1. SRI LANKA
SUBMITTED BY:- NITESH RANJAN (B100472EE), B-BATCH ,ROLL NO -14

2. SRI LANKA
INTRODUCTION
Independence from the United Kingdom
-
Dominion
4 February 1948
-
Republic
22 May 1972
-
Current constitution
Capital
7 September 1978
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte (6°54′ N 79°54′ E)
Largest city – Colombo
Official languages- Sinhala Tamil
Area
-
Total 65,610 km2 (122nd) 25,332 sq mi
-
Water (%)
4.4
Population
-
2012 census 20,277,597 (57th)
-
Density
323/km2 (40th) ,836.6/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2012 estimate
-
Total $127 billion (64th)
-
Per capita
$6,135 (111th)
HDI (2012)
0.715[7], high 92nd
Currency
Sri Lankan rupee (LKR)

3. MAP OF SRI LANKA (POLITICAL)

4. GEOGRAPHY
Sri Lanka lies on the Indian tectonic plate, a minor plate within the IndoAustralian Plate. It is in the Indian Ocean southwest of the Bay of Bengal,
between latitudes 5° and 10°N, and longitudes 79° and 82°E.Sri Lanka is
separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf ofMannar and the Palk
Strait. According to the Hindu mythology, a land bridge existed between the
Indian mainland and Sri Lanka. It now amounts to only a chain of limestone
shoals remaining above sea level. It was reportedly passable on foot up to
1480 AD, until cyclones deepened the channel
The longest of the 103 rivers in the country is Mahaweli River, covering 335
kilometres (208 mi). These waterways give rise to 51 natural waterfalls of
10 meters or more. The highest is Bambarakanda Falls, with a height of 263
metres (863 ft).[ Sri Lanka's coastline is 1,585 km long. It claims an Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles, approximately 6.7 times
the country's land area. The coastline and adjacent waters support highly
productive marine ecosystems such as fringing coral reefs, shallow beds of
coastal and estuarine seagrasses.Sri Lanka inherits 45 estuaries and 40
lagoons too.Country's mangrove ecosystem which spans over 7,000
hectares, played a vital role in buffering the force in the waves of 2004
Indian Ocean tsunami. The island is rich with minerals such as Ilmenite,
Feldspar, Graphite, Silica, Kaolin, Mica and Thorium.Existence of Petroleum
in the Gulf of Mannar has also been confirmed and extraction attempts are
underway
HISTORY

5. In antiquity, Sri Lanka was known to travellers by a variety of names. Known in
India as Lanka or Sinhala, ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane pron.:
/təˈ
prɒbəniˈ/ and Arabs referred to it as Serendib (the origin the word
of
"serendipity").Ceilão was the name given to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese when
they arrived in 1505, which was transliterated into English as Ceylon.As a
British crown colony, the island was known as Ceylon, and achieved
independence as the Dominion of Ceylon in 1948.
In Sinhala the country is known as
śrīlaṃ IPA: *ʃɾiˈˈlaŋkaˈ+,
kā,
and the island itself as
laṃ
kāva, IPA: *laŋˈkaˈ
ʋə].[citation needed] In
Tamil they are both
ilaṅkai, IPA: [iˈlaŋai]. The name derives from
ɡ
the Sanskrit
śrī (venerable) and lankā (island).its name in the
ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and the Ramayana. In 1972, the name was
changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka". In 1978 it
was changed to the "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka". The name
Ceylon is still in use in the names of a number of organisations; in 2011, the Sri
Lankan government announced a plan to rename all of those for which it is
responsible.
PRE-HISTORIC TIME

6. The pre-history of Sri Lanka dates back over 125 thousand years Before Present
(BP) and possibly even as early as 500,000 BP.The era spans the Palaeolithic,
Mesolithic and early Iron ages. Among the Paleolithic (Homo erectus) human
settlements discovered in Sri Lanka, Pahiyangala (named after the Chinese
traveller monk Fa-Hsien), which dates back to 37,000 BP, Batadombalena
(28,500 BP) and Belilena (12,000 BP) are the most important. The remains of
Balangoda Man, an anatomically modern human, found inside these caves,
suggests that they may have engaged in agriculture and kept domestic dogs for
driving game.
ANCIENT SRI LANKA
According to the Mahāvamsa, a chronicle written in Pāli language, the
ancient period of Sri Lanka begins in 543 BC with the landing of Vijaya, a
semi-legendary king who sailed 860 nautical miles on eight ships to Sri
Lanka with 700 followers from the southwest coast of what is now theRarh
region of West Bengal. He established the Kingdom of Tambapanni, near
modern day Mannar. Vijaya is the first of the approximately 189 native
monarchs of Sri Lanka that the chronicles like Dipavamsa, Mahāvamsa,
Chulavamsa, and Rājāvaliya describe (see List of Sri Lankan monarchs). Sri
Lankan dynastic history spanned a period of 2359 years, from 543 BC to AD
1815, until the land became part of the British Empire.
The Kingdom of Sri Lanka moved to Anuradhapura in 380 BC, during the
reign of Pandukabhaya. Thereafter, Anuradhapura served as the capital of
the country for nearly 1400 years. Ancient Sri Lankans excelled in various
constructions such as tanks, dagobas and palaces. The society underwent a
major transformation during the reign of DevanampiyaTissa, with the
arrival of Buddhism from India. In 250 BC,bhikkhuMahinda (Sanskrit:
; Mahendra), the son of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka
arrived in Mihintale, carrying the message of Buddhism. His mission won
over the monarch, who embraced the faith and propagated it throughout
the Sinhalese population. The succeeding kingdoms of Sri Lanka would
maintain a large number of Buddhist schools and monasteries, and support
the propagation of Buddhism into other countries in Southeast Asia as well.
Sri Lankan Bikkhus studied in India's famous ancient Buddhist University of

