Sri Lanka

Demographics

About 74 percent of the population belongs to the Sinhalese majority, which is predominantly Buddhist, mostly following the Theravada tradition. The other major group on the island is the Tamils, who constitute 18 percent of the population. They are predominantly Hindu, and live mostly in the north, east and central provinces of Sri Lanka. The Tamil population comprises two communities, one composed of Native Tamils and another composed of more recent immigrants from India.

Related Topics:
Sinhalese - Buddhist - Theravada - Tamil - Hindu

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Both Sinhala and Tamil languages have enjoyed official status since the Indo-Lanka accord in 1987, which resulted in the 13th amendment to the constitution. English, the link language in the present constitution, is the mother tongue of roughly 10 percent of the population, and is spoken and understood widely. All three languages are used in education and administration.

Related Topics:
Sinhala - Tamil

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Smaller minorities include the (mostly Sunni) Muslims (7%), mostly of Arab and Malay descent , the Burghers of mixed European descent (1%) and the Wanniyala-Aetto or Veddahs, the few remaining descendants of earlier cultures. Buddhism (70%) and Hinduism (15%) are the dominant religions. Christians represent 7% of the population, including 6% Catholics and 1% Protestants.

Related Topics:
Muslim - Arab - Malay - Burghers - Wanniyala-Aetto - Christians

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