Part 696

Map ---

Location: 7 00 N, 81 00 E -- Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Flag ----

Description: yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other panel is a large dark red rectangle with a yellow lion holding a sword, and there is a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border that goes around the entire flag and extends between the two panels

Geography ---------

Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India

Geographic coordinates: 7 00 N, 81 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total area: 65,610 sq km land area: 64,740 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1,340 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to October)

Terrain: mostly low, flat to rolling plain; mountains in south-central interior lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Pidurutalagala 2,524 m

Natural resources: limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay

Land use: arable land: 16% permanent crops: 17% meadows and pastures: 7% forest and woodland: 37% other: 23%

Irrigated land: 5,600 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by poaching; coastal degradation from mining activities and increased pollution; freshwater resources being polluted by industrial wastes and sewage runoff natural hazards: occasional cyclones and tornadoes international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Marine Life Conservation

Geographic note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean sea lanes

People ------

Population: 18,553,074 (July 1996 est.) note: since the outbreak of hostilities between the government and armed Tamil separatists in the mid-1980s, several hundred thousand Tamil civilians have fled the island; as of late 1992, nearly 115,000 were housed in refugee camps in south India, another 95,000 lived outside the Indian camps, and more than 200,000 Tamils have sought political asylum in the West

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 2,673,943; female 2,559,569) 15-64 years: 66% (male 6,023,759; female 6,171,964) 65 years and over: 6% (male 553,940; female 569,899) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.13% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 17.89 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)