Sri Lanka
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Official name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
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DEMOGRAPHY
ECONOMY |
LIFE & LIBERTY |
Contents |
[edit] Geography
The island of Sri Lanka lies in the Indian Ocean, to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. It is separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. According to Hindu mythology, a land bridge to the Indian mainland, known as Rama's Bridge, was constructed during the time of Rama by the vanara architect Nala. Often referred to as Adam's Bridge, it now amounts to only a chain of limestone shoals remaining above sea level. According to temple records, this natural causeway was formerly complete, but was breached by a violent storm (probably a cyclone) in 1480. The width of the Palk Strait is small enough for the coast of Sri Lanka to be visible from the furthest point near the Indian town of Rameswaram. The pear-shaped island consists mostly of flat-to-rolling coastal plains, with mountains rising only in the south-central part. Amongst these are Sri Pada and the highest point Pidurutalagala (also known as Mt Pedro), at 2,524 meters (8,281 ft). The Mahaweli ganga (Mahaweli river) and other major rivers provide fresh water.
[edit] Location
About 31 km south of India
[edit] Climate
Sri Lanka's climate can be described as tropical, and quite hot. Its position between 5 and 10 north latitude endows the country with a warm climate, moderated by ocean winds and considerable moisture. The mean temperature ranges from a low of 16°C in Nuwara Eliya in the Central Highlands (where frost may occur for several days in the winter) to a high of 32° C in Trincomalee on the northeast coast (where temperatures may reach 38 °C). The average yearly temperature for the country as a whole ranges from 28 to 30 °C. Day and night temperatures may vary by 4 to 7. In January, the coolest month, many people wear coats and sweaters in the highlands and elsewhere. May, the hottest period, precedes the summer monsoon rains. The rainfall pattern is influenced by the monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, which encounter the slopes of the Central Highlands, they unload heavy rains on the mountain slopes and the southwestern sector of the island. Some of the windward slopes receive up to 2500 mm of rain per month, but the leeward slopes in the east and northeast receive little rain. Periodic squalls occur and sometimes tropical cyclones bring overcast skies and rains to the southwest, northeast, and eastern parts of the island. Between December to March, monsoon winds come from the northeast, bringing moisture from the Bay of Bengal. Humidity is typically higher in the southwest and mountainous areas and depends on the seasonal patterns of rainfall. At Colombo, for example, daytime humidity stays above 70% all year, rising to almost 90 percent during the monsoon season in June. Anuradhapura experiences a daytime low of 60% during the monsoon month of March, but a high of 79% during the November and December rains. In the highlands, Kandy's daytime humidity usually ranges between 70 and 79%.
[edit] Natural Resources
Largest exports: Rubber and Tea
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Peoples
As of 2005:
-Sinhala: 74%
-Tamil: 17%
-Moor: 7.6%
-Burgher: 0.4%
-Other: 0.4 %
[edit] Provinces
Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces and subdivided into 25 districts. Each province is administered by a directly-elected provincial council. The provinces are (capitals in parentheses):
Central (Kandy)
North Central (Anuradhapura)
North (Jaffna)
Eastern (Trincomalee)
North Western (Kurunegala)
Southern (Galle)
Uva (Badulla)
Sabaragamuwa (Ratnapura)
Western (Colombo)
[edit] Life
[edit] Economy
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. The development of modern ports under British rule raised the strategic importance of the island as a centre of trade. During World War II, the island hosted important military installations and Allied forces. However, the plantation economy aggravated poverty and economic inequality. From 1948 to 1977 socialism strongly influenced the government's economic policies. Colonial plantations were dismantled, industries were nationalised and a welfare state established. While the standard of living and literacy improved significantly, the nation's economy suffered from inefficiency, slow growth and lack of foreign investment.