7. Nalanda which was destroyed by Mohammed Kilji. It is probable that many
of the scriptures from Nalanda are preserved in Sri Lanka's many
monasteries. In 245 BC, bhikkhuniSangamitta arrived with the Jaya Sri Maha
Bodhi tree, which is considered to be a sapling from the historical Bodhi
tree under which Gautama Buddha became enlightened. It is considered
the oldest human-planted tree (with a continuous historical record) in the
world. (Bodhivamsa).
Medieval Sri Lanka
The medieval period of Sri Lanka begins with the fall of Anuradhapura
Kingdom. In AD 993, the invasion of Chola emperor Rajaraja I forced
the then Sri Lankan ruler Mahinda V to flee to the southern part of the
country. Taking advantage of this situation, Rajendra I, son of
Rajaraja I, launched a large invasion in AD 1017. Mahinda V was
captured and taken to India, and the Cholas sacked the city of
Anuradhapura. Subsequently, they moved the capital to
Polonnaruwa. This marked the end of the two great houses of
dynasties of ancient Sri Lanka, the Moriya and the Lambakanna.
Following a seventeen-year long campaign, Vijayabahu I successfully
drovethe Chola out of Sri Lanka in 1070, reuniting the country for the
first time in over a century. Upon his request, ordained monks were
sent from Burma to Sri Lanka to re-establish Buddhism, which had
almost disappeared from the country during the Cholareign.During
the medieval period, Sri Lanka was divided to three sub-territories,
namely Ruhunu, Pihiti and Maya
COLONIZATION

8. By the end of the 19th century, a new educated social class transcending race
and caste arose through British attempts to staff the Ceylon Civil Service and
the legal, educational, and medical professions. New leaders represented the
various ethnic groups of the population in the Ceylon Legislative Council on a
communal basis. Buddhist and Hindu revivalism reacted against Christian
missionary activities. The first two decades in the 20th century are noted by the
unique harmony among Sinhalese and Tamil political leadership, which has
since been lostIn 1919, major Sinhalese and Tamil political organisations united
to form the Ceylon National Congress, under the leadership of
PonnambalamArunachalam, pressing colonial masters for more constitutional
reforms. But without massive popular support, and with the governor's
encouragement for "communal representation" by creating a "Colombo seat"
that dangled between Sinhalese and Tamils, the Congress lost momentum
towards the mid-1920s.The Donoughmore reforms of 1931 repudiated the
communal representation and introduced universal adult franchise (the franchise
stood at 4% before the reforms). This step was strongly criticised by the Tamil
political leadership, who realised that they would be reduced to a minority in the
newly created State Council of Ceylon, which succeeded the legislative council.
In 1937, Tamil leader G. G. Ponnambalam demanded a 50–50 representation
(50% for the Sinhalese and 50% for other ethnic groups) in the State Council.
However, this demand was not met by the Soulbury reforms of 1944/45.
FLORA AND FAUNA

9. Lying within the Indomalayaecozone, Sri Lanka is one of 25 biodiversity
hotspots in the world. Although the country is relatively small in size, it has
the highest biodiversity density in Asia. Remarkably high proportion of
thespecies among its flora and fauna, 27% of the 3,210 flowering plants and
22% of the mammals , are endemic. Sri Lanka has declared 24 wildlife
reserves, which are home to a wide range of native species such as Asian
elephants, leopards, sloth bears, the unique small loris, a variety of deer,
the purple-faced langur, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and
anteaters.
Flowering acacias flourish on the arid Jaffna Peninsula. Among the trees of
the dry-land forests are valuable species such as satinwood, ebony,
ironwood, mahogany and teak. The wet zone is a tropical evergreen forest
with tall trees, broad foliage, and a dense undergrowth of vines and
creepers. Subtropical evergreen forests resembling those of temperate
climates flourish in the higher altitudes.
The Yala National Park in the southeast protects herds of elephant, deer, and
peacocks. The Wilpattu National Park, the largest, in the northwest preserves
the habitats of many water birds, such as storks, pelicans, ibis, and spoonbills.
The island has four biosphere reserves: Bundala, Hurulu Forest Reserve, the

10. Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya, and Sinharaja. Out of these, Sinharaja
forest reserve is home to 26 endemic birds and 20 rainforest species, including
the elusive Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie.
The untapped genetic potential of Sinharaja flora is enormous. Of the 211
woody trees and lianas within the reserve, 139 (66%) are endemic. The Total
vegetation density, including trees, shrubs, herbs and seedlings, has been
estimated at 240,000 individuals per hectare.
Sri Lanka is home to over 250 types of resident birds. It has declared several
bird sanctuaries including Kumana.] During the Mahaweli Program of the
1970s and 1980s in northern Sri Lanka, the government set aside four areas of
land totalling 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi) as national parks. However the country's
forest cover, which was around 49% in 1920, had been fallen to approximately
24% by 2009.
ECONOMY
According to the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka has a yearly gross
domestic output of US$59 billion as of 2010.[6] It has a GDP of US$116 billion
in terms of purchasing power parity. Sri Lanka is next only to Maldives in the
South Asian region in terms of per capita income, with a nominal value of
US$2,877 and PPP value of US$5,673.[6] It recorded a GDP growth of 8.3% in
2011.

11. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy,
famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea,
which remains a trademark national export. The development of modern ports
under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of
trade. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the government's
economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were
nationalised and a welfare state established. In 1977 the Free market economy
was introduced to the country, incorporating privatisation, deregulation and
the promotion of private enterprise.
While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other
commodities remain important, industrialisation has increased the importance
of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. Main economic
sectors of the country are tourism, tea export, clothing, rice production and
other agricultural products. In addition to these economic sectors, overseas
employment contributes highly in foreign exchange, most of them from the
Middle East. As of 2010, the service sector makes up 60% of GDP, the industrial
sector 28% and the agriculture sector 12%. The private sector accounts for 85%
of the economy. India is the largest trading partner of Sri Lanka. Economic
disparies exist between the provinces, with Western province contributing to
45.1% of the GDP, Southern province and Central province, 10.7% and 10%
respectively. With the end of the war, Northern province reported a record
22.9% GDP growth in 2010.
The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum
has listed Sri Lanka as a transitive economy, from factor-driven stage to
efficiency-driven stage, ranking 52nd in the global competitiveness. It also
ranked 45th in health and primary education, 32nd in business sophistication,
42nd in innovation and 41st in goods market efficiency out of the 142
countries surveyed. Sri Lanka ranks 8th in the World Giving Index, registering
high levels of contentment and charitable behaviour in its society.[243] In
2010, The New York Times placed Sri Lanka at number 1 position in 31 places
to visit. Dow Jones classified Sri Lanka as an emerging market in 2010, and

12. Citigroup classified it as a 3G country in February 2011.[245] Sri Lanka ranks
well above other South Asian countries in Human Development Index (HDI)
with 0.696 points.
Although poverty has reduced by 50% during last 5 years, malnutrition remains
a problem among children. 29% of the children under 5 years of age are
reported to be underweight. Nearly 58% of infants between 6 and 11 months
and 38% of children between 12 and 23 months are anaemic. While Dengue
remains the major infectious disease,[248] non-communicable diseasees
(NCDs) account for 85% of ill health, disability and early death in Sri
Lanka.[249] Sri Lankans have a life expectancy of 77.9 years at birth, which is
10% higher than the world average.Infant mortality rate stands at 8.5 per 1000
births and maternal mortality rate at 0.39 per 1000 births, which is in par with
figures of the developed countries. The universal, "pro-poor” health care
system adopted by the country has contributed much towards these figures.
Sri Lanka's road network consists of 35 A grade highways and 1 Controlledaccess highway (E01). The railway network, operated by the state-run national
railway operator, Sri Lanka Railways, spans 1,447 kilometres (900 mi).[253] Sri
Lanka also has three deep-water ports, at Colombo, Galle, and Trincomalee, in
addition to the newest port being built at Hambantota. The Trincomalee port is
the fifth largest natural harbour in the world. During world war 2 the British
stated they could place their entire navy in Trincomalee with room to spare. Its
flag carrier airline is the SriLankan Airlines. Fitch Ratings has affirmed Sri
Lanka's Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at 'BB-' with a
"stable" outlook.[citation needed]. With a grant of 20 million dollars from the
US and the help from China a space academy has been set up for the purpose
of developing an indigenous space sector to launch satellites of other nations
as well as for domestic use. The dual use of launching technology will also
serve to develop missile technology. On 26 September 2012 China launched Sri
Lanka's first satellite with intentions of more launches in the coming years.

13. GOVERNMENT
PARLIAMENT AND SUPREME COURT
Sri Lanka is a democratic republic and a unitary state which is governed by a
semi-presidential system, with a mixture of a presidential system and a
parliamentary system.[184] It constitutes a parliamentary system governed
under the constitution. Most provisions of the constitution can be amended by
a two-thirds majority in parliament. However, the amendment of certain basic
features such as the clauses on language, religion, and reference to Sri Lanka as
a unitary state require both a two-thirds majority and approval at a nationwide referendum.
In common with many democracies, the Sri Lankan government has three
branches:
Executive: The President of Sri Lanka is the head of state, the commander in
chief of the armed forces, as well as head of government, and is popularly
elected for a six-year term. In the exercise of duties, the President is
responsible to the parliament. The President appoints and heads a cabinet of
ministers composed of elected members of parliament. President is immune
from legal proceedings while in office in respect of any acts done or omitted to
be done by him either in his official or private capacity. With the 18th
amendment to the constitution in 2010, the President has no term limit, which
previously stood at 2.

14. Legislative: The Parliament of Sri Lanka, is a unicameral 225-member
legislature with 196 members elected in multi-seat constituencies and 29 by
proportional representation. Members are elected by universal (adult) suffrage
based on a modified proportional representation system by district to a sixyear term. The president may summon, suspend, or end a legislative session
and dissolve Parliament any time after it has served for one year. The
parliament reserves the power to make all laws. President's deputy, the Prime
Minister, leads the ruling party in parliament and shares many executive
responsibilities, mainly in domestic affairs.
Judicial: Sri Lanka's judiciary consists of a Supreme Court – the highest and final
superior court of record, a Court of Appeal, High Courts and a number of
subordinate courts. Its highly complex legal system reflects diverse cultural
influences. The Criminal law is almost entirely based on British law. Basic Civil
law relates to the Roman law and Dutch law. Laws pertaining to marriage,
divorce, and inheritance are communal. Due to ancient customary practices
and/or religion, the Sinhala customary law (Kandyan law), the Thesavalamai
and the Sharia law too are followed on special cases. The President appoints
judges to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, and the High Courts. A
judicial service commission, composed of the Chief Justice and two Supreme
Court judges, appoints, transfers, and dismisses lower court judges.
EDUCATION
With a literacy rate of 92.5%,Sri Lanka has one of the most literate populations
amongst developing nations. Its youth literacy rate stands at 98%,computer
literacy rate at 35%, and primary school enrolment rate at over 99%.An
education system which dictates 9 years of compulsory schooling for every
child is in place. The free education system established in 1945, is a result of
the initiative of C. W. W. Kannangara and A. Ratnayake. It is one of the few
countries in the world that provide universal free education from primary to
tertiary stage.
Kannangara led the establishment of the Madhya MahaVidyalayas (Central
Schools) in different parts of the country in order to provide education to Sri
Lanka's rural children. In 1942 a special education committee proposed
extensive reforms to establish an efficient and quality education system for the

