Sri Lanka: Current Issues and Historical BackgroundThis book provides an overview of the development of a small country, which on the one hand, is unique, and on the other hand, is also an interesting reflection and microcosm of the global economy. Sri Lanka's development is one of the contrasts, complicated by social conflicts and ethnic tensions. Social, political, economic and constitutional developments are considered. This is in accordance with the Sri Lankan tradition of seeing the world as a connected whole. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) is an island in the Indian Ocean approximately 18 miles off the south-eastern coast of India with a population of about 19 million. Density is highest in the south-west where Colombo, the country's main port and industrial centre, is located. Sri Lanka is ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse. Sri Lanka follows a non-aligned foreign policy. It participates in multilateral diplomacy, particularly at the United Nations, where it seeks to promote sovereignty, independence, and development in the developing world. |
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administrative agricultural Anuradhapura areas Bandaranaike Batticaloa became British Buddha Buddhist caste Central century Ceylon Christian coconut Colombo colonial constitution Council country's crops cultivation cultural decline District dominated dry zone Dutch early Eastern Provinces economic election employment established ethnic groups export Federal Party force foreign Goyigama growth Hindu Hinduism housing important income increased independence India Indian Tamils industry irrigation island Jaffna Jayewardene Kandy Kandyan kilometers labor land language leaders legislation Liberation LTTE Mahavamsa Mahaweli Mahaweli Ganga major million minority monks Muslim National Northern and Eastern official percent period plantation political Polonnaruwa population Portuguese production programme reforms religious rice rubber rural schools sector Sinhala Sinhalese SLFP social society Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Tamils Tamil Eelam Tamil language Tamil Tigers trade traditional Trincomalee TULF United United National Party urban villages violence wet zone workers
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Page 10 - Forced Religious Conversion There were no reports of forced religious conversion, including of minor US...
Page 2 - ... toward the Tamils, saw themselves not as the majority, however, but as a minority in a large Tamil sea that included the 50 million Tamils across the strait in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu. In 1972, Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka ("resplendent land"), as it was known in Indian epic literature. POLITICAL SITUATION Sri Lanka's political life has long featured a struggle between two broad umbrella parties - the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) - both dominated...
