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Country Profile
| Size | Total area of Sri Lanka is 65,525 sq km and the maximum length and width of Sri Lanka is 435 km and 225 km respectively. |
| Location | An island off the south-eastern cost shores of India, 880 km north of the equator, in the Indian Ocean. |
| Capital | Sri Jayawardanapura |
| Commercial Capital | Colombo |
| Government | Sri Lanka, is a free, independent and sovereign nation with a population of 20 million (2006 year estimates). Legislative power is exercised by a Parliament, elected by universal franchise on proportional representation basis. A President, who is also elected by the people, exercises executive power inclusive of defense. Sri Lanka enjoys a multi party system, and the people vote to elect a new government every six years. |
| Civil Service Structure | The country is divided into 25 districts, each of which has a district secretary (the GA, or Government Agent) who is appointed. Each district comprises 5-16 divisions, each with a DS, or divisional secretary, again, appointed. At a village level Grama Niladari (Village Officers), Samurdhi Niladari (Development Officers) and agriculture extension officers work for the DSs. |
| Languages | Sinhala & Tamil English is widely spoken throughout Sri Lanka, with the exception of remote villages. |
| Ethnic mix | Sihalese- 74 per cent; Tamil- 18 per cent; Muslim -7 per cent; Burgher (descendants of Dutch and Portuguese colonist) and others- 1 per cent |
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