Official Name: Sri Lanka/Ilankai
Population: 18,827,000
Capital: Old: Colombo; new Kotte-since 1982 - Pop. 140,000
Area: 65,610 sq. km. / 40,768 sq. miles.
Language: Sinhala, Tamil
Religion: Buddhist, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam
Status of Homosexuality: Illegal
Telephone Country Code: 94
Sri Lanka was considered one of the "world's most politically unstable countries" by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in 2004. The Economist labels Sri Lanka a "flawed democracy" in its 2006 rankings. However, Sri Lanka, according to the US State Department in 2005, was classified a "stable democracy" amidst a ceasefire period of the long running civil war. Homosexuality is illegal in Sri Lanka. Punishment ranges from a fine to 10 years in prison. In certain situations, cross-dressing is tolerated. Since the 1990s their have been public efforts made to advance the rights of LGBT Sri Lankans. In 1995, "Companions on a Journey" was founded by a group of LGBT Sri Lankans to advance LGBT human rights. It was later joined by the "Womens Support Group" and "Equal Ground". The organizations have organized conferences, yearly pride festivals, promoted AIDS-HIV education and lobbied for LGBT civil rights.
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