15. people. However in the 1980s changes to this system saw the separation the of
administration of schools between the central government and the provincial
government. Thus the elite National Schools are controlled directly by the
Ministry of Education and the provincial schools by the provincial government.
Sri Lanka has approximately 9675 government schools, 817 private schools and
Pirivenas. The number of public universities in Sri Lanka is 15.However, lack of
responsiveness of the education system to labour market requirements,
disparities in access to quality education, lack of an effective linkage between
secondary and tertiary education remain major challenges for the education
sector. A number of private, degree awarding institutions have emerged in
recent times to fill in these gaps. But still, the participation at tertiary level
education hovers around 5.1%. The proposed private university bill has been
withdrawn by the Higher Education Ministry after university students’ heavy
demonstrations and resistance.
FOREIGN RELATION AND MILITARY AND LTTE

16. BOMB EXPLOSION REFERRED TO AS BLACK JULY
Sri Lanka is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). It has
cultivated relations with India while avoiding sacrificing independence.[206] It
became a member of the United Nations in 1955. Sri Lanka is also a member of
the Commonwealth, the SAARC, World Bank, International Monetary Fund,
Asian Development Bank and the Colombo Plan.
One of the two parties that have governed Sri Lanka since its independence,
UNP, traditionally favours links with the West, while its left-leaning
counterpart, SLFP favours links to the East. Sri Lankan Finance Minister J. R.
Jayewardene, together with the then Australian Foreign Minister Sir Percy
Spencer, proposed the Colombo Plan at Commonwealth Foreign Minister's
Conference held in Colombo in 1950. Sri Lanka argued for a free Japan, while
many countries were reluctant, at the San Francisco Peace Conference in 1951,
and refused to accept Japanese payment of reparations for that World War II
damage because it would harm Japan's economy. Sri Lanka-China relations
started as soon as the PRC was formed in 1949. Two countries signed an
important Rice-Rubber Pact in 1952. Sri Lanka played a vital role in Asian–
African Conference in 1955, which was an important step toward the
crystallisation of the NAM..

17. The Bandaranaike government of 1956 significantly changed the pro-western
policies set by the previous UNP government. It recognised the new Cuba
under Fidel Castro in 1959. Shortly after, Cuba's revolutionary Ernesto Che
Guevara paid a visit to Sri Lanka. The Sirima-Shastri Pact of 1964 and SirimaGandhi Pact of 1974 were signed between Sri Lankan and Indian leaders in an
attempt to solve the long standing dispute over the status of plantation
workers of Indian origin. In 1974, Kachchatheevu, a small island in Palk Strait
was formally ceded to Sri Lanka. By this time, Sri Lanka was strongly involved in
the NAM and Colombo held the fifth NAM summit of 1976. The relationship
between Sri Lanka and India became tensed under the government of J. R.
Jayawardene. As a result, India intervened in Sri Lankan Civil War and
subsequently deployed the Indian Peace Keeping Force in 1987. In the present,
Sri Lanka enjoys extensive relations with China, Russia and Pakistan.
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces, comprising the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy
and the Sri Lanka Air Force, comes under the purview of the Ministry of
Defence (MoD).The total strength of the three services is around 259,000
personnel, with nearly 36,000 reserves.Sri Lanka has not enforced military

18. conscription. Paramilitary units include the Special Task Force, the Civil Security
Force and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard.
Since independence in 1948, the primary focus of the armed forces has been
internal security, crushing three major insurgencies, two by Marxist militants of
the JVP and a 30-year long conflict with the LTTE which has been proscribed as
a terrorist organisation by 32 countries. The armed forces has thereby
expanded to its current size and are in a continuous mobilised state for the last
30 years. Marking a rare occurrence in modern military history, Sri Lankan
military was able to bring a decisive end to the Sri Lankan Civil War in May
2009. Sri Lanka claimed itself the first country in the modern world to
eradicate terrorism on its own soil. Sri Lankan Armed Forces have engaged in
United Nations peacekeeping operations since the early 1960s. It has
contributed with forces as permanent contingents deployed in several UN
peacekeeping missions in Chad, Lebanon and Haiti.
RECENT PICTURE SHOWING THE KILLING OF SON OF LTTE CHIEF
PRABHAKARAN SON BY THE BRUTAL USE OF BULLET BY SRI LANKAN ARMY.

19. CULTURE
The culture of Sri Lanka dates back over 2500 years. It is influenced primarily
by Buddhism and Hinduism. According to Islamic folklore, Adam and Eve were
offered refuge on the island as solace for their expulsion from the Garden of
Eden. The island is the home to two main traditional cultures: the Sinhalese
(centred in the ancient cities of Kandy and Anuradhapura) and the Tamil
(centred in the city of Jaffna). In more recent times, the British colonial culture
has also influenced the locals. Sri Lanka claims a democratic tradition matched
by few other developing countries.
The first Tamil immigration was probably around the 3rd century BC.Tamils coexisted with the Sinhalese people since then, and the early mixing rendered
the two ethnic groups almost physically indistinct. Ancient Sri Lanka is marked
for its genius in hydraulic engineering and architecture. The rich cultural
traditions shared by all Sri Lankan cultures is the basis of the country's long life
expectancy, advanced health standards and high literacy rate.
ART AND LITERATURE
The history of Sri Lankan painting and sculpture can be traced as far back as to
the 2nd or 3rd century BC. The earliest mention about the art of painting on

