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

- Economy
Overview: Agriculture, forestry, and fishing dominate the economy,
employing about half of the labor force and accounting for about 25% of
GDP. The plantation crops of tea, rubber, and coconuts provide about 50%
of export earnings and almost 20% of budgetary revenues. The economy has
been plagued by high rates of unemployment since the late 1970s.

GDP: $6.1 billion, per capita $370; real growth rate 2.7% (1988)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15% (1988)

Unemployment rate: 20% (1988 est.)

Budget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion,
including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (1989)

Exports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--tea, textiles
and garments, petroleum products, coconut, rubber, agricultural products, gems
and jewelry, marine products; partners--US 26%, Egypt, Iraq, UK, FRG,
Singapore, Japan

Imports: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--petroleum,
machinery and equipment, textiles and textile materials, wheat, transportation
equipment, electrical machinery, sugar, rice; partners--Japan,
Saudi Arabia, US 5.6%, India, Singapore, FRG, UK, Iran

External debt: $5.6 billion (1989)

Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1988)

Electricity: 1,300,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced,
250 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: processing of rubber, tea, coconuts, and other agricultural
commodities; cement, petroleum refining, textiles, tobacco, clothing

Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and nearly half of labor force; most
important staple crop is paddy rice; other field crops--sugarcane, grains,
pulses, oilseeds, roots, spices; cash crops--tea, rubber, coconuts; animal
products--milk, eggs, hides, meat; not self-sufficient in rice production

Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $932 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $4.3 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $169 million; Communist countries (1970-88),
$369 million

Currency: Sri Lankan rupee (plural--rupees);
1 Sri Lankan rupee (SLRe) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Sri Lankan rupees (SLRs) per US$1--40.000 (January 1990),
36.047 (1989), 31