: February 4th (1948).

【 Overview 】 An island nation in the Indian Ocean south of the South Asian subcontinent, facing India across the Baikal Strait to the northwest. Approaching the equator, it is like summer all year round, with an average annual temperature of 28 ℃. Influenced by the Indian Ocean monsoon, the southwest coastal areas have high humidity. The annual average precipitation is 2054 millimeters (2019). Beautiful scenery, known as the "pearl of the Indian Ocean".

2500 years ago, Aryans from North India immigrated to Ceylon to establish the Sinhalese dynasty. In 247 BC, King Ashoka of the Peacock Dynasty in India sent his son to the island to promote Buddhism, which was welcomed by the local king. From then on, the Sinhalese people abandoned Brahmanism and converted to Buddhism. Around the 2nd century BC, Tamil people in South India also began to migrate and settle on the island of Ceylon. From the 5th century to the 16th century, there were constant wars between the Sinhalese Kingdom and the Tamil Kingdom on the island. Since the 16th century, it has been ruled by both the Portuguese and Dutch. At the end of the 18th century, it became a British colony. In February 1948, it gained independence and was named Ceylon. On May 22, 1972, it was renamed the Republic of Sri Lanka. On August 16, 1978, the country's name was changed to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The President is the head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with the power to appoint the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet, convene parliament, declare its closure, and dissolve parliament. On September 21, 2024, Sri Lanka held presidential elections, and Desanayake was elected as the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka for a term of 5 years. He was sworn in on September 23. On September 24th, Desanayak appointed Amalasuria (female) as the 16th Prime Minister. The current constitution came into effect on September 7, 1978, becoming the fourth constitution in Sri Lanka's history. It abolished the long-standing British style parliamentary system and adopted a presidential system, following the example of France and the United States. The constitution has been amended multiple times since 1982.

The parliament is a unicameral system consisting of 225 members with a term of 5 years. The previous parliament was dissolved on September 24, 2024, and a new parliamentary election will be held on November 14. The speaker is temporarily unavailable.

The government

On September 24, 2024, Desanayak appointed a temporary cabinet of three people. The current members include: President and Minister of Defense, Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Policy, Planning and Tourism, Minister of Energy, and Minister of Agriculture, Land, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Anura Dissanayake. Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Minister of Justice, Public Administration, Provincial Council, Local Government and Labour, Minister of Women, Children, Youth and Sports, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, Cooperative Development, Industry and Enterprise Development, and Minister of Health Harini Amarasuriya. Foreign Minister and Minister of Public Security, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation, Minister of Buddhism, Religious and Cultural Affairs, National Unity, Social Security and Mass Media, Minister of Environment, Wildlife, Forest Resources, Water Supply, Plantations and Communities, Infrastructure Construction, Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Housing and Construction Vijitha Herath.

The country is divided into 9 provinces and 25 districts. The 9 provinces are Western Province, Central Province, Southern Province, Northwest Province, Northern Province, North Central Province, Eastern Province, Uva Province, and Sabaragamuwa Province.

The judicial system consists of three parts: courts, including the Supreme Court, appellate courts, high courts, and local courts; The Ministry of Justice is responsible for judicial administration work; The Judicial Committee is responsible for personnel and disciplinary inspections of the court. Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya of the Supreme Court took office in April 2019.

【 Political Party 】 (1) Sri Lanka People's Front (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna), formerly known as the Sri Lanka National Front Party established in 2001, was renamed "Our Sri Lanka Freedom Front Party" in 2015 and "Sri Lanka People's Front" in 2016. After the split of the Liberal Party in 2015, a large number of supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa turned to join the party. In 2018, the party won the local council elections with a significant advantage. In November 2019, the candidate nominated by the party, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, won the presidential election. Current party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa and chairman Gamini Lakshman Peiris.

(2) Sri Lanka Freedom Party: Founded in September 1951 by Solomon Bandaranaike. Adhere to an open market economy policy and a non aligned foreign policy. He was in power from 1956 to 1960, 1960 to 1964, 1970 to 1977, 1994 to 2001, and 2004 to 2018. It split four times in 1981, 1984, 1993, and 2015. The party has been deeply divided since 2024.

(3) Samagi Jana Balawegaya: Established by Sajith Premadasa, former deputy leader of the United National Party, and registered in February 2020, it is mainly composed of members of the United National Party, National Heritage Party, Muslim Congress Party, Tamil Progressive Union, and other political parties.