20. Mahavamsa, is to the drawing of a palace on cloth using cinnabar in the 2nd
century BC. The chronicles have description of various paintings in relicchambers of Buddhist stupas, and in monastic residence.
Theatre moved into the country when a Parsi company from Mumbai
introduced Nurti, a blend of European and Indian theatrical conventions to the
Colombo audience in 19th century. The golden age of Sri Lankan drama and
theatre began with the staging of Maname, a play written by
EdiriweeraSarachchandra in 1956. It was followed by a series of popular
dramas like Sinhabāhu, Pabāvatī, Mahāsāra, MuuduPuththu and
SubhasahaYasa.
Sri Lankan literature spans at least two millennia, and is heir to the Aryan
literary tradition as embodied in the hymns of the Rigveda. The Pāli Canon, the
standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, was
written down in Sri Lanka during the Fourth Buddhist council, at the Alulena
cave temple, Kegalle, as early as 29 BC. Ancient chronicles such as Mahāvamsa,
which was written in 6th century provide vivid descriptions of Sri Lankan
dynasty. According to the German philosopher Wilhelm Geiger, the chronicles
are based on Sinhala Atthakatha (commentary), that dates few more centuries
back. The oldest surviving prose work is the Dhampiya-Atuva-Getapadaya,
compiled in the 9th century. The greatest literary feats of medieval Sri Lanka
include SandeshaKāvya (poetic messages) such as GirāSandeshaya (Parrot
message), HansaSandeshaya (Swan message) and SalalihiniSandeshaya (Myna
message). Poetry including Kavsilumina, Kavya-Sekharaya (diadem of poetry)
and proses such as Saddharma-Ratnāvaliya, Amāvatura (Flood of nectar) and
Pujāvaliya are also notable works of this period, which is considered to be the
golden age of Sri Lankan literature.The first modern-day novel, Meena, a work
of Simon de Silva appeared in 1905, and was followed by a number of
revolutionary literary works. Martin Wickramasinghe, the author of
MadolDoova is considered the iconic figure of Sri Lankan literature.
FOODS AND FESTIVALS

21. RICH FOOD
BUDDHISM
Dishes include rice and curry, pittu, Kiribath, wholemeal Roti, String hoppers,
wattalapam (a rich pudding of Malay origin made of coconut milk, jaggery,
cashew nuts, eggs, and spices including cinnamon and nutmeg), kottu, and
hoppers.[288] Jackfruit may sometimes replace rice and curries. Traditionally
food is served on a plantain leaf.
Middle Eastern influences and practices are found in traditional Moor dishes,
while Dutch and Portuguese influences are found with the island's Burgher
community preserving their culture through traditional dishes such as Lamprais
(rice cooked in stock and baked in a banana leaf), Breudher (Dutch Christmas
cake), Bolo Fiado (Portuguese-style layer cake), and Gum Billas (Dutch style
honey coated sweet treats).
In April, Sri Lankans celebrate the Buddhist and Hindu new year festival.[289]
In addition, EsalaPerahera, a symbolic Buddhist festival consisting of dances
and richly decorated elephants, is held in Kandy, during the month of
August.[290] Fire-dances, whip-dances, Kandian dances and various other
cultural dances are integral parts of the festival. Tamils celebrate Thai Pongal,
MahaShivaratri and Muslims celebrate Hajj, Ramadan in their respective days
of the year.

22. SPORTS
While the national sport in Sri Lanka is volleyball, by far the most popular sport
in the country is cricket. Rugby union also enjoys extensive popularity, as do
athletics, football (soccer) and tennis. Sri Lanka's schools and colleges regularly
organise sports and athletics teams, competing on provincial and national
levels.
The Sri Lanka national cricket team achieved considerable success beginning in
the 1990s, rising from underdog status to winning the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
They also became the runners up of the Cricket World Cup in 2007,[320]
2011.and of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2012.Former Sri Lankan offspinner, MuttiahMuralitharan has been rated as the greatest Test match
bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Sri Lanka has won the Asia Cup in
1986,1997, 2004 and 2008. Current world records for highest team score in all
three formats of the game are also held by Sri Lanka.The country co-hosted the
Cricket World Cup in 1996, 2011 and have hosted the 2012 ICC World
Twenty20. They lost to the West Indies by 36 runs.

23. Sri Lankans have won two medals at Olympic Games, one silver, by Duncan
White at 1948 London Olympics for men's 400 metres hurdles and one silver
by SusanthikaJayasinghe at 2000 Sydney Olympics for women's 200
metres.[330] In 1973, Mohammed Lafir won the World Billiards Championship,
highest feat of a Sri Lankan in a Cue sport. Aquatic sports such as boating,
surfing, swimming, kitesurfingand scuba diving on the coast, the beaches and
backwaters attract a large number of Sri Lankans and foreign tourists. There
are two styles of martial arts native to Sri Lanka, Cheena di and Angampora.
Resources
In Sri Lanka the resource potential in minerals such as gemstones, graphite,
ilmenite, iron ore, limestone, quartz, mica, industrial clays, and salt is large.
Small but commercially extractable amounts of nonferrous metals and
minerals like titanium, monazite, and zircon are contained in the beach sands
of a few localities. Of fossil fuels, the only known resource is the low-grade
peat found in a swampy stretch along the west coast.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES (FOREST)
Classification of Forest Lands
Nearly 55% of the total forest area of the country is managed by the Forest
Department and these forests are declared in to several categories under
the Forest Ordinance and National Heritage Wilderness Areas Act.
01.National Heritage Wilderness Areas

