Sri Lanka Flag and Meaning
Flag of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Flag Meaning
The green field in the flag is a symbol of the Muslim minority in the country, and the field in orange symbolizes the Hindu minority. The dominant religion, or rather the outlook on life, is Buddhism and it is represented by the four leaves around the lion, from the bodhi tree and by the yellow color. The lion has been a national symbol of Sri Lanka since the 5th century BC. It was King Vijaya who introduced a lion flag to the island.
The flag was adopted on December 17, 1978. The two fields of Islam and Hinduism were first introduced in the previous flag after a protest in 1951. The current flag is similar to the previous one, only minor adjustments have been made.
Sri Lanka Overview
| Population | 19.2 million |
| currency | Sri Lankan rupees |
| Area | 65,610 km² |
| Capital city | Colombo |
| Population density | 288.0 residents/km² |
| HDI location | 91 |
Island residents the Indian Ocean, southeast of India, separated from the subcontinent by the Palk Canal. Except for a mountainous zone residents the central part of the country, the landscape is flat. The mountains divide the country into two clearly separated zones and act as a barrier to the monsoon winds, which have a decisive influence on the country’s tropical climate. The southwest corner of the country thus receives much rainfall, while the rest of the country is drier. Huge tea plantations line the southern slopes of the mountains. residents addition, rice is produced (for the country’s own consumption) as well as raw rubber, coconuts and cocoa for export. Deforestation of soil erosion is two serious environmental problems. Furthermore, air pollution is rising as a result of smoke from the factories.
The people: Sri Lanka’s population is predominantly Sinhalese (74%); the largest minority are Tamils (18%) followed by Arabs (7.7%).
Religion: Buddhists (69.3%); Hindus (15.5%); Muslims (7.6%); Christians (7.5%); others (0.1%).
Languages: Sinhalese (official), Tamil and English
Political parties: United National Party (Siri Kotha, SK); The Party of Sri Lanka’s Freedom; The United National Democratic Front; Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF); Communist Party; Equality Party (Lanka Sama Samaja); Democratic People’s Party (Mahajana Prajathantra); The National Front for Liberation (Janata Vimuktui Peramuna, JVP); People’s Alliance.
Social organizations: the Workers’ Congress; The Professional Federation; The Professional Council; Arbejderføderationen
Official Name: Sri Lanka Prajathanthrika Samajavadi Janarajaya (Sri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic).
Administrative division: 9 provinces and 24 districts
Capital: Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte (Administrative Capital), 115,000 residents (2003); Largest city: Colombo, 5,648,000 (2006).
Other important cities: Dehiwala-Mount Lavina, 218,500 residents; Moratuwa, 204,500 residents; Maha Nuwara, 150,700 residents (2000).
Government: Maithripala Sirisena, President, Head of State and Government, elected residents January 2015. Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister since January 2015. Parliament has one chamber – the National Assembly – with 225 seats.
National Day: February 4 (Independence, 1948)
Armed Forces: 125,300 Soldiers (1995)
Paramilitary forces: 70,000 (Police, National Guard, Private Guard)
