Sri Lanka: An Introduction

Josh Gellers, PhDOctober 12, 2016

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Geography

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Vital Statistics

• Population: 20 million (2015)• GDP per capita: $3,912 (2015)• Life expectancy: 75 (2014)• % with access to electricity: 89% (2012)• Adult literacy rate: 91% (2010)• Human Development Index: 73/188 (2015)• Diversity: 4 major ethnic groups

(Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers)

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Modern History• Three Kingdoms (1500s-1800)

– Portuguese, Dutch, and British all vie for supremacy on the island, which consisted of 3 kingdoms: Jaffna (north), Kotte (west), and Kandy (central)

• Ceylon: A British Colony (1802-1947)– British led a wave of reforms, including administrative

centralization and establishing branches of government• Independence and Conflict (1948-present)

– Ceylon becomes independent member of British commonwealth, and renamed Sri Lanka in 1972

– Civil war between Tamils and Sinhalese raged from 1983-2009

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The Sri Lankan Conflict• British favored the Tamils over the Sinhalese, and once

the British left Sinhala was made the national language, Buddhism named state religion

• 1972: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formed• 1997: State Department lists LTTE on terrorist list• 2002: Norway brokers a cease-fire• 2005: Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated, conflict

reignites• 2009: Sri Lankan government defeat LTTE after 70,000+

are killed in the struggle

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Sri Lanka Today: Reform, Reconciliation, Regionalism

• New president, new constitution in the works• Addressing Tamil displacement, disappearance• Balancing development assistance and trade

with China, India, Pakistan, and the USColombo FinancialCity

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Thank You! Questions?