Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an island nation in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean, southeast of India. The capital is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, though Colombo serves as the commercial capital and largest city. The country has a population of about 22-million people and a diverse ethnic composition, including Sinhalese, Tamil, Moor and Burgher communities. Sri Lanka operates as a democratic socialist republic with a mixed presidential and parliamentary system of government. The economy is driven by services, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, with key exports including tea, textiles, rubber and gemstones. The currency is the Sri Lankan rupee. The nation is a member of the Commonwealth, the United Nations, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement. Sri Lanka endured a protracted civil war from 1983 to 2009 between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which left deep social and political scars. The country has faced challenges including ethnic and religious tensions, governance issues and economic instability, notably experiencing a severe economic crisis in 2022. Sri Lanka's strategic location in the Indian Ocean gives it significance in regional trade and geopolitics. The island is known for its biodiversity, cultural heritage and historical role as a centre of Buddhism.