24. These are the unique ecosystems of the country declared under the
National Heritage Wilderness Areas Act in order to provide the maximum
legal protection. Sinharaja forest is the only area declared as a national
heritage wilderness area at present.
02.Conservation Forests
The most important ecosystems are declared as conservation forests under
the section 3 of the Forest Ordinance. The maximum legal protection under
the Forest Ordinance is provided to Conservation Forests and no activity
other than research and visitations is allowed within these forests.
03.Reserved Forests
Declared under section 3 of the Forest Ordinance, these are the important
forest areas for conservation of soil, water and biodiversity. Activities
confined to non-extractive uses are allowed within these forests.
04.Village Forests
These are the forest areas declared under the section 12 of Forest
Ordinance in order to provide forest products and services for the local
communities.
05.Other State Forests
Forests areas do not fall under the previous categories are included under
section 20 of the Forests Ordinance as Other State Forests. After surveying
and demarcation of forest boundaries these forests will eventually be
declared in to one of the above categories.
The two main factors that influence the natural vegetation of Sri Lanka are
soil (edaphic factor) and elevation (altitudinal zonation). Due to the
interaction of these two factors following eight forest types can be
recognized in the country.
FOREST TYPES
Montane Forests
Sub Montane Forests

25. Lowland Rain Forests
Moist Monsoon Forests
Dry Monsoon Forests
Riverine Dry Forests
Sparse and Open Forests
Mangroove Forests
Forest Cover
Sri Lanka has a land area of 6.56 million hectares and according to the
forest cover assessment made in 1999, country has a total of 1.94 million
hectares of forests covering 29.5% of the land area. An extent of 1.47
million hectares or 22.4% of the land area classified as dense forests (over
75% canopy cover) while the balance 0.47 million hectares or 7% of the
land area classified as open forests (40%-75% canopy cover). In addition,
there are about 90,000 hectares of forest plantations comprising of Teak,
Mahogany, Eucalypts, Pine and other local species which accounted for
nearly 1% of the land area. Rubber and Coconut plantations and other
agroforestry systems such as home gardens, which cover approximately
another 20% of the land area were not considered as forests in this
assessment.
Sri Lanka was once part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, which also
included South America, Africa, India and Antarctica. Gondwana began to
break up 140 million years ago. The tectonic plate on which Sri Lanka was

26. located, the Indian plate, collided with the Eurasian plate creating the
Himalayas.
Sri Lanka was originally part of the Deccan land mass, contiguous with
Madagascar. The island was connected, off and on at least 17 times in the
past 700,000 years, to India.
The Loris, found only in Sri Lanka and South India, is related to the Lemurs
of Madagascar. The connection to India led to a commonality of species,
e.g. freshwater fish, the now extinct Sri Lankan Gaur (Bibossinhaleyus) and
Lion (Pantheraleosinhaleyus).
Sri Lanka's forests are amongst the most floristically rich in Asia and for
some faunal groups, it has the highest density of species diversity in the
world. The southwest portion of the island, where the influence of the
moisture-bearing southwest monsoon is strongest, is home to the Sri Lanka
lowland rain forests. At higher elevations they make the transition to the Sri
Lanka montane rain forests. Both these tropical moist forest ecoregions
bear strong affinities to those of India's Western Ghats.
The northern and eastern portions of the island are considerably drier, lying
in the rain shadow of the central highlands. The Sri Lanka dry-zone dry
evergreen forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion, which,
likethe neighbouring East Deccan dry evergreen forests of India's
Coromandel Coast, is characterised by evergreen trees, rather than the dryseason deciduous trees that predominate in most other tropical dry
broadleaf forests.
These forests have been largely cleared for agriculture, timber or grazing,
and many of the dry evergreen forests have been degraded to thorn scrub,
savanna, or thickets. Several preserves have been established to protect
some of Sri Lanka's remaining natural areas. The island has three biosphere
reserves, Hurulu (established 1977), Sinharaja (established 1978), and
Kanneliya-Dediyagala-Nakiyadeniya (KDN) (established 2004).
The coastal estuaries are home to mangrove habitats, e.g. the
Madugangariver.

27. Offshore are found habitats associated with coral reefs, e.g. the Bar Reef.
Also of note are the pearl banks of Mannar, which are also home to Chank,
sea cucumbers and sea grasses.
INDUSTRY
Sri Lanka’s mineral-extraction industries include mining of gemstones and
graphite; excavation of beach sands containing ilmenite and monazite; and
quarrying kaolin, apatite, quartz sand, clay, and salt. Among them, gem mining
is the most important, producing high-value gemstones such as sapphire, ruby,
and topaz, in addition to a variety of semiprecious stones, most of which reach
foreign markets. Graphite, ilmenite, and monazite, exported in semiprocessed
form, contribute on a small scale to Sri Lanka’s foreign earnings. The other
minerals are used locally as raw materials in the manufacturing and
construction industries.
Until the late 1970s, manufacturing in Sri Lanka was dominated by several
large-scale enterprises developed within the state sector to produce goods
such as cement, fabricated steel, ceramics, fuel and lubricant oils, paper,
leather, tires, textiles, sugar, and liquor. Only a few factory-based industries,
most of them producing light consumer goods, were in private hands.
The liberalization policies adopted in 1977 brought significant changes. Some
state-owned industrial enterprises were privatized. Fiscal and other
concessions were offered to prospective private investors, particularly
toattract foreign investments. These included a package of incentives provided
at several investment promotion zones. The low wage rates prevalent in the
country were an added attraction to the industrial ventures that responded to
these incentives. By the early 1990s new industries employed a work force of
more than 70,000 and had nearly equaled tea in gross export earnings. Many
of them, however, depend on imported inputs and involve considerable
repatriation of profits. Hence, they generate relatively low net returns to the
economy.