(4) United National Party: In September 1946, the Ceylon National Congress Party led by Senanayake, the Sinhalese Congress Party led by Bandaranaike, and the All Ceylon Muslim League led by Jaya merged to form the United National Party. Advocate for an economic policy of free competition, openness to the outside world, and a non aligned foreign policy. He has been independent or in coalition with other political parties from 1948 to 1956, March to July 1960, 1965 to 1970, 1977 to 1994, and 2001 to 2004. The party leader is former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

(5) Tamil National Alliance: Established in October 2001, it consists of four Tamil political parties: the Tamil United Liberation Front, the Ilam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front, the Tamil Liberation Organization, and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress Party. Its headquarters are located in Jaffna, a predominantly Tamil community in northern Sri Lanka. Advocate for the Tamil people's right to national self-determination and call on the government to protect their rights. Since 2011, the party has engaged in multiple rounds of dialogue with the Sri Lankan government on political solutions to ethnic issues.

(6) The People's Liberation Front (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna) was founded in 1970, with its main members coming from the then Ceylon Communist Party. Until the early 1990s, the party persisted in armed struggle. Since the 1990s, policies have been adjusted and the path of parliamentary struggle has been chosen. The current party leader is Anura Dissanayake, and the general secretary is Tilvin Silva. In 2018, he led the establishment of the Political Alliance National People's Power (NPP), including 28 left-wing political parties, political groups and social organizations including JVP.

(7) The Supreme Lanka Coalition: Established in September 2022, the party was formed after seven left-wing and nationalist parties separated from the ruling coalition due to the 2022 economic crisis. The chairman is Wimal Weerawansa, the chairman of the left-wing political party National Liberal Front (NFF).

Other political parties and organizations include the Muslim Congress Party, the National Heritage Party, the Democratic Party, the Ceylon Workers' Congress Party, the Iram People's Democratic Party, and the Communist Party of Sri Lanka.

The conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (referred to as the "Tigers") has lasted for 26 years, resulting in over 70000 deaths. In February 2002, with the mediation of Norway, the two sides signed a permanent ceasefire agreement and held six rounds of peace talks. In April 2003, the "Tiger" withdrew from the peace talks, and the peace process was declared interrupted. In February and October 2006, the two sides held two rounds of peace talks, but were unable to reach an agreement. In July 2007, the government army recaptured Dongfang Province and advanced towards the northern "Tiger" controlled area. In January 2008, the Sri Lankan government announced its withdrawal from the Permanent Cease fire Agreement. In January 2009, the government army recaptured towns such as Kirinochi, the administrative capital of the Tiger. In May, President Si announced the success of military operations, reclaiming all areas controlled by the "Tigers" and eliminating major leaders of the "Tigers" such as Prabakalan. At present, the Sri Lankan government is actively promoting post-war civilian resettlement and economic and social reconstruction, and the overall political, economic, and security situation is tending towards stability.

After the elimination of the "Tiger" organization, Western countries continued to pressure Sri Lanka on issues such as the resettlement of displaced persons (IDP) and human rights. Driven by some Western countries and non-governmental organizations, UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon announced the establishment of an expert group in June 2010 to investigate violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law and abuses committed during the civil war in Sri Lanka. Western countries have also repeatedly promoted the adoption of resolutions related to Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Sri Lankan government has established a Lessons Learned and National Reconciliation Commission to investigate violations of international human rights law principles since 2002. In October 2015, the human rights proposal concerning Sri Lanka, which was proposed by the United States and co sponsored by Sri Lanka, was adopted at the 30th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The resolution supports Sri Lanka's domestic investigation. In February 2020, the Sri Lankan government announced that it would no longer co sponsor relevant resolutions.

On April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka suffered the most serious terrorist attack since the end of the civil war, causing significant casualties and economic losses. The Sri Lankan government is fully committed to combating terrorism, apprehending criminals, and gradually restoring domestic order and stability.

Main government agency websites

Sri Lanka Government Network: www.gov.lk

Office of the President of Sri Lanka www.presidents. gov.lk

Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mfa.gov.lk

[Important Figures]

Anura Desanayake: President, born on November 24, 1968 in Anuradhapura, North Central Province. Born as a commoner, graduated from the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka with a major in Engineering and Physics. First elected as a member of parliament in 2000, appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Livestock in 2004, and remained in opposition for a long time after leaving the government in 2005. Elected as President on September 22, 2024.

