THE NATIONAL FLAG

The National Flag of Sri Lanka has been designed with great care and purpose. The significance of each symbols of the National Flag is as follows .

The lion in the flag represents the Sinhala race. The sword of the lion represents the sovereignty of the county . The noble eight-fold path of Buddhism is signified by the lion’s tail . Curly hair on the lion’s head indicates wisdom and meditation . The beard denotes purity of words .The handle of the sword highlights the elements of water , fire , air and earth . The nose indicates intelligence . The two front paws purport to purity in handling wealth . The vertical strips of orange represents minority Tamil race and green the minority Muslim race .
The National Flag was hoisted for the first time on March 3 , 1950 .

NATIONAL EMBLEM

Sri Lanka used the British emblem when it was a British Crown Colony . We continued to use it even after gaining independence in 1948 . According to the recommendation of a select committee appointed to devise a state emblem more suitable for Sri Lanka (Ceylon) we opted for a new emblem . It had lion with a ‘Palapethi’ design atop . Below there was a strip carrying the country’s name in Sinhala ,Tamil and English . A new republican emblem was chosen after the country was declared a Republic on May 22nd ,1972 . In addition to the lion with sword and the ‘Palapethi ‘design it portrays the punkalasa , dhamachakka , sun , moon and two sheaves of paddy .

NATIONAL ANTHEM
Namo Namo Matha,

Sri Lanka Matha , apa Sri Lanka ,
Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha,
Sundara siri barini ,
Surndi athi Sobamana Lanka ,
Dhanya dhanaya neka mal pala thuru piri , jaya bhoomiya ramya .
Apa hata sapa siri setha sadana , jee vanaye Matha !
Piliganu mana apa bhakti pooja ,
Namo Namo Matha,
Apa Sri Lanka ,
Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha,
Apa Sri Lanka ,Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha,
Obave apa vidya obamaya apa sathya obave apa shakthi
Apa hada thula bhakti oba apa aloke
Apage anuprane oba apa jeevana ve
Apa muktiya obave
Nava jeevana demine nithina apa
Pubudu karan matha
Gnana veerya vadavamina ragena yanu
Mana jaya bhoomi kara
Eka mavekuge daru kala bavina
Yamu yamu wee nopama
Prema vadamu sama bheda durara da Namo Namo Matha
By Ananda Samarakoon

NATIONAL TREE

A proposal made to declare the Na Tree as the National Tree was adopted by the Cabinet on February 26th ,1986 , Socially and culturally we have been closely associated with the Na Tree for centuries. It was chosen as the National Tree for 7 reasons .
(1) It is a tree which originated in Sri Lanka ;
(2) Its utility
(3) Historical and Cultural importance;
(4) Exteror posture;
(5) Wide distribution;
(6) Color and Nature;
(7) Ability to draw and sketch it easy ;

NATIONAL FLOWER

Nil Manel or blue water lily
or Nymphaea stellata

In February 1986 blue water lily was chosen as the National flower. Found all the part of Sri Lanka and grows in the shallow water. Petals arranged like a star and the flat round waterproof leaves are bright green. It`s a symbol of purity and truth. It has a sweet fragrance and used for offering at Buddhist Temples and rituals for god Vishnu.Sigiriya frescoes of women holds these flowers in their hands. Seeds and the tubes used as a vegetable by villagers and also leaves, stem and flowers used in herbal medicine and dried flowers used to make pillows and says It produces happy dreams…

NATIONAL BIRD

Wali kukula or Ceylon Jungle fowl or Gallus Lafayetti.Jungle fawl the National Bird of Sri Lanka is commonest in the National Parks and forests.A typical fowl strutting about and scratching the ground for food.

NATIONAL JEMSTONE

The Cabinet has given approval for adoption of the blue sapphire as a National Gemstone of Sri Lanka, and to issue a stamp with the picture of the blue sapphire concurrently so as to give publicity to this initiative. The stamp is released as the National Gem Blue Sapphire and also commemorate the certification date (21.10.1993) of National Gem and Jewellery Authority Act.

SARATH  SIRIWARDHANA - 2007 - sarath@mail.gr

Country Profile

• Name: The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

• Location: An island in the Indian Ocean is located to the south of the Indian subcontinent. It lies between 5° 55' and 9° 55' north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes 79° 42' and 81° 52'.

• Area: 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq miles) [Land: 64,740 sq km  Water: 870 sq km]

• Climate: Tropical monsoon; northeast monsoon (December to March); southwest monsoon (June to ctober) 

• Average Temperature: 27ºC  (In the higher elevations it can be quite cool with temperatures going down to 16ºC)

• Average annual rainfall: 1861mm

• President: Mahinda Rajapakse ((since 19 November 2005)

• Prime Minister: Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka (since 2005)

• Population: 19.4 million (UN, 2005)

• Population growth rate: 0.78% (2006 est.)

• Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ,under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female ,15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female ,65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female ,total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

• Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.1% , 15-64 years: 68.6% ,65 years and over: 7.3% (2006 est.)

• Birth rate: 15.51 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

• Death rate: 6.52 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

• Median age: total: 29.8 years ,male: 28.7 years ,female: 30.9 years (2006 est.)

• Suffrage: 18 years of age

• Net migration rate: -1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

• Capital: Colombo (commercial), Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (administrative)

• Major languages: Sinhala (National language), Tamil (National language), English

• Ethnic Groups: Sinhalese (74%) ,Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6%), Indian Tamils (5.5%), Muslim (7.1%), others(0.8%)

• Life expectancy: 73.41years (total population), 70.83 years (men), 76.12 years (women) (2006 est)

• Literacy: 92.3(total population) 94.8% (male) 90% (female) (2003 est)

• Monetary unit: Sri Lankan rupee

• Main exports: Clothing and textiles, tea, gems, rubber, coconuts

• GNI per capita: US $1,010 (World Bank, 2005)

• Internet domain: .lk

• International dialling code: +94

• Time zone: UTS/GMT +5:30 hours