28. Among the industries that flourished under the liberalization policies was
tourism, which, however, remains highly sensitive to political instability. The
expansion of tourism, along with the massive irrigation and housing projects
undertaken since 1978, have contributed substantially to the growth of the
construction industry.
The rivers that cascade down the Central Highlands offer prospects for
hydropower development. Some of it is being harnessed at large power
stations, including those established under the Mahaweli Development
Program. Hydropower provides nearly three-fourths of the country’s electricity
supply. Imported crude oil is being converted to gasoline and other petroleum
products at the state-owned refinery. Some of these products are reexported.
Fuelwood continues to be the major source of energy in rural areas.
Banking and the issue of currency are controlled by the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka. Until the late 1970s, commercial banking was the near-exclusive
monopoly of two state-run banks, the Bank of Ceylon and the People’s Bank.
The postliberalization period allowed the establishment of several private
commercial banks and an overall expansion in banking, particularly with the
government’s decision in 1979 to allow foreign banks to open branches in Sri
Lanka. These same trends were replicated in other spheres of commerce such
as insurance and wholesale trade in imported goods. The increased
participation of the private sector in industry and commerce has led to the
emergence of a small but vibrant stock market in Colombo.
POLLUTION
Mrine
pollution can be occurred due to various reasons.
Generally it can be divided into three major parts,
Landbasemarinepollution.
Shipstransportationmarinepollution
.

29. Land run offUrban and domestic debris
Industrial debris
Agricultural debris
Tourism
Off-Shore Installation
Surface run-off;from farming
Urban run-off;from the construction of roads,
buildings, ports, channels, and harbours, can carry soil
andParticlesladen with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus,
and minerals.

30. Polluted runoff;from roads and highways are the
significant source of water pollution in coastal areas in
the country.
Polluted run-offUrban runoff
Organic matters
Heavy metals (Cr, Hg, Cd)
Nutrients( N,P)
Chemical pesticides, chemical substances used to kill
harmful animals or insects, and fertilizers, chemical or
natural substances put on the land to make crops grow
better, are another source of pollution
Marine pollution
Oily discharges from ballast water and bilge water) during routine
ship operations and illegal dumping of solid waste
Designated dumping grounds at sea (dredged spoil, old munitions,
sewage sludge, fly ash, oil based drilling mud)
Accidental spills from Ships carrying hazardous substances, oil, gas
etc
Now there is a new threat to our sea and coast pollution from oil spills
increasing day by day due to
1. accidents ( collisions/grounding of vessels)
2. Negligence and careless handling
3. Discharge of waste oil into sea water
4. Discharge waste containing oil

31. 5. Ship/Boat repairing/servicing/cleaning
6. Oil filling/bunkering
Impact on water living organisms:Direct physical contact
inhalation or ingestion of toxic components
Loss of food resources
Birds and furred mammals
Inhalation of toxic volatile hydrocarbons
Inhalation of toxic volatile hydrocarbons
Skin irritation
Disturbance to nesting habitat
coral reefs
tidal flats
mangrove forests
HUMAN CONTROL
Natural remedies Weathering, evaporation, oxidation, biodegradation, and
emulsification, sedimentation
Booms
Skimmers (remove floating oil)
Sorbents (absorb oil)
Dispersing agents,
Gelling agents (aid mechanical extraction)

32. Biological agents (oil metabolizing microbes)
Mechanical washing
Dredging
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACTS
Marine Pollution Prevention Authority contribute to protect the
marine environment from ship based and shore based maritime
related activity, to comply with International and national obligations
by promulgation of laws and regulations and implementation of
international Conventions relating to marine pollution prevention
and all other matters.
Sri Lanka sea pollution increasing -Nov 17, 2008 (LBO) -Pollution of
the seas around Sri Lanka is increasing mainly because of pollutants
from land, the Marine Pollution Prevention Authority (MPPA) has
warned.
ACT BY THE GOVERNMENT
Marine pollution prevention Act
Fisheries and Aquatic resources Act.
Coast conservation Act.
National environmental ACT

33. POPULATION ETHNICITY
The Sinhalese, make up 74.9% of the population (according to 2012 census)
and are concentrated in the densely populated south-west and central parts of
the Island. The Sri Lanka Tamils, live predominantly in the north-east of the
island forming the largest minority group at 11.2% (according to the 2012
census) of the population.
The Moors, who descend from Arab traders that settled in Sri Lanka, form the
third largest ethnic group at 9.2% of the population. They are mostly
concentrated in urban areas in the southern parts of the island with substantial
populations in the Central and Eastern provinces. During times of Portuguese
colonization, Moors were persecuted, and many forced to retreat to the
central highlands and the eastern coast.
There are also Indian Tamils who form distinct ethnic group which comprises
4.2% of the population. The British brought them to Sri Lanka in the 19th
century as tea and rubber plantation workers, and they remain concentrated in
the "tea country" of south-central Sri Lanka. In accordance with a 1964
agreement with India, Sri Lanka granted citizenship to 230,000 "stateless"
Indian Tamils in 1988. Under the pact, India granted citizenship to the
remainder, some 200,000 of whom now live in India. Another 75,000 Indian
Tamils, who themselves or whose parents once applied for Indian citizenship,
now wish to remain in Sri Lanka. The government has stated these Tamils will
not be forced to return to India, although they are not technically citizens of Sri
Lanka.

