Full country name:Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Area: 66,000 sq km
Population: 19 million
Capital city: Colombo (pop 2 million)
People: 74% Sinhalese, 18% Tamils, 7% Moor, 1% other
Languages:Sinhala, Tamil, English
Religion:69% Buddhist, 15% Hindu, 8% Muslim, 8% Christian
Government: Democracy
President:Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga

GDP: US$48.1 billion
GDP per head: US$2,500
Annual growth:4.7%
Inflation: 9.3%
Major industries: Processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural commodities; clothing, cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, rice, sugarcane, grains, pulses, oilseed, spices, tea, rubber, coconuts; milk, eggs, hides, beef
Major trading partners: US, UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, India, Iran, Taiwan, Belgium, Hong Kong, China, South Korea