|
Conventional Long Form Name of
country: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Capital City(ies) (some have multiple): Colombo; Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital Type of Government: republic Date of Independence: 4 February 1948 (from the UK) National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 4 February (1948) Chief of State (official public face of government): President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA (since 19 November 2005) Head of Government: President Mahinda Percy RAJAPAKSA Description of Executive Branch/Powers: Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term, eligible for a second term; election last held on 26 January 2010 (next to be held in 2016) Description of Legislative: unicameral Parliament (225 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of an open-list, proportional representation system by electoral district to serve six-year terms) Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 10 justices); note - the court has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation judge selection and term of office: the chief justice appointed by the president; the other justices appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; all justices hold office until age 65 subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate's Courts; municipal and primary courts Suffrage (who is allowed to vote): 18 years Name of THEIR Ambassador to the U.S.: Ambassador Designate Prasad KARIYAWASAM Location of THEIR embassy in the U.S.: N/A Location(s) of THEIR consulate(s) in the U.S.: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 Name of U.S. Ambassador to THEM: Ambassador Michele J. SISON Location of U.S. embassy THERE: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3 Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) THERE: N/A Name of THEIR representative to UN: Ranil WICKREMESINGHE Description of the Symbolism of flag: yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion holding a sword on a dark red rectangular field that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels; the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the sword demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation; the four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its influence on the country - stand for the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils, green the Sri Lankan Moors; dark red represents the European Burghers, but also refers to the rich colonial background of the country; yellow denotes other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion Flag National Symbol(s): lion Descriptions of International Disputes: none Quantity of refugees inside country AND country(ies) of origin of refugees: up to 90,000 (civil war; more than half displaced prior to 2008; many of the more than 480,000 IDPs registered as returnees have not reached durable solutions) (2014) Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A Quantity of Stateless Persons: N/A Description of current human trafficking issues related to this country: current situation: Sri Lanka is primarily a source and, to a much lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; some Sri Lankan adults and children who migrate willingly to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, and Singapore to work as domestic servants, construction workers, or garment factory workers face conditions indicative of forced labor; some Sri Lankan women are forced into prostitution in Jordan, Singapore, Maldives, and other countries; within Sri Lanka, women and children are subjected to sex trafficking in brothels, while other children are forced to work in the agriculture, fireworks, and fish-drying industries. Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: N/A |