thnic
Tamil and Muslim parties, represented in either parliament or
provincial councils
note: the United Socialist Alliance (USA), which was formed in 1987
and included the NSSP, LSSP, SLMP, CP/M, and CP/B, was defunct as of
1993, following the formation of the People's Alliance Party (PA)

Political pressure groups and leaders: Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE); other radical chauvinist Sinhalese groups; Buddhist
clergy; Sinhalese Buddhist lay groups; labor unions

International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP,
FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, NAM, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Warnasena RASAPUTRAM
chancery: 2148 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4025 through 4028
FAX: [1] (202) 232-7181
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Shaun E. DONNELLY
embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 3
mailing address: P. O. Box 106, Colombo
telephone: [94] (1) 448007
FAX: [94] (1) 437345, 446013

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

@Sri Lanka:Economy

Economy-overview: At independence in 1948, plantations growing tea,
rubber, or coconuts and paddies growing rice for subsistence dominated
Sri Lanka's economy, and, as late as 1970, plantation crops accounted
for 93% of exports. In 1977, Colombo abandoned statist economic
policies and its import substitution trade policy for market-oriented
policies and export-oriented trade. Sri Lanka's most dynamic
industries now are food processing, textiles and apparel, food and
beverages, telecommunications, and insurance and banking. By 1996
plantation crops made up only 20% of exports, while textiles and
garments accounted for 63%. GDP grew at an annual average rate of 5.5%
throughout the 1990s until a drought and a deteriorating security
situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in
second half 1996, ho