Sri Lanka - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Sri Lanka, it was the name means "resplendent island" in Sanskrit. The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 9 provinces; Central, Eastern, North Central, Northern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Western
National symbols
Lion, water lily; national colors: maroon, yellow.
The flag
The National flag of Sri Lanka has yellow with two panels; the smaller hoist-side panel has two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and orange; the other larger panel depicts a yellow lion holding a sword on a maroon rectangular field that also displays a yellow bo leaf in each corner; the yellow field appears as a border around the entire flag and extends between the two panels; the lion represents Sinhalese ethnicity, the strength of the nation, and bravery; the sword demonstrates the sovereignty of the nation; the four bo leaves - symbolizing Buddhism and its influence on the country - stand for the four virtues of kindness, friendliness, happiness, and equanimity; orange signifies Sri Lankan Tamils, green Sri Lankan Moors, and maroon the Sinhalese majority; yellow denotes other ethnic groups; also referred to as the Lion Flag.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Sri Lanka Matha" (Mother Sri Lanka) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Ananda SAMARKONE |
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note: adopted 1951
More about the government of Sri Lanka
| Date of Independence | 4 February 1948 (from the UK) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day (National Day), 4 February (1948) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest adopted 16 August 1978, certified 31 August 1978 |
| Amendments | Proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of its total membership, certification by the president of the republic or the Parliament speaker, and in some cases approval in a referendum by absolute majority of valid votes; amended many times, last in 2020 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Sri Lanka |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no, except in cases where the government rules it is to the benefit of Sri Lanka |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 7 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (since 23 September 2024) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Harini AMARASURIYA (since 24 September 2024) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by preferential majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 September 2024 (next to be held in 2029) |
| Election results | 2024: Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE elected president; percent of vote after reallocation - Anura Kumara DISSANAYAKE (JVP) 55.9%, Sajith PREMADASA (SJB) 44.1% 2022: Ranil WICKREMESINGHE elected president by Parliament on 20 July 2022; Parliament vote - WICKREMESINGHE (UNP) 134, Dullas ALAHAPPERUMA (SLPP) 82 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral Parliament (225 seats; 196 members directly elected in multi-seat district constituencies by proportional representation vote using a preferential method in which voters select 3 candidates in order of preference; remaining 29 seats, referred to as the "national list" are allocated by each party secretary according to the island wide proportional vote the party obtains; members serve 5-year terms) |
| Elections | Last held on 5 August 2020 (next to be held on 14 November 2024) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party/coalition - SLFPA 59.1%, SJB 23.9%, JVP 3.8%, TNA 2.8%, UNP 2.2%, TNPF 0.6%, EPDP 0.5%, other 7.1%; seats by party/coalition - SLFPA 145, SJB 54, TNA 10, JVP 3, other 13; composition- men 213, women 12, percentage women 5.3% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices); note - the court has exclusive jurisdiction to review legislation |
| Judge selection and term of office | Chief justice nominated by the Constitutional Council (CC), a 9-member high-level advisory body, and appointed by the president; other justices nominated by the CC and appointed by the president on the advice of the chief justice; all justices can serve until age 65 |
| Subordinate courts | Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; municipal and primary courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Mahinda SAMARASINGHE (since 13 January 2022) |
| Chancery | 3025 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 483-4025 |
| FAX | [1] 202-232-2329 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://slembassyusa.org/new/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Los Angeles |
| Consulate(s) | New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Julie J. CHUNG (since 17 February 2022) |
| Embassy | 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03 |
| Mailing address | 6100 Colombo Place, Washington DC 20521-6100 |
| Telephone | [94] (11) 249-8500 |
| FAX | [94] (11) 243-7345 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://lk.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 8 (6 cultural, 2 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Ancient City of Polonnaruwa (c); Ancient City of Sigiriya (c); Sacred City of Anuradhapura (c); Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications (c); Sacred City of Kandy (c); Sinharaja Forest Reserve (n); Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (c); Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (n) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Sri Lanka
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Sri Lanka
Want to know more about Sri Lanka? Check all different factbooks for Sri Lanka below.
