Sri Lanka is a small island of 65,610 km² in the Indian Ocean, located to the south of India. If
you look near the southern tip of India, you will find the paradise island surrounded by the
ocean. That is where it is found on the map, as described to a layman. But if you know your
geography terms then Sri Lanka is located at 6°56′N 79°52′E.
Closest to Sri Lanka is India, but Maldives is also located close to the country to the south of the
island.
Where is Sri Lanka in education?
Sri Lanka has a high literacy rate compared to other developing nations. According to 2017
census the literacy rate was 93.2%. Male literacy rate stands at 94% while female literacy rate is
92%.
Education is free and compulsory up to the secondary level, and the university education is free
too although only a selected number of students are admitted every year depending on their
performance at the GCE Advanced Level. There are also many private educational institutes in
Sri Lanka that award internationally recognized qualifications.
Sri Lanka also provides free text books and uniform materials to the students, and special grants
are awarded for those who pass the grade 5 scholarship examination. University students who
come from low income families are also given a scholarship which is a monthly amount of
money to be spent on educational needs.
For primary and secondary education there are schools run by the government as well as private
owned, and international schools that offer both local and international syllabi. Sri Lankan
students also receive foreign scholarships for tertiary education based on their performance at
school and Advanced Levels.
As one can expect, you will find someone anywhere in the country who can converse in basic
English, which is good for tourists. The vast majority of shops display their names and services
in English, and the name boards of state institutes display in English language too.
Where is Sri Lanka in terms of economy?
Sri Lanka’s economy depends mainly on agriculture but during the last few decades service and
manufacture have also been contributing to the economy to a vast extent. Garment industry has
been a main source of income for several decades now. Rubber, tea, and coconut were the main
export crops that were in Sri Lanka before the telecommunications, shipping, and information
technology services came up as competitive income earners in the recent years.
Sri Lanka has been developing the infrastructure at a rapid pace after the end of war in 2009, and
the road network is getting better despite ups and downs in the economy due to various reasons.
Urbanization has also given opportunities for more businesses, especially small scale ones, to
thrive while the service sector is also going up.
The youth of the country are making use of the online freelancing to a great extent making above
average income in a considerable number of cases. Online platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork
have given them the opportunity to make uses of their skills to earn a worthy compensation for
their efforts.
Currently Sri Lanka is financially aided by many global organizations such as the World Band
and the Asian Development Bank, and most of the aid go to infrastructure development.
In international arena.
Sri Lanka is a member of the United Nations, and have been actively engaged in the UN
activities and projects. The country is also a signatory to the UNHCR, UNESCO, UNICEF, and
many other UN affiliated bodies.
There has been ups and downs in the relationship with other countries mainly due to the issue of
the last stages of war, but that is mainly limited to the political arena while the normal life in Sri
Lanka goes on as usual. Political leaders from all over the world have been in Sri Lanka on state
visits, and the relationship has always been friendly.
Sri Lanka is a member of the SAARC which is a collective of South Asian countries focusing on
mutual cooperation and development. Sri Lanka maintains close relationships with all South
Asian countries, and often send delegations for special occasions and discussions held in those
countries.
The country maintains a close relationship with both political factions, one led by the USA and
the other led by China.
In health.
According to the World Bank figures the average life expectancy in Sri Lanka was 77 in 2019.
Healthcare in Sri Lanka is totally free although occasionally patients have to bear the cost of
some procedures. There are 11 universities which offer medical degrees to students, and every
district has one base hospital and many other provincial hospitals. There are National Hospitals
which are well equipped in developing country standards. One hospital specialized for cancer,
and one hospital specialized for dental surgery are there in Sri Lanka.
In addition, there are many private hospitals that offer medical services. These hospitals employ
full time doctors while the state medical specialists provide their service as the consultants of
many of those private hospitals too. Compared to where the health services stood a decade ago,
there is a huge development today.
According to WHO, Sri Lanka spent 3.5% of the GDP on health services.
In friendliness and hospitality.
It is definitely the top spot. When you visit Sri Lanka you will find that everyone has a smile on
their face, and everyone is helpful. Of course there is the “customary” scammer at tourist
hotspots and cities, just like in any other part of the world, but the general public is extremely
friendly and helpful. Any ordinary house will not hesitate to offer you a meal if you walk in
during meal times, while at any other time you will be offered a cup of tea. And that’s a
guarantee.
Sri Lankans will not hesitate to help you when you are in need, and that has always been the
nature of them.