34. Smaller minorities include the Malays who descent from South East Asian
settlers, and the Burghers, who are descendants of European colonists,
principally from Portugal, the Netherlands and the UK.
WATER RESOURCES
Sri Lanka's radial network of rivers begins in the central highlands. There are
about 103 distinct river basins covering 90 percent of the island. The
southwest quarter of the island has seven major basins with catchment areas
ranging from 620 to 2,700 square kilometers (km2). They are: Kelaniganga
(2,292 km2), Kalu ganga (2,719 km2), Mahaoya (1,528 km2), Attanagallaoya
(736 km2), Gin ganga (932 km2), Nilwala ganga (971 km2), and Bentota ganga
(629 km2). An exception to the above radial pattern is the largest basin, that of
the 335-km-long Mahaweli River which has a catchment area of 10,448 km2.
After leaving the central highlands, it runs almost north for 90 kilometers (km)
from Minipe to Manampitiya and a then further 70 km through several
distributaries as far as Verugal and Mutur on the east coast. Most Sri Lankan
river basins are small. Only 17 of the 103 basins exceed 1,000 km2. In addition
to the Mahaweli basin, four others exceed 2,500 km2. Three of these
(Deduruoya, Kala oya, and Malwatuoya) have their entire catchment are in the
dry zone, and only Kaluganga is in the wet zone. The total runoff in Sri Lanka is
estimated at 49.2 cubic kilometers (km3/year).

35. Groundwater resources have been extensively used since ancient times for
domestic purposes using shallow open wells in almost all parts of the country.
Sri Lanka's largest aquifer extends over 200 km in the northwestern and
northern coastal areas. There are about 15,000 tube-wells in the country. The
quality of the groundwater is generally fairly good and relatively constant
throughout the year. However, in some parts of the country (northern and
northwestern coastal areas) excessive concentrations of iron and nitrates (due
to agrochemicals and fertilizers) have been reported. Furthermore, due to
uncontrolled abstraction of groundwater for domestic and agricultural uses,
brackish water intrusion has occurred in the coastal areas. In 1985, the internal
renewable groundwater resources were estimated at 7.8 km3, most
(estimated at 7 km3/year) returning to the river systems and being included in
the surface water resources estimate. In 1991, the total internal renewable
water resources of the country were estimated at 50 km3/year.
Economic development, population pressure, and growing demands for food
production, electric power, and adequate water and sanitation services are
placing increasing pressure on water resources. It is predicted that by 2000 the
demand for water will outstrip supply particularly in the country's dry zone
where most irrigation schemes are located.
Dams
In 1996, the total dams capacity was 5.942 km3. Dams in Sri Lanka are classed
according to the materials they use. They are mainly earthen, rockfill, or
concrete dams. Earthen dams are the most common type in Sri Lanka, the
longest being the ParakramaSamudraya dam which is 13.5 km long and has a
storage capacity of 0.12 km3. The highest in this category is the

36. SenanayakeSamudraya dam at 44 m and with a storage capacity of 0.95 km3.
The Victoria dam, built under the Mahaweli multipurpose project, is the
highest concrete (double curvature) dam with a height of 106 m and a storage
capacity of 0.73 km3. The gross theoretical hydropower potential in Sri Lanka is
estimated at 8,000 gigawatt hours per year (GWh/year). In 1997, 16
hydropower plants were in operation with an installed capacity of 1,103
megawatts (MW). Hydropower accounted for 81 percent of electricity
generation in Sri Lanka.
AGENCIES FOR WATER MANAGEMENT
Water is managed as an input to major development sectors such as irrigation,
hydropower, and human and industrial water supply. However, there is little
coordination between these sectors. There are about 30 government
institutions dealing with water related activities which operate with little
coordination. Furthermore, there are over 43 acts of parliament concerning
the water sector. These laws have been enacted over time to meet specific
needs, often with little consideration for existing legislation or future needs.
Laws are administered by numerous agencies with a wide range of
responsibilities, and there overlaps, gaps and conflicting jurisdictions.
The Department of Irrigation (DI), established in 1900, is primarily responsible
for water resources planning, project formulation, construction and
maintenance. It is also informally responsible for daily and seasonal allocations
of water for irrigation.

37. The Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL), established in 1979, is responsible
for water resources development in a large area of the country, not only in the
Mahaweli project region, but also in many large basins in the country. The
Water Management Secretariat of the Mahaweli Authority has the necessary
technical resources to plan the distribution of water resources under the
authority's jurisdiction.
The Water Resources Board (WRB) was established in 1968. It coordinates
governmental water resources functions and formulates national policies
relating to the control and use of water resources.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is the main agency
for domestic and industrial water supply, sewage, and surface drainage.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is responsible for the generation,
transmission, anddistribution of electric power, including hydropower.
The Department of Meteorology (DM) is responsible for gathering information
needed for estimating available water supplies nationwide.
RESEARCH INSTITUTES IN SRI LANKA

38. Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies
Institute of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Institute of Fundamental Studies
International Centre for Underutilised Crops
International Water Management Institute
Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology
University of Colombo, Centre for Instrument Development
CONCLUSION

39. SRI LANKA have a very rich cultural heritage and its intimate relation with
INDIA has contributed a lot to the development of both the sides in terms of
diplomatic relation as well as in terms of technological advancement and
religious travelling of people from SRI LANKA to various parts of INDIA has
strengthened the relation between these two countries.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_lanka
http://www.srilankanexpeditions.com/activity.php?id=16
http://www.srilankaresearch.org/research.html
http://www.priu.gov.lk/
http://www.gov.lk/gov/index.php?option=com_cat&Itemid=63&lang=en
http://www.srilanka.travel/
THANK YOU.