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Sri
Lanka Main Page
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
conventional
short form: Sri
Lanka
local long
form: Shri
Lamka Prajatantrika Samajaya di Janarajaya/Ilankai
Jananayaka Choshalichak Kutiyarachu
local short
form: Shri
Lamka/Ilankai
former: Serendib,
Ceylon
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Government
type:
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republic
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Capital:
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name: Colombo
geographic
coordinates: 6
56 N, 79 51 E
time
difference: UTC+5.5
(10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Sri
Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative capital)
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Administrative
divisions:
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9 provinces;
Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North
Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
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Independence:
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4 February 1948
(from the UK)
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National
holiday:
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Independence
Day, 4 February (1948)
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Constitution:
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adopted 16
August 1978, certified 31 August 1978; amended 20
December 2001
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Legal system:
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a highly
complex mixture of English common law,
Roman-Dutch, Kandyan, and Jaffna Tamil law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of
age; universal
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Executive
branch:
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chief of state:
President
Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005);
note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government; Dissanayake Mudiyanselage
JAYARATNE holds the largely ceremonial title of
prime minister (since 21 April 2010)
head of
government: President
Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the president in consultation with
the prime minister
(For
more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president
elected by popular vote for a six-year term
(two-term limit); election last held on 26 January
2010 (next to be held in 2016)
election
results: Mahinda
RAJAPAKSA reelected president for second term;
percent of vote - Mahinda RAJAPAKSA 57.88%, Sarath
FONSEKA 40.15%, other 1.97%
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Legislative
branch:
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unicameral
Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular
vote on the basis of an open-list, proportional
representation system by electoral district to
serve six-year terms)
elections: last
held on 8 April 2010 with a repoll in two
electorates held on 20 April 2010 (next to be held
by April 2016)
election
results: percent
of vote by alliance or party - United People's
Freedom Alliance 60.93%, United National Party
29.34%, Democratic National Alliance 5.49%, Tamil
National Alliance 2.9%, other 1.94%; seats by
alliance or party - United People's Freedom
Alliance 144, United National Party 60, Tamil
National Alliance 14, Democratic National Alliance
7
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Judicial
branch:
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Supreme Court;
Court of Appeals; judges for both courts are
appointed by the president
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Political
parties and leaders:
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Coalitions and
leaders: Democratic National Alliance led by
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna or JVP [Somawansa
AMARASINGHE]; Tamil National Alliance led by
Illandai Tamil Arasu Kachchi [R. SAMPANTHAN];
United National Front led by United National Party
[Ranil WICKREMESINGHE]; United People's Freedom
Alliance led by Sri Lanka Freedom Party [Mahinda
RAJAPAKSA]
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Political
pressure groups and leaders:
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Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE [P. SIVAPARAN, Chief
of International Secretariat; V. RUDRAKUMARAN,
legal advisor]; note - this insurgent group
suffered military defeat in May 2009; some cadres
remain scattered throughout country;
other: Buddhist
clergy; labor unions; radical chauvinist Sinhalese
groups such as the National Movement Against
Terrorism; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups
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International
organization participation:
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ADB, ARF,
BIMSTEC, C, CP, FAO, G-11, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO,
NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, SCO
(dialogue member), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador
Jaliya Chitran WICKRAMASURIYA
chancery: 2148
Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1]
(202) 483-4025 through 4028
FAX: [1]
(202) 232-7181
consulate(s)
general: Los
Angeles
consulate(s): New
York
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Diplomatic
representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador
Patricia A. BUTENIS
embassy: 210
Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing
address: P.
O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone: [94]
(11) 249-8500
FAX: [94]
(11) 243-7345
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Flag
description:
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yellow with two
panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal
vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange;
the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion
holding a sword on a dark red rectangular field
that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each
corner; the yellow field appears as a border
around the entire flag and extends between the two
panels; the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity,
the strength of the nation, and bravery; the sword
demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation; the
four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its
influence on the country - stand for the four
virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and
equanimity; orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils,
green the Sri Lankan Moors; dark red represents
the European Burghers, but also refers to the rich
colonial background of the country; yellow denotes
other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion
Flag
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