From 1977 the UNP government began incorporating privatisation, deregulation and promotion of private enterprise. While the production and export of tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other agricultural commodities remains important, the nation has moved steadily towards an industrialised economy with the development of food processing, textiles, telecommunications and finance. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of export, and further declined to 16.8% in 2005 (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments have reached 63%. The GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% during the early 1990s, until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000, with average growth of 5.3%. The year of 2001 saw the first economic contraction in the country's history, as a result of power shortages, budgetary problems, the global slowdown, and continuing civil strife. Signs of recovery appeared after the 2002 ceasefire. The Colombo Stock Exchange reported the highest growth in the world for 2003, and today Sri Lanka has the highest per capita income in South Asia.
In April 2004, there was a sharp reversal in economic policy after the government headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party was defeated by a coalition made up of Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the leftist-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna called the United People's Freedom Alliance. The new government stopped the privatization of state enterprises and reforms of state utilities such as power and petroleum, and embarked on a subsidy program called the Rata Perata economic program. Its main theme to support the rural and suburban SMEs and protect the domestic economy from external influences, such as oil prices, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But this policy of subsidizing imported commodities like fuel, fertiliser and wheat soon unravelled the fiscal sector. In 2004 alone Sri Lanka spent approximately US$ 180 million on a fuel subsidy, as fixing fuel prices had been an election promise. To finance the expanded budget deficit arising from a range of subsidies and a public sector recruitment drive, the government eventually had to print Rs 65 billion (US$ 650 million) or around 3% of GDP. The expansionary fiscal policy, coupled with loose monetary policy eventually drove inflation up to 18% by January 2005, as measured by the Sri Lanka Consumer Price Index.
[edit] Government
[edit] Civil War
- Sri Lanka is in the midst of a civil war that has lasted over 2 decades. Ugly conflict between Sinhala and Tamil peoples has brought great suffering (100,000 killed). Many in the Tamil community felt oppressed by the Sinhala-majority government, culminating in the overnight decision to only allow Sinhala language to be used in any government job. From that point on a group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been fighting to secure a sovereign Tamil land in the north and east of the island known as Tamil Eelam. For two decades, children have been kidnapped or recruited into the Tamil militia. These child soldiers suffer both mentally and physically as a result.
- The UN and the Norway-based peace brokers have noted human rights violations on both sides in recent years, and it does not seem a peaceful resolution to the conflict is anywhere in sight.
- The government plans has pulled out of a 2002 ceasefire deal that was enacted between the parties and the pace of fighting has increased recently. Please, pray that there will not be an escalation of the conflict and that both sides will come back to the negotiating table to come up with a plan to restore peace with justice.
- For nearly two decades, the island is scarred by a bitter civil war arising out of ethnic tensions. A ceasefire was signed in 2002, but it was undermined by regular clashes between government troops and Tamil rebels, and in January 2008 it expired. Pray for a cessation of violence and for the Church in its ministry in a climate of continuing violence and uncertainty.
[edit] Religion
Estimate: 72% Buddhist
12% Hindus
8% Muslim
7% Catholic
1% Protestant
other religions (Jainism, Baha'i, etc)
For most of the people is the spirit world and idolatry the central part of their daily religious life.
[edit] Buddhism
This is the oldest continually Buddhist country, Theravada Buddhism being the major religion in the island since its official introduction in the 2nd century BC. It is the state religion and is protected and promoted. Other religions are technically allowed but actually restricted. Buddhists number about 72% and are growing.
In this Buddhist state, Hindu gods are recognised - by Buddhists - as powerful deities yet with less influence then Buddha. Thus the Kandy Esala Perahera, the yearly 10-night Buddhist procession to give honour & veneration to Buddha and ask for rain, also includes praise for Vishnu, Kataragama (Skanda), Pattini, and Natha.
The explanation of this is that the gods and local demons are on a level further from enlightenment in the rebirth cycle then are humans. However they still have ability to affect our world, negatively or positively. Thus they are often venerated to help in this world in situations such as this perahera.
[edit] Hinduism
Hinduism accounts for roughly 12% of the country. Most if not all Hindus in Sri Lanka are of Tamil decent and their practices nearly exactly follow those in Tamil Nadu, India.