Harriet Amalasuria: Prime Minister, born on March 6, 1970 in Galle, Southern Province. Obtained a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Delhi University in India, a Master's degree in Applied Anthropology from Macquarie University in Australia, and a PhD in Social Anthropology and International Health Development from the University of Edinburgh in the UK. He became a member of parliament for the first time in 2020 and was appointed as the Prime Minister on September 24, 2024.

Vegeta Herat: Foreign Minister, born on May 1, 1968 in Badule, Swo Province. Obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka. Elected as a member of parliament for the first time in 2000, appointed as Minister of Culture and Heritage in 2004, and remained in opposition for a long time after leaving the government in 2005. Appointed as Foreign Minister on September 24, 2024.

The economy is mainly based on plantation economy, with main crops including tea, rubber, coconut, and rice. The industrial foundation is weak, mainly focused on agricultural products and clothing processing industry. Take the lead in implementing economic liberalization policies among South Asian countries. Starting from 1978, the economic opening-up policy was implemented, vigorously attracting foreign investment, promoting privatization, and gradually forming a market economy pattern. In recent years, the Sri Lankan economy has maintained a moderate growth rate. From 2005 to 2008, the national economic growth rate of Sri Lanka reached or exceeded 6% for four consecutive years, marking the first time since independence. Since 2008, due to the impact of the international financial crisis, Sri Lanka's foreign exchange reserves have significantly decreased, resulting in a decline in income from major export commodities such as tea and rubber, as well as short-term foreign investment. After the end of the domestic military conflict in Sri Lanka, the government took a series of proactive measures to respond. In 2022, Sri Lanka experienced its most severe economic crisis since independence. The current macroeconomic situation in Sri Lanka is gradually recovering, but it still faces difficulties such as heavy external debt burden. The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 88.4 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 4012.7 US dollars.

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate (in Rupees):- 2.3%.

Currency name: Rupee.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 305.4 rupees.

Inflation rate: 17.4%.

Unemployment rate: 4.7%.

(Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka Annual Report 2023)

The main mineral deposits include graphite, gemstones, titanium iron, zircon, mica, etc. Graphite, gemstones, mica, etc. have been mined. The fishery, forestry, and hydropower resources are abundant.

Industry mainly includes textile, clothing, leather, food, beverage, tobacco, paper, wood, chemical, petroleum processing, rubber, plastic and metal processing, and machine assembly industries, mostly concentrated in the Colombo region. In 2022, industrial output accounted for 27.5% of GDP.

The arable land area is 4 million hectares, of which 2 million hectares have been utilized. The main crops are tea, rubber, coconut, etc. The agricultural output value will account for approximately 7.5% of GDP in 2022.

The proportion of service industry output value to GDP in 2022 is about 60.5%, and industries such as trade, transportation, and information and communication are growing rapidly.

The tourism industry is an important component of the Sri Lankan economy. Tourists mainly come from countries and regions such as Europe, India, China, and Southeast Asia. From 2003 to 2005, the number of foreign tourists visiting Sri Lanka exceeded 500000 for three consecutive years. Since the end of 2005, the conflict between the Sri Lankan government army and the "Tigers" has had a certain impact on the tourism industry. In 2009, with the improvement of the situation in Sri Lanka, the tourism industry gradually recovered and showed a rapid development trend. In 2019, the development momentum of the tourism industry was further affected by the 4.21 terrorist attacks. The number of inbound travelers in 2019 was 1.914 million, a year-on-year decrease of 18%. The number of tourists in 2021 was only 194500. The number of tourists will recover to 720000 in 2022. By 2023, the number of tourists will increase to 1.5 million.

There are 12537 kilometers of highways and 1648 kilometers of railways in China. The main ports are Colombo, Hambantota, Gaul, and Trincomalee. Colombo Airport and Hambantota (Matara) Airport are international airports. Sri Lanka Airlines operates international aviation business.

In 2021, the fiscal revenue was 7.326 billion US dollars, the fiscal expenditure was 17.708 billion US dollars, and the fiscal deficit was 10.382 billion US dollars. Overseas labor remittances of 5.97 billion US dollars in 2023. By the end of 2023, foreign exchange reserves will be approximately 4.4 billion US dollars, with an inflation rate of about 3%.

Implement a free foreign trade policy, allowing for the free import of all goods except for government controlled oil. In recent years, the structure of export trade has undergone fundamental changes, shifting from agricultural products to industrial products. The main export commodities are textiles, clothing, tea, rubber and its products, and jewelry products. The main import targets are India, China, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, Australia, etc.

In recent years, the foreign trade situation is as follows (in billions of US dollars):