The only difference is the 'local' deity, Kataragama, also known elsewhere as Skanda. Kataragama is said to live in the south of the island. Many pilgrims - often Hindu, Buddhist and even Catholic alike - travel to the main Kataragama shrine to ask for specific blessings, i.e. a job, a wife, etc. When they eventually do recieve said job, wife, etc, they return and perform self-mutilation rituals as a penance/thanks, such as dancing with hooks in their backs, swinging from hooks dug into their backs, or walking on coals.
[edit] Islam
Islam makes up roughly 7% of the population.
[edit] Christianity
[edit] History
Tradition states that Christianity may have first been introduced by the Apostle Thomas in the first century. Christianity was first given widespread however adherance with the rule of the Portuguese, who arrived in 1505 with Catholocism. In the 17th century the Dutch arrived and established the Dutch Reformed Church, outlawing other forms of Christianity. In 1796 the British East India Company took control of the island, and brought with it the Anglican church as well as many other protestant denominations. It was at this time that the country had the most relative freedom of worship.
On February 4, 1948, Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, was granted independence and the island was declared a Buddhist nation that would respect other religions as well. As stated above, this does not however, grant freedom to propogate one's faith.
Christianity is currently seen by most in the nation as a foreign, Western religion and institution, something only to be desired by someone who wants to look & feel western and 'civilized.' Thus many in village settings want nothing to do with the religion.
There is a growing sense of awareness among many churches for the need for contextualization, and movements such as Gospel for Asia are doing wonderful things throughout the country. Many other denominations as well are brainstorming ways that they can be more contextually relevant, but little has yet been done in this arena.
[edit] Churches
Evangelicals have reversed the traditional Christian decline with a surge of spiritual life and vigour. Thank God for the commitment of many missionaries, evangelists, and local pastors over the years, which has seen Christian churches in Sri Lanka multiply. In the 1970s only 26 new churches were planted, but by the 1990s this number had grown to over 330. But the 30,000 villages are a challenge: only 1,200 have Protestant church groups.
Catholic Church of Sri Lanka [1]
Church of Ceylon (Anglican) [2] or [3]
Dutch Reformed Church of Sri Lanka [4]
Believers' Church (GFA) [5]
Methodist Church of Sri Lanka [6]
[edit] Persecution
- The majority of Sri Lankans follow Buddhism, the state religion. There is a growing resentment towards Christianity, which is seen as a colonial religion. Sri Lanka is ranked No. 30 among nations that are the worst persecutors of Christians based on Open Doors 2007 “World Watch List.” Christians have encountered harassment and physical attacks on property and places of worship by some local Buddhists, who believed they were threatened by these groups and were opposed to conversion. Some Christian groups occasionally also have complained that the government tacitly condoned harassment and violence aimed at them. In some cases police response was inadequate, and local police officials reportedly were reluctant to take legal action against individuals involved in the attacks. The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka has stated that in 2005 there were 39 attacks on Christian churches, organizations and religious leaders.
[edit] Church and State Relations
[edit] Mission
- Most of the Christians live in the urban areas of the island, yet there are 35,000 villages that have no contact with any Christians. May Sri Lankan Christians develop a vision to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread all over their nation, especially into the poorer rural areas and urban slums.
- Pray that peace will come to this land and that will enable Christians to share their faith freely and confidently amongst their fellow countrymen.
[edit] Broadcasting
- Back to the Bible Sri Lanka [10]
[edit] Councils and Networks
National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka [11] Ceylon Bible Society [12]
[edit] Seminaries/Bible Schools
Colombo Theological Seminary 189 Dutugemunu Street Kohuwala, Sri Lanka 011-552-4257 http://www.cts.lk
Lanka Bible College - Centre for Graduate Studies 05, Subodharama Road, Dehiwela 011-555-9838 / 077-318-3502
[edit] Future Trends
Calls for contextualization are coming independently from many churches and missions organizations alike.
[edit] For More Reading
